The Southern California Science and Engineering Career Access Center is generally referred to as the ACCESS CENTER, as this title succinctly represents the mission and role the Center plays in the Los Angeles educational community. Located on the campus of Cal State L.A. (CSLA) and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 1989, our mission is to increase the number of well trained middle and high school minority students prepared to enter careers in math, science or engineering. The ACCESS Center has adopted the motto "To Make Learning Come Alive" and has structured all of our programs to be active and experiential. Over the past six years we have refined our approach to focus upon a three-pronged strategy: 1) Middle School Teacher Development, 2) Direct Student Intervention and, 3) Evaluation and Analysis of programs. Understanding the crucial role parents play in the success of their children's education, a parental involvement component is included in each of our programs. ACCESS has provided financial support, expertise, leadership and curriculum guidance to impact over 13,000 pre-college minority students and 102 math and science teachers during this past school year alone.
TEACHER DEVELOPMENT. The goals of our teacher development programs are: to promote quality middle school math and science curricula; to facilitate implementation of the state frameworks and national standards for math and science; and to facilitate systemic change within schools. Programs include the following. The Teacher Summer Science Academy (TSSA) was originally held as a joint venture between biology faculty at CSLA and Caltech. Currently it is conducted primarily by faculty at CSLA. In this 3 week program, 15 middle school science teachers learn integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to life science curricula. The California Science Framework is used as a guide for the hands-on activities featuring Wisconsin Fast Plants and Bottle Biology. Access to Algebra is a reform program which targets 7th and 8th grade teachers. This program provides efficient systemic reform as all teachers in a given math department are trained in reform minded curricula simultaneously. Teachers participate, as a group, in a series of trainings held throughout the school year. Teachers from various grade levels learn a variety of curricula and pedagogy that embraces the reforms of the California Mathematics Framework. The Robert Moses Algebra Project is gaining national attention as a cutting edge reform movement specifically aimed at minority, 6th and 7th grade math students. The goal of the program is to have as many students as possible prepared for algebra by the 8th grade. To do this, as an Algebra Project site, ACCESS actively trains teachers in the use of a 5-step curricular process for delivering instruction, while integrating the program with other reform minded curricula. Follow-up classroom implementation support takes place throughout the year and parents are engaged in program related events. This project is especially powerful with bilingual and other disenfranchised students as the experiences of the students themselves drives the curriculum.
DIRECT STUDENT INTERVENTION. The goals of our direct student intervention programs are: to build a stimulating and supportive classroom environment that promotes student centered learning; to provide enrichment opportunities for middle and high school students; and to facilitate systemic revisions within the school. Programs include the following. The College Prep Program is our most successful direct student intervention program. This program has been part of ACCESS for over five years and serves as a successful model that is now being replicated at three other high schools. Average (B/C) students are recruited to participate in this program as they enter their high school freshman year. The model consists of five essential components that include: a thorough academic program; strong tutoring support; a parent involvement component; an on-site steering committee; and a partnership with a local university. The Saturday Science Academy (SSA) is funded by the Jacob's Family Foundation and provides three 10-week sessions of math, science, and computer activities for middle school students at Hamilton Middle School in Long Beach. Lessons are delivered in a exciting hands-on approach which enables students to increase their comfort level and develop their abilities in these disciplines. The Residential Intensive Math & Science Academy (RIMSA), funded by NSF serves 50 minority 7th and 8th grade students. It is a four-week residential program, on the campus of CSLA, in math, science, computers and creative writing geared toward curricular enrichment. Following RIMSA students attend 8 Saturday science sessions which completes the RIMSA experience. The goal of this program is to prepare these children for college by providing a strong foundation for entering high school on a college prep track.
EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS. The goals for evaluation and analysis are: to use evaluation as a tool for planning and refining programs; to measure the effectiveness of our programs; and to establish models that can be replicated and disseminated. The ACCESS Center uses the MOS database developed by NSF to gather the needed data. Qualitative evaluation is also done to examine our programs. Among the instruments used are the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scale and the science counter-part. Students, teachers and parents are also interviewed concerning the results and quality of our programs.