Saturday Science Academy

The ACCESS Center’s Saturday Science Academy (SSA) is a 10-week math and science program held three times during the academic year aimed at underrepresented middle school students in Long Beach. The Academy offers an intensive experience focusing on the curricular areas of mathematics, scientific inquiry, hands-on science, computer application, and creative expression.

The goal of the SSA is to improve the cognitive skills of students in science, math, and creative expression, and to raise the level of excellence and standards of student performance in these areas.

SSA also seeks to prepare young people for college by providing a strong foundation for entering high school. The program is designed to address the problem of poor math and science skills, and reverse the downward spiral of college-going rates among low-income and minority students. Through the proposed program, ACCESS has created a math and science environment which provides hands-on science experiences which enable students to increase their comfort level and develop a facility in mathematics. This fundamental preparation will then help them to succeed in higher level math and science courses.

Specific Objectives are designed to:

1. Increase math scores as measured by pre and post written math tests at the 7th grade level.

2. Increase the number of students who enroll in and successfully complete algebra as a precursor to more advanced high school college preparatory math sequences.

3. Increase the level of comfort with science lab work in the natural and physical sciences.

4. Develop and reinforce reasoning, and effective oral and written communication skills.

5. Increase parental involvement in their child's math and science education by participating in "rap" sessions to discuss subjects such as student motivation and achievement.

6. Develop computer skills (including use of spreadsheets, data bases, word processing and graphing ).

Curricular and Disciplinary Focus

The curricular focus of SSA is designed to:

1. Develop the students ability to think and communicate in the language of mathematics.

2. Facilitate experiential learning through self-discovery by doing science, rather than by reading about it.

3. Enrich the students lives by exposing them to the systematic way of investigating the natural world through the study of the scientific method.

4. Present the study of mathematics, engineering and science as a viable career path for the underrepresented student.

CURRICULUM

Science Themes: Health, The Environment, Water & Power, and Space

The classroom activities of SSA concentrate on the themes of Health Science, Water & Power, The Environment and Space Discovery. Themes are important in the learning of science because they are important in the doing of science. Facts collected and categorized are useful only when tied to major theoretical questions of the natural world - “why” it works and “how” its parts fit together.

With an integrative and thematic approach to learning, SSA students not only develop a framework for understanding science but also ways in which to approach problems in other disciplines as well as in their lives as citizens, consumers and workers. The content includes 1) Knowing about science as inquiry; 2) Conducting scientific inquiries; and 3) Developing the skills and thought processes associated with inquiry.

Mathematics: The Algebra Project

Mathematics continues to be the critical filter that eliminates underrepresented minority students from careers in science, engineering and mathematics (SEM) and algebra acts as a "gatekeeper" to the college preparatory sequence. The Robert Moses Algebra Project is used to teach pre-algebra to SSA students. The 5-step curricular process used in the Algebra Project addresses the conceptual shift from arithmetic to algebraic thinking. The mathematics instruction supports the science content of the academy by relating the math concepts to science themes.

Computer Assisted Instruction

Word processing skills are taught to enable students to write and edit their observations in their algebra, science and creative expression classes. Computerized daily journals are kept and creative writing exercises designed to teach the students to express their everyday observations and opinions are assigned. Data base and spreadsheet skills simplify the tasks of the data collection and analysis. Graphic programs are taught to enable students to illustrate their writing with graphs and diagrams.

Field Trips

A variety of field trips are offered during SSA to emphasize the many ways that math and science interact to support, promote and advance the needs and goals of our society. Wherever possible, the academy will use the vast resources of public and private connections that the ACCESS Center has developed to provide role models and counseling to the students. Examples of these trips are visits to:

1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

2. Griffith Park Observatory.

3. California Museum of Science and Industry.

4. California State University Marine Biology and Sciences Collection Vessel, "Yellowfin"

5. Science & Technology based industries (McDonnell Douglas, Department of Water and Power, California Department of Transportation, Southern California Edison).

6. Defense Installations (Long Beach Naval Base, Seal Beach Air Station).

PLAN FOR PROJECT EVALUATION

The SSA is a unique program that can be replicated in other urban areas in the country. To further our understanding about the implementation and effectiveness of the program, a detailed process and outcome evaluation is being conducted as an integral part of the SSA program. The prime objectives of the evaluation components are as follows:

1. To monitor and describe all program components and activities in sufficient detail to allow for replication in similar settings.

2. To provide administrators with prompt feedback of preliminary and formative evaluation results to determine if adequate progress is being made toward the project goals and how to modify the program to improve effectiveness.

3. To determine the impact of program activities on the stated objectives.