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 its programs to be active and experiential.
Over the past six years we have refined our approach to focus upon a three-pronged strategy: 1) 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.
Teacher Summer Science Academy (TSSA)
The first two academies held in the summer of 1993 and 1994 were held as a joint venture between biology faculty at CSLA and Caltech. Currently, TSSA 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 “Bottle Biology”. Sheltered English and other approaches sensitive to a bilingual student population are also addressed. There are two follow-up support meetings during the year, and classroom visits are made to supply teachers with materials and implementation support as needed.
Access to Algebra
This is a reform program which targets 7th and 8th grade teachers. The Access to Algebra model provides efficient systemic reform as all teachers in a given math department are trained in reform-minded curricula simultaneously. The teachers participate, as a group, in a series of training sessions staggered throughout the school year. Teachers from various grade levels are exposed to a variety of curricula and pedagogy approaches that embraces the reforms of the California Mathematics Framework. Among the curricula used in this model are the Michigan Middle School and Math A programs. Teachers at each site involved with the program meet on a regular basis to discuss the impact of this training on the math program at their schools.
This program, developed by Robert Moses, is gaining national attention as a cutting edge reform movement specifically aimed at minority, middle school math teachers and their 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 five-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 drive 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.
This is our most successful direct student intervention program. The College Prep Program has been part of ACCESS for over six years and serves as a successful model that is now being replicated at three other high schools. The model consists of five essential components that include: a thorough academic program; strong tutoring support; parent involvement; a steering committee; and a partnership with a local university. Average (B/C) students are recruited as they enter their high school freshman year. Lincoln High School is the original site upon which the model is based. The program at Lincoln is called the University Preparatory Program (UPP). Ninety-five percent of the students who participate in Lincoln’s UPP graduate from high school. Furthermore, approximately 60% of UPP students complete the program and all of those students continue their education at a four year institution, with over 90% electing to attend CSLA.
Saturday Science Academy (SSA)
This program is funded by the Jacobs Family Foundation and provides three, 10-week sessions of math, science, and computer activities for 85 middle school students at Hamilton Middle School in Long Beach. Lessons are delivered in an exciting hands-on approach which enables students to increase their comfort level and develop their abilities in these disciplines. The goal of this program is to supplement regular classroom experiences with support that will adaquately prepare these students for placement and retention in higher level math and science courses.
Residential Intensive Math & Science Academy (RIMSA)
This program funded by NSF began in March of 1995. RIMSA serves 50 inner-city, 7th and 8th grade students from a variety of schools on the CSLA campus. It is a four-week, residential program for students in “year round” schools on vacation during the traditional calendar year rather than the summer. The program enhances the students classroom experiences in math, science, computers and creative writing. RIMSA is designed to raise the level of students' confidence and performance in these areas. The goal is to prepare these middle school students for college by providing a strong foundation for entering high school on a college prep track. Following the residential portion, students attend eight Saturday sessions continuing their participation in the academy after returning to school. RIMSA provides a much-needed opportunity for these students to get away from the problems of the inner city and exposes them to a controlled environment of instruction, discipline, and cultural diversity.
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 Minimum Obligatory Set (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 counterpart. Students, teachers and parents are also interviewed concerning the results and quality of our programs.
SENIOR STAFF
Jewel Plummer Cobb, Ph.D. Principal Investigator
Judith A. Day Executive Director
Jacques P. Bordeaux Technical Director
Eunice Kim Evaluation Analyst