Leadership of STEM Programming Supporting Underrepresented Students
Open Access Deposited(1) district staff selects sites, (2) district staff selects students, (3) teachers experience tension when turning away interested students, (4) staff are strained by the time and instructional intensity of the program, but (5) teachers feel supported by school and district leaders with program logistics, (6) student enthusiasm energizes teachers while admission school rejections disappoint them, and, (7) the program experiences notable staff turnover, which could make it challenging to sustain. This research can be informative to the site to improve or expand their existing program, and to inform other school systems on how best to design, operate and sustain a STEM program focused on equity.
Racial gaps in science achievement begin in kindergarten and persist through middle school, so the need for meaningful intervention to increase equitable achievement early in the academic trajectory is apparent. School STEM programs can improve student attitudes, interest, attendance, knowledge, and perceptions, but little is known about the leadership of STEM programs. This study will examine how district leaders, through their work with school leaders and teachers, design, operate and sustain STEM programming to increase positive outcomes for students suffering underrepresentation and underachievement.The specific program selected for this study was chosen because it offers a unique opportunity to examine the multileveled leadership required to facilitate a district-developed STEM program. The locally designed program requires leadership from district leaders, school leaders and teacher leaders. This basic qualitative study, informed by Transformational Leadership Theory, utilized interviews as the data source, with contextual information from an observation of professional learning and artifact review. There were seven major findings
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