The STEM-ESS Model is an extension to SFAz’s STEM Pathways Model [1] and KickStarter STEM Assessment and Planning Framework [2] which was was successfully used by twenty-four 2-year HSIs over six years during the NSF-funded KickStarter program to achieve $15 M funding for STEM education research projects. The primary extensions for STEM-ESS include Excelencia in Education’s Seal of Excelencia (Seal) data, practices and leadership intentionality components [3] and evidence-based practices from Excelencia’s Growing what Works Database [4]. Additionally, the STEM-ESS project team performed an extensive literature search and synthesis. Three key studies influencing the design of the STEM-ESS extensions included 1) the four key practices found by Gomez in 4-yr HSIs with equitable outcomes for Hispanic students in STEM [5], 2) the National Academy of Science and Medicine’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education [6], and 3) Using Student Voices to re-define Student Success which gave rise to six Student-centered Success Factors [7]. These citations and several others were embedded into the STEM-ESS Model and the underlying literature references were included on the last pages of the STEM-ESS model [8-16].

The literature inputs were used to crosswalk proposed extensions into the SFAz STEM Pathways Model. Definitions and capabilities were significantly enhanced as the Model was reframed to SERVE Latinos in STEM. Columns A, B, and C had a straightforward mapping to Excelencia’s Enrollment, Retention, Completion, and Transfer framing. A fifth row was added to comprehend Leadership Intentionality, and the original Curricular Alignment row became STEM Educational Pathways (row 4). The team incorporated student-centeredness, diversity, equity, inclusivity, and more explicit tracking and use of disaggregated data to intentionally identify and respond to race/ethnic-based inequities throughout the model. Consistent and transparent use of evidence-based programs and policies was also emphasized. For Leadership, aligning data and practice with explicit and public commitment to improving Latino student success was key and needed to be demonstrated in the institutional mission and strategy, culture, and human resources.

A STEM-ESS stakeholder team composed of seminal authors, experts, and users reviewed and provided inputs to further refine and improve the proposed STEM-ESS Model. Several rounds of reviews and inputs were performed over several weeks, during which revisions were performed to the Model. Each stakeholder was asked to review the revised Model and note any additional changes, to prepare for a Consensus Meeting discussion. Although some changes were recommended, the outcome of the Consensus meeting was a unanimous decision to move forward with implementing the STEM-ESS Assessment tool which would use the detailed STEM-ESS Model attributes in queries.

References Cited

[1] C. VanIngen-Dunn, C. Pickering, L. Coyle, A. Grierson, S. Frimer, and V. Fick, “Community College STEM Pathways Guide: A Collaborative Online System for Design and Implementation of STEM Pathway Programs,” in Collaboration Technologies and Systems (CTS), 2016 International Conference on, 2016, pp. 158–164. Available: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7870982/.

[2] C. K. Pickering, C. VanIngen-Dunn, A. Grierson, and A. Tanguma, “KickStarter: Providing Hispanic Serving Community Colleges with Technical Assistance to Improve their Federal Funding Competitiveness (Experience),” in 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Jun. 2018, Accessed: Jul. 18, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://peer.asee.org/kickstarter-providing-hispanic-serving-community-colleges-with-technical-assistance-to-improve-their-federal-funding-competitiveness-experience.

[3] Excelencia in Education, “Introduction to the Seal of Excelencia,” Excelencia in Education, Oct. 11, 2018.

[4] “Growing What Works Database,” Excelencia in Education. http://www.edexcelencia.org/programs-initiatives/growing-what-works-database.

[5] A. Gomez, Krystle Cobian, and S. Hurtado, “Improving STEM Degree Attainment Rates: Lessons from Hispanic Serving Institutions,” Am. Educ. Res. Assoc., Apr. 2018.

[6] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2018.

[7] K. Booth, D. Cooper, K. Karandjeff, and M. Large, “Using student voices to redefine support,” p. 41, 2013.

[8] ASU Application for the Seal of Excelencia, 2019

[9] M. Lufkin, B. Mitchell, and S. Thackeray, “STEM Equity Program Evaluation Rubric,” National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation, 2019. https://www.napequity.org/nape-content/uploads/Effective-Practices-and-Scaling-Workgroup-Program-Evaluation-Rubric-Final_9-14-19_ml.pdf

[10] R. Roach, J. Thompson, W. Laiyi, K. Palmer, K. Bergman, and N. Castro, “Toward Equity in Guided Pathways Reforms,” p. 5. link

[11] A. Gomez, Krystle Cobian, and S. Hurtado, “Improving STEM Degree Attainment Rates: Lessons from Hispanic Serving Institutions,” American Educational Research Association, Apr. 2018. link

[12] A.-M. Nunez, G. Crisp, and D. Elizondo, “Mapping Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Typology of Institutional Diversity,” vol. Vol 87, no. 1, Feb. 2016.

[13] G. A. Garcia, “Challenging the ‘manufactured identity’ of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) Co- Constructing an organizational identity.” ULCA Electronic Theses and Dissertations., 2013. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/1fx9t1d0#page-3

[14] Equity scorecard and STEM Toolkit: https://cue.usc.edu/tools/the-equity-scorecard/

[15] What an Aggressive Approach to Faculty Hiring Looks Like – Center for Urban Education helps California Lutheran University overcome Barriers to Racial Equity in its Faculty Hiring Practices: Collection of Articles

[16] G. Lozano, M. Franco, and V. Subbian, “Transforming STEM Education in Hispanic Serving Institutions in the United States: A Consensus Report,” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018. https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=3238702