SABES, a multi-year and -partner NSF-funded community enterprise grant (Math and Science Partnership track) made to the JHU’s Whiting School of Engineering (WSE), School of Education (SOE) and Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) completed its fourth year of existence at nine treatment and six comparison schools across three high-needs neighborhoods in Baltimore. MNA, the external evaluators of the grant, has been actively engaged in formative and summative evaluation of the project since 2012. In June, MNA’s team completed the year 4 evaluation of the initiative. SABES and non-SABES teachers and students survey results have indicated that SABES is making noticeable changes in teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards teaching and learning STEM at schools where SABES has been in place for a longer period of time. Teachers, out-of-school facilitators, JHU mentors and scholars, parents / caregivers have all reported observing changes in students’ levels of knowledge, skills, and dispositions around STEM. The findings corroborate with each other, particularly as the adults surrounding the students reported on their perceptions on how SABES activities or components influenced the students. Social Network Analyses (SNA) showed a stronger and more intertwined network of SABES communities than what was observed in Years 1 and 2. By applying the lens of 21st century learning skills, other aspects of SABES were seen in a whole different light—that they were indeed contributing to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that would help the students succeed beyond the elementary grades. MNA is looking forward to completing an overall impact analyses of the grant in its final year in 2016-17. Student test scores over the years in addition to their growing / changing STEM learning and perceptions around STEM careers will be assessed.
(Screen shots of the full report and an executive summary are presented below).
