STEM Starters+ is funded by a five-year Research and Development Jacob K. Javits Grant from the U.S. Department of Education awarded to the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ann Robinson
In collaboration with: Museum of Science, Boston.
STEM Starters+ “scales up” a previous U.S. Department of Education Javits demonstration project (STEM Starters) that produced learning gains in identified gifted students, general education students, and elementary teachers.
STEM Starters+ includes 4 major project design components: Professional Development, Curriculum Materials Enhancement, Science and Engineering Curriculum Implementation, and Evaluation.
The STEM Starters+ goals aligned with objectives are to:
(1) scale up the STEM Starters model (STEM Starters+) to include an additional grade level (Grade 1) in additional schools serving high proportions of underrepresented students;
(2) increase nomination, identification, and participation of underrepresented students in gifted and talented programs and services;
(3) increase teacher content knowledge, skill, and efficacy in teaching science and engineering design as defined by the Next Generation Science Standards;
(4) increase student learning gains and engagement in science content, process skills, and engineering design;
(5) enhance STEM Starters curriculum materials and their delivery through technology; and
(6) conduct research on short-term and longitudinal student and educator gains.