A University of Arkansas at Little Rock study that examines effective ways to identify high-potential science and engineering students from traditionally underrepresented groups recently was featured in the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) Blog.

Test scores aren’t always the best way to evaluate student potential, said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the UALR Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education.

“Engineering is ripe with opportunities for children who have a talent for hands-on tinkering,” Robinson said in the blog.

The Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education study, called STEM Starters+, is funded by a five-year $2.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant. Robinson is the principal investigator, and the project director is Kristy Kidd.

UALR researchers are collaborating with the Museum of Science in Boston, which developed the Engineering is Elementary curriculum used in the research.

Read more about their work here.

Photo: Kristy Kidd (right) and Dr. Ann Robinson