Project Description:
The goal of the proposed Project BEAM (BE A Mathematician) is to scale up and evaluate a model designed to increase the number of middle school (MS) Native Hawaiian (NH), Native American (NA), Pacific Island (PI), and Hispanic students, identified as mathematically promising. This term is defined by advanced level of math achievement, outstanding real world math application skills, enrollment in a gifted education math program or club in MS, completion of advanced math classes in MS, and entering into high school Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) honors certificate program. To contribute to research advancement and practice for promising indigenous and Hispanic students and sustain the efforts beyond the funding period, the researchers will create a university-based gifted education program for indigenous and Hispanic students.The BEAM Intervention Model is built upon three evidence-based models: Renzullis Enrichment Triad Model, proven effective for serving the needs of gifted and diverse learners, and the Ka Pilina and Neʻepapa Ka Hana Models, proven effective for improving the algebraic understanding and skills of NH 7-12th graders with various abilities. The intervention condition is a 10-week culturally responsive, accelerated and enriched math program, totaling 50 hours. For 3 hours each week, students will participate in virtual activities: 30 minutes of math exploration activities; 1.5 hour of self-paced algebra acceleration using adaptive computer program and 1 hour of collaborative, real world problem based learning and project development. Students will do the online activities at a time and location mutually agreed. On Saturdays, students will come to college campus for 2 hour, face-to-face culturally responsive hands-on algebra activities. Students will work towards solving real world problem applying algebra and will present the final results/products to a wide audience. Meanwhile, intervention group parents, teachers, and community members will be invited for 1-hour workshop on gifted minority students and evidence-based algebra teaching skills for the first 5 weeks of intervention. Then, for the rest of 5 weeks, they will be invited to Saturday sessions as volunteer mentors. The control condition will be a 10-week, 5 hours per week of remediation and homework support. Each week for 3 hours, students will use free online learning programs on subjects of their weakness. For 2 hours they will participate in face-to-face homework support after school. Project staff and trained college/teacher mentors will lead and provide materials for all sessions.
Intended student outcomes include: attitude (attitudes towards math, math anxiety, sense of responsibility and excellence); cultural competence (sense of belonging and place); behavior (math engagement, characteristics of mathematically talented students); academic outcomes (algebra achievement, real world math application ability, enrollment in a gifted math program or club at MS and a high school STEM honors certificate program), and STEM identity development. Community, teacher, parent outcome is improved awareness of gifted indigenous and Hispanic students and algebra teaching skills. School outcome is at least 20% increase from the baseline year in the number of target students in a gifted math program or club. Research questions will be to what extent the use of BEAM Model affected the intended outcomes and what factors differentiated the intervention effects. Three-phase design. Phase I-Preparation (M1-12) goals are: (1) establish a university-based program; (2) prepare for the implementation; (3) pilot-test; and (4) complete preparation for scale-up. Phase II-Experiment (M13-52) goals are: (5) conduct a cluster randomized trial with students with potential in math; (6) field-test the Model with all students; and (7) evaluate the effectiveness of the Model. Phase III-Finalization-Dissemination (M53-60) goals are: (8) finalize and (9) disseminate the Model and findings. A cluster randomized trial will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the model with promising students, scaled up to implement in multiple settings: 10 schools in Hawaii, 6 in Arizona, and 2 in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The target population is 7th or 8th graders who are NH, NA, PI or Hispanic; are taking an algebra class; and are identified through a 2-step approach: (1) receiving A or B grade in a math class prior to algebra class; and (2) self-rated to have a strong interest or mathematical intelligence and/or being recognized by teachers or parents to have potential in math. The sample is 540 eligible students from 18 schools at 3 sites. Analysis. Quantitative data will be analyzed using a multilevel analysis, general linear model, and descriptive statistics. Qualitative data will be analyzed using content analysis. A culturally responsive formative and summative evaluation will be conducted.
