Factors Influencing Change Initiatives to Improve K–20 STEM Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills: Final Case Study of SCALE Activities

Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for noncommercial purposes by any means, provided that the above copyright notice appears on all copies. The research reported in this paper was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation to the University of Wisconsin–Madison (EHR 0227016) for a Mathematics and Science Partnership project called System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators of Wisconsin–Madison. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies, WCER, or cooperating institutions. Executive Summary Institutions of higher education (IHEs) play an important role in math and science education by providing undergraduate instruction, operating teacher training programs, and providing in-service training for K–12 teachers. The System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project—funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program—sought to effect change in its partner IHEs by creating a ―transformative culture‖ through the development of ―cross-cultural teams‖ that worked at the intersecting nodes among K–12 districts, colleges of education, and colleges of mathematics, science, and engineering (SCALE, 2005). The SCALE theory of action regarding IHEs seeks to achieve the following goals: (a) improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education; (b) improve collaboration between STEM and education faculty regarding preservice programs; (c) improve collaboration between IHE faculty and K–12 districts regarding in-service training; and (d) improve institutional policies and practices that support these activities. As part of the SCALE IHE case studies line of work, this document provides findings on the effects of the SCALE project, along with the Department of Education (ED)–funded Quality Educator Development (QED) project, This case study includes two interrelated accounts of SCALE/QED activities: (a) evaluation findings for each of the SCALE/QED activities undertaken at CSUDH and (b) exploratory analysis of how specific aspects of the institutional context influenced SCALE/QED activities. This research was also undertaken at two other SCALE IHEs, the University of Wisconsin– Madison and CSU Northridge (CSUN). CSUDH, a relatively new university founded in 1960 as part of the California State University (CSU) system, is located in a predominantly minority and working-class area of south Los Angeles. CSUDH is a comprehensive IHE with 44 undergraduate majors, 25 master's degree programs, and several credential programs including a K–12 teacher credential program in the College of Education (COE) that recommended 592 credentials to the …