Mare	
  Nostrum	
  Caribbean:	
  	
  
Workforce	
  Development	
  through	
  STEM	
  Educa?on	
  	
  
Research	
  and	
  Prac?ce	
  
I.  STEM	
  workforce	
  development	
  through	
  higher	
  
educa?on	
  
Sandra L. Romano 
Executive Director, VI-ISERP 
II.	
  STEM	
  workforce	
  development	
  at	
  the	
  K12	
  level	
  
Karissa Poszywak 
STEM Director, VI Dept of Education 
Virgin Islands Institute for 
STEM Education  
Research and Practice 
•  to	
  improve	
  the	
  quan/ta/ve	
  and	
  scien/fic	
  skills	
  in	
  
the	
  USVI	
  workforce	
  to	
  strengthen	
  economic	
  
compe//veness	
  in	
  STEM	
  fields	
  
•  improve	
  STEM	
  educa/on	
  in	
  the	
  Territory,	
  at	
  both	
  
the	
  K12	
  and	
  the	
  University	
  levels	
  	
   
The Leaky STEM Pipeline 
The STEM Pipeline 
•  <40% of students who enter college as STEM 
majors complete a STEM degree 
•  Need 1 million more STEM graduates over the 
next decade 
•  Increasing retention by 50% would produce 
about 750,000 more STEM graduates 
•  Nationally the wider STEM enterprise includes 
<8% URM whereas minorities represent 
almost 30% of US population 
President’s	
  Council	
  of	
  Advisors	
  on	
  Science	
  and	
  Technology	
  2012	
  
The STEM Pipeline in the USVI 
•  <50% of math and science teachers are highly 
qualified in territorial public schools 
•  ~50% of 11th grade students proficient or 
advanced in mathematics 
•  ~50% of students in public schools go on to 
college immediately 
•  SAT scores lower than the national average 
2013-­‐2014	
  No	
  Child	
  LeA	
  Behind	
  Report	
  Card	
  	
  	
  
The STEM Pipeline at UVI 
•  ~70% of incoming freshmen are not college 
ready for mathematics 
•  90 STEM graduates/year 
•  14% of our Biology and Chemistry majors go 
on to PhD programs 
•  89% of alumni complete PhD programs 
compared to about 50% nationally 
Comprehensive Economic 
Development Strategy for the 
USVI 2012  
•  Education, energy, and STEM a priority area 
•  need to develop a diverse, highly qualified 
scientific workforce 
•  Requires improving the quantitative and 
scientific skills as well as the educational 
levels of the territorial workforce 
Virgin Islands Institute for 
STEM Education  
Research and Practice 
•  to	
  improve	
  the	
  quan/ta/ve	
  and	
  scien/fic	
  skills	
  in	
  
the	
  USVI	
  workforce	
  to	
  strengthen	
  economic	
  
compe//veness	
  in	
  STEM	
  fields	
  
•  improve	
  STEM	
  educa/on	
  in	
  the	
  Territory,	
  at	
  both	
  
the	
  K12	
  and	
  the	
  University	
  levels	
  	
   
Virgin Islands Institute for 
STEM Education  
Research and Practice 
•  Collaborative infrastructure for STEM 
education research 
•  Grant writing center for STEM education 
research 
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Implement	
  an	
  effec/ve	
  program	
  of	
  STEM	
  
Educa/on	
  research	
  
– Ini/al	
  work	
  from	
  our	
  NSF	
  Noyce	
  project	
  
– Research	
  on	
  distance	
  learning	
  
– Hiring	
  a	
  new	
  faculty	
  member	
  to	
  focus	
  on	
  STEM	
  
Educa/on	
  research	
  
– Collabora/ve	
  work	
  between	
  UVI	
  and	
  territorial	
  
public	
  schools	
  
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Develop	
  undergraduate	
  cer/fica/on	
  paths	
  for	
  
STEM	
  teaching	
  
– STEM	
  Educa/on	
  minor	
  in	
  CSM	
  
– Early	
  exposure	
  to	
  STEM	
  teaching	
  at	
  the	
  K12	
  level	
  
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Evaluate	
  the	
  greatest	
  need	
  for	
  post-­‐graduate	
  
training	
  
– MMES	
  &	
  MMAT	
  program	
  review	
  
– Other	
  pathways	
  for	
  post-­‐graduate	
  training	
  
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Research	
  integra/on	
  in	
  the	
  undergraduate	
  
curriculum	
  
– Including	
  VI-­‐EPSCoR	
  related	
  research	
  on	
  coral	
  reef	
  
demography,	
  disease,	
  and	
  diversity	
  	
  
– Develop	
  more	
  engaging	
  classrooms	
  and	
  
laboratory	
  experiences	
  to	
  increase	
  reten/on	
  of	
  	
  
STEM	
  majors	
  
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Mentoring	
  training	
  for	
  all	
  faculty,	
  post-­‐docs,	
  
and	
  graduate	
  students	
  involved	
  in	
  Mare	
  
Nostrum	
  projects	
  
– Annual	
  workshop	
  	
  
– Ongoing	
  monitoring	
  and	
  assistance	
  
Increase	
  the	
  compe//veness	
  of	
  the	
  USVI	
  	
  
workforce	
  in	
  STEM-­‐related	
  jobs	
  through	
  improved	
  
teaching	
  &	
  beIer	
  student	
  prepara/on	
  in	
  STEM	
  
•  Inquiry	
  and	
  project-­‐based	
  learning	
  prac/ces,	
  
infused	
  with	
  VI-­‐EPSCoR	
  research,	
  aligned	
  with	
  	
  
NGSS	
  and	
  CCSSM,	
  established	
  as	
  the	
  model	
  
for	
  STEM	
  instruc/on	
  in	
  all	
  ten	
  middle	
  and	
  high	
  
schools	
  in	
  the	
  Territory