1. Lessons-Learned from Extension Services Grantees 2005-2009 (NSF Research on Gender in Science and Engineering Program) A National View AAAS Center for Advancing Science & Engineering Capacity American Association for the Advancement of Science www.aaascapacity.org Daryl E. Chubin, Ph.D. (PI) Ruta Sevo, Ph.D. (Consultant) Generic presentation February, 2010 dchubin@aaas.org ruta@momox.org

2. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 What are NSF Extension Services? A network created to actively deliver innovations in education to the field... Serving a particular community of educators Through training and technical assistance Recommending certain promising practices Using customized information products Responsive to culture & needs assessments

3. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 PurposeNSF Expectation To diffuse innovations in education... that will increase the participation of women in science and engineering through a cadre of agents/consultants who provide training and technical assistance delivered to educators, associations, or communities

4. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Purpose of the Study Step back from the day-to-day Reflect, self-examine Consider the projects in the context of the Program Share perspectives on: the magnitude of the problem addressed collectively by the projects; and the communities served relative to the number of projects, funding level, and duration of support

5. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 What are Extension Services compared to Centers, Clearinghouses, Alliances, and Conferences that address participation issues? For example, NSF-OIA Science and Technology Centers NSF-CISE Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances NIGMS-MORE Annual Conference on Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Research Careers

6. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Findings: Whats Different about Extension Services? The priority goal is broadening participation; not an add-on Emphasis on building capacity, specifically a cadre of change agents Job #1 is service delivery* through human resource developmentnot research, evaluation, or teaching Conscious effort to grow the community & share experiencesmotivate change in practices Target a subset among educators, form a relationship, formalize commitment Customize consulting and materials for the client community Integrate accountability: needs assessment, action plans that are data- driven, benchmarking, evaluation * transferring knowledge while inspiring and enabling action

7. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 In other words, -Catalysts -Collaborators -Community organizers -Entrepreneurs in education -Consultants/just-in-time technical assistants -Change agents -Creating a community of common interests -A business-like service -Transient -Evidence-based -A community and network of change agents -Diversity people

8. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 FYPIGSE/ES TitleTarget Communities 2005FortenberryEngineering Equity Extension Service (EEES)Educators from middle school thru the college sophomore level, inside and outside classroom, providing an engineering curriculum 2005SandersMobilizing Implementation of Effective Practices to Increase Participation of Women in Computing (NCWIT, or National Center for Women in Information Technology) Faculty in undergraduate computer science 2006MilgramWomen Tech (CalWomenTech)Educators providing technology education in community colleges 2006FroschlGreat Science for Girls (GSG): Gender Equity in Science through After-School Programs Educators in after-school youth programs, esp. serving low and moderate-income urban children 2006PetersonNational Girls Collaborative Projects (NGCP)Educators providing out-of-school girl-serving programs with STEM content 2007STEM Equity Pipeline (a.k.a. NAPE)Educators in high school and community colleges providing STEM curriculum, through state-based offices 2008MeszarosAppalachian Information Technology Extension Services (AITES) Educators in information technology in middle and high schools, and county-based communities 2009MetzESE: IM Services in Engineering: Improving Instruction and Mentoring to Retain Undergraduate Women (a.k.a. ENGAGE) Faculty in engineering colleges 2009BrownGirls RISE (Raising Interest in Science and Engineering) Museum Network Educators in science museums and centers Nine NSF Grantees, 2005-2009

9. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Awards: $ 2.5 million over 5 years, with a site review in Year 3* Notes: i. NSF investment, 2005-2013 = $22M; expended through 2009 = $14.5M ii. Awards, projects, & grantees are common NSF terms; we favor services

10. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Coverage of Extension Services by Educational Area

11. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 What Extension Services Are Providing 1.Improved national capacity 2.Networks of committed educators & leaders 3.Information resources customized for certain sectors 4.Methods for widespread distributed training 5.A cadre of leaders collaborating at a national level 6.A wider base of people adopting certain programs & strategies 7.A capacity top assess & evaluate needs, activities, courses & programs 8.New research questions & agendas 9.A climate of excitement, understanding, commitment & advocacy 10.A wider understanding of the relationship between education & workforce

12. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Would any of these things happen WITHOUT the investment In Extension Services? Probably not, as fast or to the scale of these accomplishments. A thousand flowers of smaller grants do not add up to: active delivery of innovation by leaders/consultants trained to understand the needs of a particular community community building across states translating educational content and matching it to needs integrating assessment practices

13. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Communities Currently Served Teachers affiliated with five associations working in engineering education Undergraduate computer science departments (36) Community colleges in California that are technology centers (10) After-school, youth-serving organizations (16) Girl-serving organizations that deliver STEM programming (1500) State departments of education working to implement the Perkins Act (12) Counties among five Appalachian Highlands states (10) Departments in engineering colleges (30) Science-rich museums and science centers (10)

14. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Service Models Work with particular sites NCWIT, CalWomenTech, ENGAGE, Girls RISE Training/ custom consultancy model Trainers/consultants work with agent teams on-site Can do needs assessment, action plan, data collection Work with intermediary organizations EEES, STEM Equity Pipeline, GSG Leverage existing infrastructure; reach many members/affiliates More removed from educator/student relationship First impact is on the intermediary organization Create ad hoc network to organize community NGCP, AITES Recruit leaders who energize wide range of educators Simple, scale-able model Broad community impact, defined by geography

15. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Limitations on Services Can this investment achieve a phase change or a tipping point? Short duration trying for systemic change or institutional transformation Transient – leaders & agents are there only for a few years Working through volunteers scattered across organizations Working in context of other priorities & demands – diversity agenda Reaching SMALL percentage of total communities Not integrated with each otherstill a thousand flowers blooming

16. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 A Climate for Change There is evidence that a value on diversity is getting embedded Reception by clients to the idea is mostly enthusiastic Hundreds if not thousands of organizations have gotten the message Exemplar institutions offer case studies & influence others Many collateral impacts are not getting measured In some communities, this is first concentrated focus on diversity issues Strong tie to wide interest in jobs and workforce preparation Is all of this captured in project evaluations?

17. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Lessons: The Communities Select partners and clients using criteria of readiness & commitment Look for ability to collect data & report back Piggy-back on educational associations & offices already reaching educators Look for different cultures and different needs; adapt to setting and population Getting people on board takes time (6 months?) Introducing new curriculum takes time (12 months?) Use point people with strong personal networks

18. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Lessons: Recommended Programs/Strategies Develop criteria for selecting & recommending programs/products Customization can eat up a lot of time Let clients pick things that suit their interests & needs Get feedback on what worked for them Use checklists, FAQs, guides Emphasize how to do it or what to do

19. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Lessons: Whats in it for Agents? Agents get... Enhancement to their job, ideally Leadership training Learning about issues, products, strategies, assessment Affiliation with a peer network New skills (e.g., website design, facilitation, presentation) Peer recognition as leaders Larger personal network Opportunities to conduct research & assessment They must cope with... A small level of investment, competing with full-time job Overwhelmed by expectations & work Frustration of competing views for low stakes Modest financial reward

20. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 It Is Not About Girls... It Is About (or what educators and clients have to gain) More effective & excellent education that is inclusive and productive -Getting more students to take interest in S&E -Making more students successful Reducing the waste of hostile climates & myths Challenging stereotypes that lead to the exclusion of potential students Improving job opportunities, thus improving families Increasing the workforce available Bringing opportunity to low-income students Aligning with the national interest in cultural competency & talent crisis

21. GSE Lessons Learned – Jan. 19-21, 2010 Questions about the Concept of NSF/GSE Extension Services 1.Are all three models valid and consistent with the train-the-trainer concept? 2.Should the program encourage any particular model? 3.Each model implies different priority outcomes: changes in a department/school/campus/site, or changes in an intermediary professional association, or changes in a loosely-defined community/network. 4.What are the optimal and feasible outcome measures for extension services? Are common indicators feasible for future Services? 5.Should the portfolio be balanced, given the small reach due to relatively small budgets and timeframes? 6.How can models and customized products be sustained after five years?