Identifying and Supporting Productive STEM Programs in Out-of-School Settings (2015)
Chapter: Front Matter
Identifying and
Supporting Productive
STEM Programs in
Out-of-School Settings
Committee on Successful Out-of-School STEM Learning
Board on Science Education
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS • 500 Fifth Street, N.W. • Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. DRL-1339083 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-37362-3
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-37362-X
Library of Congress Conrol Number: 2015945523
DOI: 10.17226/21740
Additional copies of this report are available from National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2015). Identifying and Supporting Productive STEM Programs in Out-of-School Settings. Committee on Successful Out-of-School STEM Learning. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON SUCCESSFUL OUT-OF-SCHOOL STEM LEARNING
ERIC JOLLY (Chair), Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul
BRONWYN BEVAN, Exploratorium Institute for Research and Learning, San Francisco
JANE BUIKSTRA, Center for Bioarchaeological Research, Arizona State University
JACQUELYNNE ECCLES, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of California, Irvine
JOHN FALK, College of Education, Oregon State University and Institute for Learning Innovation, Corvallis
MAYA GARCIA, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Government of the District of Columbia
LESLIE GOODYEAR, Education Development Center, Inc., Waltham, MA
LYNN S. LIBEN, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
MILBREY MCLAUGHLIN, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University
VERA MICHALCHIK, Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Stanford University
NANCY PETER, Out-of-School Time Resource Center, University of Pennsylvania
CARY SNEIDER, Center for Education, Portland State University
JILL WALAHOSKI, State 4-H Department, University of Nebraska
MICHAEL FEDER, Study Director
JOANNA ROBERTS, Program Assistant
ARGENTA PRICE, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow
HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Director, Board on Science Education
MARTIN STORKSDIECK, Director, Board on Science Education (until June 2014)
CONTENTS
Where and How Young People Learn STEM
Thinking Systemically About STEM Learning
The Importance of Out-of-School STEM Programs for STEM Learning
Meeting the Demand for Out-of-School STEM Programs
Criteria for Identifying Productive STEM Programs in Out-of-School Settings
Engage Young People Intellectually, Socially, and Emotionally
Respond to Young People’s Interests, Experiences, and Cultural Practices
Connect STEM Learning in Out-of-School, School, Home, and Other Settings
Cross-Cutting Issue: Staff Capacity
Evaluating Outcomes and Generating New Knowledge
Evaluating a STEM Learning Ecosystem
A Three-Level Approach to Evaluating the STEM Learning Ecosystem
What Is Known and Recommendations for Action
Criteria for Productive Programs
Evaluating Programs and Generating New Evidence
A Successful Out-of-School STEM Learning Summit Agenda
