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"If we want STEM to support the entirety of our diverse society, we must first employ a decent representation of that diversity in these fields." 
- Jackie O'Hara

Promoting Equity. Eliminating Bias.

Rewrite the rules. Actually...throw the rules away.

When South Atlanta High School's STEM initiative was solely a program model, we knew that if we used a traditional selection process based on teacher recommendation and academic performance, we would not have a program composed of diverse learners. We spoke to a number of STEM professionals and finally constructed a talent identification and selection process inspired by the following:

GIFTED IDENTIFICATION PROCESS. Non-academic indicators allow for non-traditional participation however student identification rests in the hands of teachers. How can we eliminate teacher bias?

ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT. Coaches attend the games of potential recruits to see how they play. Was there a way we could observe how students "played"?

The result was a talent identification and selection process that uses STEM competencies as indicators for potential success in our Advocating for the Community Through STEM (A.C.T.S.) Program. 

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STEM competencies (creativity, collaboration, agility, problem solving, empathy, communication, motivation) are determined.

Activities that demonstrate the identified competencies are identified or developed. Observation rubrics are also created to assess the presence of a competency.

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Rising 9th graders at our feeder middle school, Long Middle School, participate in a blind Talent Identification Activity Day where they engage with the predetermined activities. South Atlanta High School faculty observe and score each student on their demonstration of the competencies. Note: Students are assigned numbers for identification so that observers are unaware of their names.

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Top scorers then participate in a written and/or in-person interview.

A final list of student is cultivated and invitations are then extended for students to consider being a part of the intensive A.C.T.S. program.

Each year, the result was a cohort of diverse learners that did not only consist of gifted students or students that perform well in a traditional manner. The process allowed for students who (based on traditional indicators of talent) may otherwise have not been chosen for such an opportunity, to consider themselves a fit for an advanced and accelerated program of study in the areas of science and mathematics. Students who were not identified but were still interested in being a part of the program could still self-identify interest and participate.

 

Now that we are a whole school program, we still use the Talent Identification and Selection Process to identify "non-traditional" students who may be a potential fit for the A.C.T.S. Program but we also use the process to provide qualitative and observational data for individual members of the incoming class of freshmen.

Promoting Women In STEM

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She/her/hers

According to the American Association of University Women, women only make up 28% of the workforce in STEM fields and men outnumber women majoring in STEM fields in college. At South Atlanta High School, we work to ensure that we are educating, supporting and encouraging our students identifying as female to excel and pursue STEM careers. Although young ladies tend to outperform our young men academically, we know that once they leave our four walls - their learning environment will change drastically therefore it is important that we empower them to excel in male dominated spaces.  

Non-profit organization, 
Hope for Youth, Inc. (HYPE) encourages and empowers girls of color to pursue careers and opportunities in computing and technology. HYPE has partnered with us in the following ways:

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  • Co-facilitated parallel instruction with the IT instructor which allowed for students identifying as female to learn technology in a space specifically tailored for their identified gender.

  • Provided field experience opportunities in which our girls of color have the opportunity to be exposed to careers in technology. Some experiences are large group and some are smaller and therefore more intimate.

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Promoting LatinX in STEM

All means ALL

Our student population is 93% African-American with a growing Hispanic population accounting for 7% of our student body. While one could presume that all Hispanic students are beneficiaries of our STEM initiatives since they are "students of color", significant challenges and barriers to entry still remain for our Hispanic students that are unique and separate from the majority of our students. Understanding this, we are intentional regarding our communication and monitoring of opportunities to ensure that our students who identify as Hispanic receive equal and equitable access  to STEM curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities.

In addition to ensuring that materials are printed in Spanish and that translators are present at events, we have organized programming designed to support the advancement of Hispanic students academically and particularly in STEM. In the spring of 2020, we hosted a LatinX Fireside Chat for all students who identified as Hispanic. Each student was personally invited to attend an intimate and informal conversation with four members of our STEM Advisory Board who identified as members of the LatinX community (three female and one male). Students were given the space to speak to these STEM professionals openly regarding issues that make accessing academic success challenging. We still have a lot of work to do in this area and we welcome any individuals or organizations who would like to partner with us in our efforts.

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LatinX of our STEM Board speak to our Hispanic students.

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(Pictured left to right): Wendy N. Sanchez, Diana Sanchez, Cecelia Martinez, Margarita Caraballo, Christian Zimmerman and Esmeralda Vazquez.

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