A program to enhance k-12 science education in ten rural New York school districts.

The Rural Partnership for Science Education, designed by educators and scientists in 1991 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, works in two rural New York State counties with students and their teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 to improve pre-college science education. The Partnership is an alliance among ten rural New York school districts and several New York State institutions (e.g., a regional academic medical center; the New York Academy of Sciences; and others), and has activities that involve around 4,800 students and 240 teachers each year. The authors describe the program's activities (e.g., summer workshops for teachers; science exploration camps for elementary and middle-school students; enrichment activities for high school students). A certified science education specialist directs classroom demonstrations throughout the academic year to support teachers' efforts to integrate hands-on activities into the science curriculum. A variety of evaluations over the years provides strong evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting students' and teachers' interest in science. The long-term goal of the Partnership is to inspire more rural students to work hard, learn science, and enter the medical professions.     

UCLA's outreach program of science education in the Los Angeles schools.

The UCLA School of Medicine's Interactive Multi-media Exercises (IMMEX) Project began its outreach into pre-college education in the Los Angeles area in 1993. The project provides a model in which software and technology are effectively intertwined with teaching, learning, and assessment (of both students' and teachers' performances) in the classroom. The project has evolved into a special collaboration between the medical school and Los Angeles teachers. UCLA faculty and staff work with science teachers and administrators from elementary, middle, and high schools. The program benefits ethnically and racially diverse groups of students in schools ranging from the inner city to the suburbs. The project's primary goal is to use technology to increase students' achievement and interest in science, including medicine, and thus move more students into the medical school pipeline. Evaluations from outside project evaluators (West Ed) as well as from teachers and IMMEX staff show that the project has already had a significant effect on teachers' professional development, classroom practice, and students' achievement in the Los Angeles area.     

Science education partnership between the University of Colorado and a Denver High School.

The authors describe a partnership, begun in 1997, between Manual High School, a school in which about 85% of the students are African, American or Hispanic, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. There are three partnership goals: help teachers transform a lecture-based curriculum into an inquiry-based curriculum, help students build their science knowledge, and give students opportunities to learn--and become excited--about careers in medicine. The current emphasis of the partnership is at the ninth-grade level. The first unique aspect of the partnership is the Medical Explorers program. One portion of the program begins when a hypothetical teenage car-crash victim arrives at the emergency room; over the next six weeks, practicing health care professionals dramatize their medical responsibilities to this patient and discuss the academic training necessary to fulfill those responsibilities. In addition, the Medical Explorers students travel to the Health Sciences Center, where they tour laboratories and clinics, help conduct experiments, and explore computer-based surgical simulations. The second unique program is a service learning project in which ninth-grade students assist with an activity that gives elementary school students a chance to participate in the process of scientific inquiry and to discover the wonder of real hearts and lungs; the ninth-graders assist with logistics (e.g., they distribute newspapers), and, more important, interact with the younger students by asking thoughtful questions of them. The partnership plans to incorporate the elementary and middle schools that graduate their students to Manual High School in order to encourage the implementation of inquiry-based science curricula and to provide sustained support to teachers throughout the entire K-12 educational pathway. If medical colleges can help teachers provide a consistent classroom draw for student fascination in science and medicine, then the colleges are more likely to help create a rich diversity of students who pursue careers in medicine.     

Boston University's biosciences education program for Boston-area students.

The authors describe the CityLab program, which has the goal of providing equal educational opportunities in biotechnology and medical sciences for all students in the greater Boston area in grades seven through 12, particularly students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science. Since 1992, more than 16,000 students and 1,200 teachers have participated in the program's activities, which focus on giving students meaningful laboratory experiences in the biosciences (either at Boston University of by means of a traveling laboratory in a bus). Students develop confidence in their ability to apply molecular biology and biotechnology concepts and skills to scientific problems and learn that they can pursue careers in the biosciences. The authors describe the CityLab program, its inquiry-based teaching methods, its effects, and its potential to increase students' interest in biomedical studies and careers.     

Health science learning academy: a successful "pipeline" educational program for high school students.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the Health Professions Partnership Initiative is to increase the number of underrepresented minority Georgia residents who become health care professionals by (1) creating a pipeline of well-qualified high school and college students interested in health care careers, (2) increasing the number of well-qualified applicants to medical and other health professions schools, and (3) increasing the number of underrepresented minority students at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). DESCRIPTION: The Health Professions Partnership Initiative at MCG was created in 1996 by collaboration among the MCG Schools of Medicine and Nursing, two Augusta high schools attended primarily by underrepresented minority students, three historically black colleges and universities, the Fort Discovery National Science Center of Augusta, community service organizations, and MCG student organizations. The project was funded by the Association of American Medical Colleges and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The high school component, the Health Science Learning Academy (HSLA), was designed to strengthen the students' educational backgrounds and interest in professional careers as evidenced by increased standardized test scores and numbers of students entering college and health professions schools. Additional goals included a system to track students' progress throughout the pipeline as well as professional development sessions to enrich faculty members' knowledge and enhance their teaching expertise. The HSLA began with ninth-grade students from the two high schools. During its second year, funding from the Health 1st Foundation allowed inclusion of another high school and expansion to ninth grade through twelfth grade. The HSLA's enrichment classes meet for three hours on 18 Saturday mornings during the academic year and include computer-interactive SAT preparation and English composition (tenth grade); biology, algebra, calculus, and English composition (eleventh grade); and advanced mathematics and biology (twelfth grade). DISCUSSION: The ultimate solution to the paucity of underrepresented minority physicians resides largely in successful pipeline programs that expand the pool of well-qualified applicants, matriculants, and graduates from medical schools. Intermediate results of the HSLA support the success of the program. Since its creation in the 1996-1997 academic year, 203 students have participated in the HSLA and all 38 (from the original two schools) who completed the four-year program have enrolled in college. The mean SAT score for students who completed the HSLA program was 1,066, compared with a mean of 923 for all college-bound students in the participating schools. The mean increases in SAT scores for students who completed the four-year program were.5% (1,100 to 1,105) for students attending a magnet high school and 18% (929 to 1,130) for students attending the comprehensive high school. The mean overall increases in SAT scores for students in the two high schools were 1% (1,044 to 1,048) and 9.1% (765 to 834), respectively. The HSLA is accomplishing its goals and, while it is too early to know if these students will participate in MCAT preparatory programs and apply to medical and other health professions schools, their sustained commitment and enthusiasm bode well for continued success.     

Getting the word out: Teaching middle-school children about cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has roots in childhood. Because CVD begins early, a clear strong case for early education focused on CVD primary prevention exists. Scientists are not traditionally involved in disseminating health knowledge into public education. Similarly, public school teachers typically do not have access to biomedical research that may increase their students' health science literacy. One way to bridge the “cultural” gap between researchers and school teachers is to form science–education partnerships. For such partnerships to be successful, teams of scientists and teachers must “translate” biomedical research into plain language appropriate for students. In this work, we briefly review the need for improving health literacy, especially through school-based programs, and describe work with one model scientist–teacher partnership, the Teacher Enrichment Initiatives. Examples of cardiovascular research “translated” into plain language lessons for middle-school students are provided and practical considerations for researchers pursuing a science–education partnership are delineated.     

Academic outreach: health careers enhancement program for minorities

This article describes the 6-week Health Careers Enhancement Program for Minorities inaugurated in the summer of 1988 at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The program was developed for minority and economically disadvantaged college undergraduates and postbaccalaureate premedical students. Its major objectives were to stimulate and maintain the interest of minority students in health careers and prepare these students for entry into health professions and for successful completion of these programs. A unique aspect of the program was academic outreach. Case Western Reserve University minority alumni and community minority physicians participated as clinical role models, mentors, and teachers; community and state minority leaders served as inspirational speakers and role models. The program was designed not only to incorporate cognitive and skill development activities, but to also include features distinctive to the Case Western Reserve University curriculum, specifically, organ system teaching, preceptor groups, medical apprenticeship program, and student tutors.     

Minority enrichment programs at the New Jersey Medical School: 26 years in review.

In 1971 the New Jersey Medical School formed a task force to address the training of physicians from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds, and in 1972 the Students for Medicine Program (SMP) was launched. The program, one of the first of its kind, provided previews of college science courses to help minority students develop their noncognitive skills and make the transition to medical school. The school has also established other minority programs. The programs have been designed to form a health careers pipeline for college-bound students, beginning in the eighth grade. Grade-specific summer experiences, as well as year-round monthly workshops, are offered to all participants. The workshops for pre-college and college students and their parents are designed to strengthen students' academic skills, address issues such as self-esteem, provide exposure to health professions, and increase parents' knowledge and involvement. From 1972 to 1998, there had been 1,722 participants in the pre-college, 1,875 in the college, and 683 in the prematriculation programs, respectively. They were from the inner city, most of them African American, but with a growing number of Hispanics. From 1987 to 1994, 36% of the SMP participants entered health professions schools. In 1996, the medical school created the New Jersey Partnership for Health Professions Education, a collaboration of high schools, universities, community-based organizations, the federal government, and the health professions schools. It works to strengthen the medical school's "pipeline" for underrepresented minority students while eliminating competition among programs for the same students and simultaneously developing a larger pool.     

Science school and culture school: improving the efficiency of high school science teaching in a system of mass science education

Educational expansion in western countries has been achieved mainly by adding years to full-time education; however, this process has probably reduced efficiency. Sooner or later, efficiency must improve, with a greater educational attainment per year. Future societies will probably wish more people to study science throughout high school (aged c. 11-19 years) and the first college degree. 'Science' may be defined as any abstract, systematic and research-based discipline: including mathematics, statistics and the natural sciences, economics, music theory, linguistics, and the conceptual or quantitative social sciences. Since formal teaching is usually necessary to learn science, science education should be regarded as the core function of high schools. One standard way to improve efficiency is the 'division of labour', with increased specialization of function. Modern schools are already specialized: teachers are specialized according to age-group taught, subject matter expertise, and administrative responsibilities. School students are stratified by age and academic aptitude. I propose a further institutional division of school function between science education, and cultural education (including education in arts, sports, ethics, social interaction and good citizenship). Existing schools might split into 'science school' and 'culture school', reflected in distinct buildings and zones, separate administrative structures, and the recruitment of differently-specialized teaching personnel. Science school would be distinguished by its focus on education in disciplines which promote abstract systematic cognition. All students would spend some part of each day (how much would depend on their aptitude and motivation) in the 'science school'; experiencing a traditional-style, didactic, disciplined and rigorous academic education. The remainder of the students' time at school would be spent in the cultural division, which would focus on broader aspects, and aim to generate a more rounded and social individual. For this to happen depends upon a recognition that science is relatively difficult to teach, requiring non-spontaneous and un-natural cognitive processes from students. Furthermore, it is much easier to learn science when young--if science is missed at school, it can be difficult or impossible to make up the ground later. Modern schools currently try to do too many things, and end-up doing none very well: the one big thing all schools should do for all students is to teach them science. For this to happen, schools need to specialize in their core function.     

Introduction to the medical professions through an innovative medical student-run pipeline program

Underrepresented minorities (URMs) make up a disproportionately small percentage of medical school applicants, matriculants, and physicians relative to the general US population. Preprofessional pipeline programs may help introduce URMs to careers in the medical field. MiniMeds was developed as a paracurricular enrichment program that targeted URM students. The curriculum was designed and administered by medical students, and 2 trials of this program were conducted. Data were collected pre and post program through a survey that assessed knowledge of medical concepts and knowledge of and interest in careers in medicine. Attendance at program sessions correlated with baseline knowledge about medical professions. Knowledge about medical concepts increased significantly from baseline to follow-up for boys, a group significantly represented by URMs in our cohort. Median scores for knowledge of medical careers increased significantly from baseline to followup for URMs as well as for boys and girls. Preprofessional pipeline programs such as MiniMeds are able to engage and develop medical knowledge in URM students at a critical developmental age. Further evaluation and implementation of programs that incorporate medical students to actively develop and lead pipeline programs are warranted.     

Adapting postdoctoral training to interdisciplinary science in the 21st century: the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program at the National Cancer Institute.

Preparing junior scientists for careers in the health sciences has become an immense challenge for many reasons, including the emerging demand for multidisciplinary approaches to solving problems in the health sciences. For those choosing careers in hybrid and interdisciplinary fields, the "traditional" postdoctoral training model may not perform well, particularly in light of other problems that plague postdoctoral success. New approaches are required. Using the interdisciplinary field of cancer prevention as an example, the authors describe the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) of the National Cancer Institute, a three-year postdoctoral program of which the goal is to provide its fellows with a strong foundation in cancer prevention through education, mentored research, and structured professional development training activities that emphasize multidisciplinary approaches and leadership skills. Over time, the CPFP has incorporated the best aspects of the traditional postdoctoral training model with newer training approaches in an effort to overcome existing problems in postdoctoral training and to address the additional complexities inherent in training those who seek careers in interdisciplinary science. Many aspects of the CPFP, including an efficient infrastructure, a dedicated staff, a capacity to provide educational activities, and the provision of rich research opportunities, may translate well to other postdoctoral programs that face similar issues.     

Anatomy of a successful K-12 educational outreach program in the health sciences: eleven years experience at one medical sciences campus

The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the administrative home of a nationally recognized educational outreach program in the health sciences for K-12 teachers (includes school nurses, counselors, etc.) and students. This program is called the Partners in Health Sciences (PIHS) program. It began in the summer of 1991 and is based on an annual needs assessment of the state's teachers. PIHS is a program available to all teachers and students in the state. It has several different components: (1) a cafeteria of 21 days of mini-courses offered in the summer to meet the professional development needs of K-12 biology/health teachers and other school personnel; (2) weekly, interactive telecommunication broadcasts for students during the academic year; (3) intensive, 5-day workshops that train five selected teachers at a time (10 per year) to use an authoring software program to develop grade-appropriate interactive, computer-assisted, instructional (CAI) modules for Internet (http://k14education.uams.edu) use by teachers and students; (4) a monthly science night for students and their parents at a local science magnet high school; (5) field trips to the UAMS campus for teachers and their students; (6) community-requested presentations by program faculty; and (7) availability of earning undergraduate and graduate credit for science education majors in the College of Education, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The data presented in this report span the period from 1991 through 2001. For all program activities, 14,084 different participants have consumed a total of 50,029 hours of education.     

Anatomy of a successful K–12 educational outreach program in the health sciences: Eleven years experience at one medical sciences campus

The Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is the administrative home of a nationally recognized educational outreach program in the health sciences for K–12 teachers (includes school nurses, counselors, etc.) and students. This program is called the Partners in Health Sciences (PIHS) program. It began in the summer of 1991 and is based on an annual needs assessment of the state's teachers. PIHS is a program available to all teachers and students in the state. It has several different components: (1) a cafeteria of 21 days of mini‐courses offered in the summer to meet the professional development needs of K–12 biology/health teachers and other school personnel; (2) weekly, interactive telecommunication broadcasts for students during the academic year; (3) intensive, 5‐day workshops that train five selected teachers at a time (10 per year) to use an authoring software program to develop grade‐appropriate interactive, computer‐assisted, instructional (CAI) modules for Internet ( http://k14education.uams.edu ) use by teachers and students; (4) a monthly science night for students and their parents at a local science magnet high school; (5) field trips to the UAMS campus for teachers and their students; (6) community‐requested presentations by program faculty; and (7) availability of earning undergraduate and graduate credit for science education majors in the College of Education, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The data presented in this report span the period from 1991 through 2001. For all program activities, 14,084 different participants have consumed a total of 50,029 hours of education. Anat Rec (New Anat) 269:181–193, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

UCSF partnership to enrich science teaching for sixth graders in San Francisco's schools.

Increasing the diversity of students entering the health professions is a challenging goal for medical schools. One approach to this goal is to share the enthusiasm and energy of medical students with younger students, who may pursue medical education in the future. The MedTeach program, established in 1989 and coordinated by the Science & Health Education Partnership of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), does so by partnering volunteer medical students from UCSF with sixth-grade classes studying the human body. In 1997-98, around 350 sixth-graders in the San Francisco Schools benefitted from the program. Each team of medical student's visits its class ten to 12 times a year to present engaging, hands-on lessons on body systems and health. The medical students are also role models for the middle-school students. In addition, the diverse student population of San Francisco public schools provides a rich environment for the medical students to improve their communication and teaching skills.     

The Community Partnerships Experience: a report of institutional transition at East Tennessee State University.

The Community Partnerships Program, sponsored by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, served as a catalyst for significant changes within East Tennessee State University (specifically its schools of medicine, nursing, and public and allied health) and the rural communities involved. The authors describe the development and implementation of the program and its effects on the students, faculty, communities, and the three participating schools over the period 1992-1999. They also review the changes the program fostered in health professions education and the resulting institutional changes at their university. The primary motivation for change at East Tennessee State University was the desire to develop primary care providers who could more effectively function in an interdisciplinary and interprofessional health care system and who would be sensitive to community needs in rural and underserved areas. The planning process, curricular transformation, implementation of inquiry-based learning, community collaboration, and interdisciplinary education involving students from the three health professions schools are described, including challenges and difficulties (e.g., student attrition; retention of volunteer community-based clinical preceptors; initial faculty resistance; a climate of competition rather than cooperation). Outcomes are described, including students' enrollment and attrition in the program over time, performances on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, program graduates' career choices, and the types and locations of their practices. The program's students performed as well on professional licensing examinations as did their peers enrolled in traditional programs. Program graduates have been much more likely to select primary care careers and to practice in rural locations than have their non-program peers. The development strategies and experience gained could give useful insights to other universities contemplating a community-based component for health professionals within their existing curricula.     

WVU--community partnership that provides science and math enrichment for underrepresented high school students.

In response to the need to help West Virginia secondary school students overcome educational and economic barriers and to increase the number of health professionals in the state, the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (hereafter, "the Academy") was established in 1994. The Academy is a partnership between West Virginia University (WVU)--including the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Human Resources and Education--and members of the community, including secondary-school teachers, health care professionals, and other community leaders. The Academy targets students from underrepresented groups (mainly African Americans and financially disadvantaged whites) in grades nine through 12. By November 1997, 290 students (69% girls and 33% African American) from 17 counties were Academy participants. Funding is from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the Coca-Cola Foundation, and other sources. Academy programs are an on-campus summer institute and community-based clubs, where students engage in activities for science and math enrichment, leadership development, and health careers awareness. In the Academy's clubs, students carry out extended investigations of problems related to human health and local communities. Most students report that the Academy has increased their interest in health care careers, and almost all who have continued to participate in Academy programs through their senior year have been accepted into college.     

农村初中生异性交往心理问题及年级差异

目的:考察农村初中生在异性交往中存在的心理问题,性别和年级差异。方法:采用问卷法,对526名农村初中学生进行调查。结果:各分量表、各因子和总均分分值均未超过正向5点记分中的第4等级,退缩性人格分值最高(2.7±0.6),其次是过度防卫(2.2±0.6)、偏执(2.1±0.6)和交往失调(1.9±0.6);男女生在交往失调分量表(t=5.66,P<0.01)和总均分(t=2.63,P<0.01)维度上差异有统计学意义;不同年级学生的过度防卫(F=3.87,P<0.05)和偏执(F=14.92,P<0.01)两分量表得分差异有统计学意义,初一学生的过度防卫分值比初三高,初一和初二学生的偏执分值均比初三高,均存在统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论:农村初中生异性交往心理总体状况良好,但具有较明显的退缩特征;在交往失调和总体状况上,男生心理问题多于女生;不同年级在过度防卫和偏执上存在差异。     

How generalizable are the effects of smoking prevention programs? Refusal skills training and parent messages in a teacher-administered program

This study investigated both substantive and methodological issues associated with school-based smoking prevention programs. Substantive issues included the efficacy of a refusal skills training curriculum and of parent messages mailed to students' homes. Methodological issues included the effects of assigning classrooms versus entire schools to experimental conditions and determination of the effects of attrition on internal and external validity. Results revealed differential impact for different subgroups of adolescents. The refusal skills program produced lower rates of smoking than the control condition for students who were smokers at the pretreatment assessment but may have produced detrimental effects among males who were nonsmokers at pretest. The provision of parent messages did not affect outcome. Method of assignment (schools versus classrooms) failed to produce significant effects, and attrition did not affect internal validity. However, the above differential findings, as well as the impact of attrition on external validity, raise questions concerning the generalizability of smoking prevention programs.This research was supported in part by Grant HD 13409 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, by Grant DA 03635 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and by Grant CA 38273 from the National Cancer Institute. The authors would like to thank the teachers, students, and school administrators who made this study possible and the many staff members at ORI who worked on the project.