Framing Student Success: Increasing Math and Science Achievement through Construction Technology

The project members are developing and implementing a model of instruction and articulation that creates linkages for students from high school to community college to four-year university to career. The project provides student support which reinforces their sense of purpose in their chosen discipline and enhances their ability to excel in math and science and pursue technical careers in the areas of construction technology. This project addresses the problem of high school students' underpreparation in math, science, and technology and the need to upgrade these skills for students interested in the construction industries by informing high school teachers and counselors about the requirements and rewards of college study or careers in construction, developing capacity for teachers to infuse technology instruction across high school curricula, and providing summer workshops and work experiences for high school students. Pathways for students to pursue post secondary education or careers in construction are also being mapped out to assist students in becoming better trained in the use of technology in construction. New courses in construction technologies and the strategies to implement them are being developed so that community colleges nationwide may upgrade math, science, and technical instruction. The project is also serving a diverse group of high schools in rural and urban western Oregon and cutting across curricular bounds in those high schools to ensure that this project will be replicable in communities and schools nationwide.