Spring 2014
Successful Transition from Math Eight to Math I
Mentor Dr. Darnell Johnson
ABSTRACT
North Carolina adopted the North Carolina Common Core State Standards (NCCCSS) in K-12 Mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts on June 2, 2010 that were released by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. With the adoption of these state-led education standards, North Carolina is in the first group of states to embrace clear and consistent goals for learning to prepare children for success in college and work. Under the Mathematics Standards, Math I, commonly known as Algebra I, is considered the gatekeeper for students who are college or career ready. There is a significant need to encourage and prepare a higher percentage of minority and non-traditional high school students to pursue careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) on a national level. High school freshman from schools the twenty-one county region that falls under the school divisions assigned to Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) consistently perform poorly in Math I on the End of Course (EOC) state test annually. This team will seek to examine the challenges to be overcome by eighth grade students to be successful on the Math I state assessment taken at the conclusion of their first semester in five high schools located in three selected school divisions that are in close proximity to ECSU. The Math Team will focus on the skills of North Carolina students that are required to successfully transition from Math 8 to Math I in the North Carolina Common Core Standards for Mathematics.
http://nia.ecsu.edu/ur/1314/teams/math/index.html
Reasearch for Undergradates at Elizabeth City State University Summer 2013
TeraScan Curriculum Development and Intergration of SeaSpace Tehnology into the Classroom
Mentor Mr. Je'aime Powell
ABSTRACT
Seaspace and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in February of 2012. Seaspace is the world's leading provider of satellite ground stations and processing software for remote sensing applications. The MOU stated that ECSU would provide a training site for Seaspace’s technology and data products along with integration of the products into classroom curriculum. In return, Seaspace would provide ground stations for receiving direct broadcast data from various telemetries. The ground stations include a 3.7m X/L band, a 3.6m C band, and a 5.0m L band dishes, along with accompanying computing hardware. The purpose of this project was to generate a training curriculum focused on the K-12 classroom, along with college courses, and outside governmental agencies. The curriculum contains one hour modules which as a whole could be presented as a 10 hour course that qualifies as one continuing education unit (CEU) for K-12 teachers and administrators. Example modules for “Introduction to Remote Sensing” and “Introduction to the TeraScan” were also created.
http://nia.ecsu.edu/reuomps2013/teams/rs/index.html
Watershed Watch 2013
Analyzing Factors that Influence Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) at Elizabeth City State University
Mentor: Barry Rock, UNH
ABSTRACT
Trees are very important to the environment as they provide oxygen to living organisms, uptake carbon dioxide, improve air quality by absorbing potentially harmful pollutants (e.g., carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide), produce carbohydrates (sugars ,cellulose, starch, etc.) and serve as an climate indicator (e.g., precipitation). In the Southern United States, loblolly pine trees (Pinus taeda) are the most essential and widely produced trees. It is extensively used for lumber and pulpwood. We extracted tree cores from the loblolly pines across the campus of Elizabeth City State University and compared the correlation of diameter at base height (DBH) and tree age. Once we collected the cores, we calculated the estimated age and determined the overall health condition of the trees, by analyzing the growth rings in each core. We also determined what variables contribute to the positive or negative growth of a tree (e.g., mulch, vines).
http://nia.ecsu.edu/ww/summer13/wwposters-2013/loblolly.jpg
Spring 2013
The Impact of 2006-2012 CReSIS Summer Research Programs that Influence Student's Choice of a STEM Related Major in College
Mentor Dr. Darnell Johnson
ABSTRACT
Researchers, policymakers, business, and industry have indicated that the United States will experience a future shortage of professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Several strategies have been suggested to address this impending shortage, one of which includes increasing the representation of females and minorities in the STEM fields. In order to increase the representation of underrepresented students in the STEM fields, it is important to understand the motivational factors that impact underrepresented students' interest in STEM academics and extracurricular programs. Research indicates that greater confidence leads to greater interest and vice versa (Denissen et al., 2007). In this paper, the mathematics research team examined the role of practical research experience during the summer for talented minority secondary students studying in STEM fields. An undergraduate research mathematics team focused on the link between summer research and the choice of an undergraduate discipline. A Chi Square Statistical Test was used to examine Likert Scale results on the attitude of students participating in the 2006-2012 Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) Summer Research Programs for secondary students. This research was conducted at Elizabeth City State University located in northeastern North Carolina about the factors that impact underrepresented students' choices of STEM related majors in college. Results can be used to inform and guide educators, administrators, and policy makers in developing programs and policy that support and encourage the STEM development of underrepresented students.
http://nia.ecsu.edu/ur/1213/teams/math/index.jpg
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