Implementation Project: PERSIST (Pathways to Enhance Retention of Students in Science toTransition) II Program

Implementation Projects in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students receiving undergraduate degrees in STEM and building STEM education research capacity.​ This implementation project at Morgan State University identifies the Pathways to Enhance Retention of Students in Science to Transition (PERSIST II) program to support first-year STEM majors through a holistic and research-based academic success model that integrates biotechnology. The program addresses common factors that impact student success through pre-college summer programs, hands-on research exposure, and peer-led collaborative learning. The project is grounded in evidence-based practices, specifically leveraging student research experiences to bolster engagement and retention in STEM. The project is guided and informed by an on-going evaluation, as well as by internal and external advisory committees. The goals of the project are to 1) enhance academic preparedness and persistence through a pre-college transition program using ALEKS for adaptive math instruction and case-based science pedagogy, 2) develop a new Applied Biology concentration with a core laboratory techniques course, career-aligned curriculum, and embedded National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competency development, and 3) improve students’ critical thinking skills via a research component that combines Game-Based Learning (GBL) and Supplemental Instruction (SI). The project aims to advance knowledge and understanding in STEM education by investigating the effect of these interventions on student learning outcomes in STEM courses, including retention, persistence, and graduation rates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.