Supporting Diverse K-6 Students' Sense of Belonging and Science Achievement through a Network of STEM-Integrated Professional Learning Communities

The Project is entitled Supporting Diverse K-6 Students? Sense of Belonging and Science Achievement through a Network of STEM-Integrated Professional Learning Communities (hereafter referred to as Achieve through PLC). For the purposes of this submission, a ?professional learning community? is defined as a team of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. The STEM-focused PLCs established at each school site will serve as a point of service delivery for CSUN faculty together with the Project?s identified partners to achieve the following goals that address the four critical science problems of practice:1) Increase teacher focus on high expectations for underrepresented minority population students at the critical fourth and fifth-grade levels where girls and boys lose hope or interest in science and mathematics achievement; 2) Assist schools in building ?communities of STEM learners? through teacher engagement in professional development that increases their awareness and knowledge of culturally-responsive, scientific pedagogy that meets Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards; 3) Assist teachers to increase the variety and dimensionality of STEM-teaching strategies through participation in field trips to and follow-up workshops with JPL-NASA, Discovery Science Cube Los Angeles; and 4) Assist school PLCs in acquiring the knowledge of key ways to invite, welcome and retain parent/family engagement in which they join educators in assuring their students? STEM achievement and future attainment of majors and careers in STEM.