APA Press Release

October 28, 2008
Contact: Pam Willenz
Public Affairs Office
(202) 336-5707

APA AND UVA AWARDED GRANT TO STUDY POTENTIAL OF SPECIALIZED SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOLS TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE RESEARCH CAREERS

WASHINGTON—The American Psychological Association, in partnership with the University of Virginia, has received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct a three-year study on the contributions made by specialized public high schools to the development of scientific researchers in the life, physical and behavioral sciences.

Specialized public high schools of science, mathematics, and technology (SMT) are commonly viewed as the "crown jewel" of their school districts, and many times, of their states, said Robert H. Tai, EdD, associate professor of Science Education at the University of Virginia.

"These schools are intended to draw the most academically talented, science-focused students in each district or state, and excellent teachers as well. As the nation considers policies to address SMT education issues, options for additional functions are likely to arise," said Rena F. Subotnik, PhD, director of the Center for Psychology in Schools and Education at the APA.

No studies have provided a comprehensive analysis of the contribution that these schools make compared to conventional high schools, said Subotnik. “This study will address several areas to see how these schools stand apart from traditional schools in serving science talented students.” For example:

• Are specialized SMT high school graduates more likely to remain in the science, math, technical field than students with similar achievement and interests who attended traditional public high schools?
  
  
• Which instructional practices used by specialized SMT high schools are associated with keeping students in the science, math and technology tracks in college and higher rates of entrance into science-, math- or technology-related professions?
  
  
• Do specialized SMT high school graduates possess perspectives on professional success and ethical scientific behavior that differ from their non-SMT counterparts?

Despite the growing numbers of specialized SMT high schools, access is not widely available. With the study's findings, APA and UVA hope to target specific policy decisions to enhance accessibility for high-achieving youth from underrepresented groups; from locations where accessibility to specialized SMT schools is not possible; or for those who could benefit from additional services, but wish to remain in a regular high school, said Subotnik. Only 27 states offer SMT talent programs such as regional centers, magnet schools, governor schools and exam schools.

"A central goal of the work is to delineate educational and career consequences for the life, physical and behavioral sciences associated with the formation of specialized public SMT high schools, and to provide insight into the educational practices that appear to be most strongly associated with these outcomes," said Subotnik.

Although this study cannot offer cause and effect conclusions, the findings can help policy makers, parents and teachers see how students fare as a result of participating in the different types of school. "It would take much more time and a more complex research design to find a causal relationship," said Tai, "however, the study we are conducting, with its wide ranging participation and comparison groups will provide policy makers with the rigorous data needed to support additional specialized high schools or replicate some instructional aspects of those schools in traditional high school settings."

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 148,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.