Critical
Community Contributions
The Washington
Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) results for 10th grade last
year showed an alarming trend. The key to the test scores stated
“free and reduced-price lunch: [...] indicator of family
income, which is closely correlated to academic performance. Schools
with more students from low-income families tend to have lower
test scores.” The WASL results and an analysis are provided
in the Addendum section of this report.
SEDS-UW is concerned that economically
disadvantaged students predictably score so low in science and
math. We would like the opportunity to help change this. The idea
of a competition is an effective method to strengthen the commitment
and involvement of many students. The competition will also provide
the high schools with publicity.
This microgravity competition will show
students the potential of science beyond the classroom. They will
experience all steps of the research process: brainstorming, writing
up a project proposal, building the experiment, testing it, and
then analyzing the results. They will be experience professional
research for the very first time. In the meantime the students
will learn how to work cooperatively.
Even students who are not competing will
benefit from this project. The news about exciting research in
such subjects as microgravity will motivate these students to
succeed in their classes, graduate, and even pursue higher education.
The period of high school is difficult
for many adolescents; most of them are looking for someone to
help them direct their future. SEDS-UW will continue mentoring
the students by helping them to start a SEDS club at the high
school level. We will also use this experience to establish a
larger annual program for economically underprivileged high school
students to participate in this type of engaging science activity.