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.