| Abstract: | The Meyerhoff Program is an intensive, multicomponent program focused on enhancing the success of talented African-American students in science and engineering at a predominantly white, medium-sized university. The program components, taken together, address the four primary factors emphasized in the research literature as limiting minority student performance and persistence in science: knowledge and skills, motivation and support, monitoring and advising, and academic and social integration. Outcome analyses indicated that the first three cohorts of Meyerhoff students (total N=69) achieved an overall GPA (mean=3.5) significantly greater than that of an African-American historical comparison sample (mean=2.8) of comparably talented science students at the university. This difference was even greater for first year science GPA (means of 3.4 and 2.4, respectively), and in specific science and mathematics courses. Observational and questionnaire data indicated that the Meyerhoff program study groups, peerbased community, financial scholarships, summer bridge program and staff appear to be especially important contributors to student success. Implications of the findings for enhancing the success of African-American and other underrepresented populations in science are discussed. |
