Increasing Opportunities for Low-Income Women and Student Parents in SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY…

Expanded access to STEM careers has the potential to improve the well-being of low-income and working poor families and to strengthen the U.S. economy overall. Efforts to improve economic outcomes through STEM degree attainment, however, are likely to be much more successful if they address and work to ameliorate longstanding segregation by sex and race in STEM education.

Focusing on STEM fields in postsecondary education presents an important opportunity to improve the economic security of women and families. Community colleges can provide an accessible entry into postsecondary education in STEM fields for low-income working adults and those with dependent children. While some may receive terminal subbaccalaureate degrees others go on to pursue four year degrees” (p.1).

“This report analyzes trends in women’s representation in [STEM] fields of study at community colleges, as well as promising institutional and broader policy initiatives for improving recruitment, retention, and completion rates for women students in general and student parents in particular. This report is a product of [The Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s] Student Parent Success Initiative, a multifaceted project designed to share knowledge, raise awareness, and improve public policies to support positive outcomes for low-income student parents seeking higher education” (p.i).

Published in 2012, the report considers the representation of women and student parents in STEM fields nationwide. “The first section of the report provides background information and data on the demographics of community college students and some of the issues facing low income women and student parents. Section 2 examines the status of women in the STEM labor force. Data on STEM credentials earned by women and men at the subbaccalaureate level is presented in the third section. Section 4 focuses on promising approaches for women and student parents in STEM fields at community colleges. The report concludes with recommendations” (p.5).

(Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

Full publication title: Increasing Opportunities for Low-Income Women and Student Parents in SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, and MATH at Community Colleges

“Drawing on a literature and program review, analysis of publicly available data, and consultations with experts in the field, this report examines opportunities for women and student parents to pursue and succeed in STEM fields at community colleges. Findings include the following: • Women with associate’s degrees earn only 77 percent of what men earn, in part because of the different fields that men and women pursue, with men more likely to go into STEM fields. Women hold only about one in four STEM jobs… • The proportion of women awarded subbaccalaureate degrees and certificates in STEM disciplines is declining” (p.1). “Community college leadership at many institutions nationwide have implemented a variety of promising approaches to facilitate the pursuit of STEM fields by women, student parents, and other underrepresented students...These approaches…include the following: • Scholarships and financial incentives for successful completion of coursework… • On-campus child care open until 11:00 p.m., a Head Start program for qualifying students and other emergency assistance… • Developmental courses for students that integrate basic skills instruction with professional-technical courses in fields linked to career pathways in STEM fields… • Coursework innovations including stackable credentials, online learning, and articulation agreements… • Extensive academic and support services for women and other educationally disadvantaged students majoring in engineering and other STEM fields… Reversing current trends in women’s pursuit of STEM subbaccalaureate degrees and certificates will require community colleges to proactively recruit and retain female students. Broader action will be necessary to ensure that women and student parents are fully integrated at all entry points along the STEM pipeline…And supporting the community college pathway to STEM careers for low-income women and other disadvantaged students will require stronger public policies ranging from financial support and child care programs to protections against gender discrimination and new federal investments in STEM programs” (p.2). “The report concludes with recommendations for enhancing programs, expanding research, and strengthening policies that can lead to greater opportunities for low-in¬come women and student parents to succeed in STEM fields at community colleges.” (p.5). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2012
• Author(s): Costello, Cynthia B.
• Organizational Author(s): Institute for Women’s Policy Research
• Funding Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Long Dang
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies