The State of Science and Mathematics Education in State-Supported Residential Academies: A Nationwide Survey

Abstract

The present article reports on a survey of the state of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in state-supported residential academies nationwide. Sixteen state-supported residential academies completed a comprehensive survey. Findings indicate that the great majority of public residential academies nationwide view themselves as STEM academies. These unique, state-affiliated, residential academic-year programs, specifically designed for selected gifted high-school students, provide extensive and unique research opportunities. For example, 87.5% of the residential academies provide their students with access to outside labs/facilities to support research efforts. Equally noteworthy, 37.5% of the schools integrate STEM content into their humanities curriculum. One unanticipated finding was that only one third of the 16 state-supported residential academies offer advanced placement (AP) courses. Implications are provided for encouraging America's pool of academically gifted high-school students, particularly those with special aptitude and interest in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.