Responsive to broadening participation in computing challenges, a collaborative network of higher education, non-profit organizations, K-12 schools, industry representatives, and other stakeholders has been established in Mississippi. Collective alliance initiatives are focused on current and arising challenges in access to computer science and technical education among under-resourced citizens. One program resulting from statewide partnerships that shows promise is the Mississippi Coding Academies. Originally designed to serve the emerging workforce of recent high school students not on a college-bound trajectory, the program is also providing a pathway for persons currently in the workforce who want to retool for the digital economy and accelerate income opportunity and growth. The approach to formal assessment with results thus far, and plans for longitudinal evaluation of the success of this program, is presented. 
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                            Project Accelerate (3-Year Review): Closing the Access Gap to Physical Science Careers and Academic Programs
                        
                    
    
            Project Accelerate is a National Science Foundation funded program providing access to a rigorous introductory college level College Board Advanced Placement physics course to students attending high schools where this opportunity is not part of the regular high school program of study. High schools in the United States not offering this opportunity in general are either small rural schools or high schools in districts serving a larger than average proportion of economically disadvantaged families. Students in Project Accelerate do as well on the AP exam as their peer groups enrolled in traditional AP® Physics 1 classrooms. In addition, students in Project Accelerate show a marked increase in interest in pursuing post high school academic programs in science. 
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                            - Award ID(s):
- 1720914
- PAR ID:
- 10171931
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- EPiC Series in Education Science
- Volume:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2516-2306
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 115 to 121
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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