2011 Velocity Prep Program Analysis

Laura BellowsSkillpoint Program Analysis Intern

Background Information on Participants

This program was very helpful. I wanted to see if I really wanted to pursue a career in engineering. I was afraid when a person told us we would be working with other people most of the time. I like to be by myself. But finishing this program made me feel like I can deal with people. I really hope this program expands and reaches many people. I am only sad that I will not be able to participate next year.

- ROBOTech senior

Demographic Information

 ROBOTech

ParticipantsDel Valle High

SchoolGREENTech Participants

Eastside Memorial Green

TechTotal Enrollment

17 2,127 20 443

Race/Ethnicity

African American

5.9% 17.0% 60.0% 18.1%

Hispanic 76.5% 72.9% 40.0% 79.9%

White 17.6% 8.8% 0.0% 2.0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0.0% 0.9% 0.0% 0.0%

Native American

0.0% 0.4% 0.0% 0.0%

Gender

Male 41.2% N/A 50.0% N/A

Female 58.8% N/A 50.0% N/A

Economically Disadvantaged

70.6% 74.5% 75.0% 87.8%

Household Educational AttainmentROBOTech

Participants’

Households

Del Valle ISD

GREENTech Participants

’ Households

Austin ISD Austin-Round Rock MSA

Less than 9th Grade

11.8% 15.3% 25.0% 9.1% 7.0%

Some HS, No Diploma

11.8% 12.9% 0.0% 7.5% 6.7%

HS Diploma or GED

58.8% 29.7% 30.0% 17.5% 20.4%

Some College, No Degree

N/A 20.8% N/A 18.3% 21.0%

Technical Certificate

0.0% N/A 5.0% N/A N/A

Associate’s Degree

5.9% 4.5% 15.0% 5.0% 6.2%

Bachelor’s Degree

11.8% 11.7% 20.0% 27.2% 25.6%

Graduate Degree

0.0% 5.0% 5.0% 15.4% 13.1%

Student Information• Grade Levels • 41.2% of ROBOTech

participants were rising seniors.

• 25.0% of GREENTech participants were rising seniors.

• Diploma Programs• 100% of ROBOTech

participants plan to graduate on Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Programs.

• 3 GREENTech participants planned to graduate on Minimum;2 moved to Recommended.

Velocity Prep ImpactsI used to think that an engineer is a person that builds houses or really big buildings. Now I am looking into being a biomedical engineer, which to my understanding is a mix of medicine and engineering.

- ROBOTech junior

Personally, the thing that impacted me the most was learning about what components that go into an electric system and seeing that I actually understood what each component’s role in the design was.

- GREENTech junior

Likelihood of HS STEM Courses

Note: Participants rated likelihoods from 1 (Very Unlikely) to 9 (Very Likely).

Likelihood of Postsecondary Education• Four-Year Colleges • Majority of participants reported planning to

attend on pre-program survey. • ROBOTech participants “highly likely” to attend

increased: 52.9% to 70.6%.• Two-Year Colleges• GREENTech participants “somewhat” or “highly

likely” to attend increased: 70% to 80%. • Technical or Trade Schools• ROBOTech participants “somewhat” or “highly

likely” to attend increased: 47.1% to 58.8%• GREENTech participants “somewhat” or “highly

likely” to attend increased: 60% to 70%.

Career Preferences and Knowledge  ROBOTech Participants GREENTech Participants  Pre-Program Post-Program Pre-Program Post-Program At Least One STEM Career

82.4% 88.2% 65.0% 90.0%

At Least One Engineering Career

35.3% 70.6% 25.0% 55.0%

At Least One Specific Engineering Career

17.6% 41.2% 20.0% 20.0%

• ROBOTech participants increased their levels of awareness about STEM careers: mean of 3.47 to 3.82.

• GREENTech participants increased their levels of awareness about the STEM job market: mean of 3.20 to 3.60.

• Both ROBOTech and GREENTech participants uncertain about the minimum education they need to become STEM professionals.

Computer Skills• ROBOTech participants increased mean

LabVIEW proficiency: 1.71 to 2.24.

• GREENTech participants increased their abilities with Google SketchUp and certain features of Microsoft Excel. • Google SketchUp: 2.15 to 2.75.• Microsoft Excel for graphs/charts: 3.05 to 3.45.• Microsoft Excel for budgeting/finance: 2.30 to

3.25.

Participants’ College and Career Readiness

• Perceptions of readiness for postsecondary education increased: • ROBOTech postsecondary readiness increased

from a mean of 3.53 to 4.24. • GREENTech postsecondary readiness increased

slightly from a mean of 3.50 to 3.60. • Perceptions of workforce readiness did not

change much: • ROBOTech workforce readiness increased from a

mean of 3.76 to 3.88. • GREENTech workforce readiness stayed at a mean

of 3.75.

ConclusionWorking in small companies, I got a taste of what the real world was like. It was hard but overall I feel like a better, harder worker.

- GREENTech senior

[In ROBOTech Velocity Prep] I was able to interact with the engineering environment and just be somewhere where I felt that I belong.

- ROBOTech junior