Midwest Hub Research

This study aligns with the Alliance goal of increasing STEM degree completion for SWD by better understanding the mechanics of success for students with disabilities. The study will use The Loss/Momentum Framework (Completion by Design, 2018; Gill & Harrison, 2019; Howell et al, 2019; Jenkins et al, 2018; Martinez & Munsch, 2019) to examine how the student success supports each institution implements either aids or does not aid reaching each critical juncture for students with disabilities: access, entry, progress, completion, and transition. While Completion by Design’s Loss/Momentum Framework initially focused on community college systems, it is now used to support educators in designing each step of students’ pathways to completion by examining loss points and momentum strategies. Knowledge gleaned from the study will be available for TAPDINTO-STEM Alliance partners for mid-course adjustments and ultimately to discover how well-known interventions like mentoring, applied in combination with other success programs, lead to innovations that improve degree completions for SWD STEM majors.