Cohort 'looping'--popular in European primary schools--is the act of an instructor teaching a cohort of students over the course of several, continuous years. Think having the same teacher from first to fourth grade. One of the upsides is the deep understanding instructors have of their students. While cohort looping doesn't occur much in higher ed--what with the emphasis on content specialization--I want to argue, first, that McNair Programs are uniquely situated in the academy to provide such looping. Second, I want to demonstrate how the idea of looping has helped inform how we constructed a cohesive curriculum at the University of Rochester for our McNair Scholars.
The Math Success Initiative Program identifies select 12th grade students from partner high schools within the city of Newark, NJ., the target area for the New Jersey Institute of Technology Talent Search and Upward Bound Programs. The MSI program is designed to strengthen mathematics knowledge, skills, and preparation for STEM majors. The goal is to support pre-college TRIO students for potential admission into NJIT, ready to take calculus. Students are additionally supported through a series of classes that focus on development of soft skills and college readiness.
The first cohort of students began in July 2019. The program is a collaboration among the NJIT President’s Office through the Center for Pre-College Programs (CPCP) and the College of Science and Liberal Arts (CSLA), the Newark Board of Education (Newark BOE), and the City of Newark. The workshop will include information on the partnership, data on the success of the program and a hands on activity.
