Assessing Psychometric Predictors of Academic and Life Success for High School Students in a STEM-Based Program in Rural Alabama

Abstract

The Health Sciences and Technology Academy of Alabama (HSTA-AL) is an academic program focused on health sciences enrichment offered through the College of Nursing at the University of Alabama to address the state's nursing and biomedical professionals shortage (i.e., a 10:1,000 nursing to population ratio). This paper examines outcomes addressing social, academic, and life success from the participants' perspective. The one-sample-pretest-posttest designed study evaluated whether there was a difference between baseline and year 1 levels of community engagement and academic intentions for the 23 students for which paired data were obtained. Analyses show promising outcomes from baseline to year one matched responses with preliminary evidence of program goals being realized.