Those in search of an assessment tool focused on gender equity may be interested in the WomenTech Gender Equity Self-Assessment Tool, developed by the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology, and Science to help schools see “the gap between their current practices and potential evidence-based strategies proven to broaden participation.”

The assessment is free, easy to complete in 20 minutes, and allows institutions to assess their "readiness to recruit and retain women in your STEM/CTE career pathways." Those interested in filling out the form gradually can also save their progress and return to complete it at a later time.

The EvaluATE center has also contributed to refining the assessment and is partnering to disseminate the tool.

Some big takeaways from the tool's evaluation results to date include:

• 93% of respondents have rated the assessment as “Excellent” or “Very Good”
• 80% have reported this tool raised their awareness of factors that affect gender equity in STEM/CTE programs and helped them understand what their school could do to improve
• 53% said that taking the assessment significantly helped them see the gap between what their schools are...

Sign up now and join ATE Central on Tuesday September 17, from 1:00-2:00 pm EDT for a free webinar on archiving with ATE Central's Kendra Bouda and Rachael Bower. Presenters will share tips on organizing your materials for archiving, using the archive submission form, and tracking your submissions online. See what happens with your submissions behind the scenes, as ATE Central staff process your materials, add metadata, and make your resources discoverable to the ATE community and beyond. Participants are encouraged to come prepared with archiving questions and seek advice on navigating the archiving process.

Community colleges in search of a method to assess student progress and outcomes, as well as the effectiveness of institutional procedures may be interested in participating in the Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA). This accountability framework, developed by community college leaders, “gauges student progress and outcomes including pre-collegiate participation (such as developmental education and Adult Basic Education), academic progress and momentum, completion and transfer measures, and workforce outcomes for career and technical education.”

Those interested in contributing to the on-going development of the VFA can select from two tiers of participation. The first tier is free with 2019 AACC membership. A second tier, providing additional data and reports, is also available for $1,000.

Institutions that would like to register to participate can do so here.

The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Principal Investigators’ Conference, co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a national professional development and networking event for ATE project and center grantees and their project partners. The conference is by invitation only and brings together approximately 850 people—representing NSF ATE grants from across the country—to focus on the critical issues related to STEM technician education.

This webinar serves as an orientation to the conference and highlights why you and your ATE grant team should attend, what you can expect, how you can best prepare to participate in the required showcase sessions, and how you can maximize your time to get the most out of the conference and its many networking opportunities. It will be presented by Elaine Craft, principal investigator, Mentor-Connect and Ellen Hause, program director for academic and student success, AACC.

The webinar will take place on Friday, September 6, 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT. Those interested in participating can register here.

Instructors of deaf students teaching biology curriculum may benefit from attending the October 13-15, 2019 Opening the Pathways to Technical Careers conference offered by DeafTEC and BioQUEST. This event is aimed at secondary and postsecondary instructors, as well as interpreters, and will center on “using case studies, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and teaching in ASL to enhance student success in biology.”

Registrants can attend the conference for free and can get travel expenses covered by the NSF ATE grant money. To receive these benefits, participants must apply by the September 6, 2019 deadline and receive an offer to attend. 

More information about the conference and a link to the application are available here.