The effect of a middle grades STEM initiative on students' cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes

This study is an evaluation of a STEM initiative in one school district with five participating middle schools. I used two quasi-experimental methods including instrumental variables and inverse propensity score weights to test the effect of the initiative on students? cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes. Overall, students at STEM schools demonstrated lower science achievement (p < .05). Subgroup analyses showed that Limited English Proficient students at STEM schools demonstrated increased reading achievement and fewer unexcused absences (p < .001). Black students demonstrated increased grit (p < .01), and Hispanic students demonstrated increased control and relevance in learning (p < .001).