Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

Adrian Ng; Kurt C. Gramoll

, 14th Edition, 1998Adrian M. NgAdrian M. Ng is currently a Masters student at the University of Oklahoma. He received his B.S. inMechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and proceeded on with his graduate-leveleducation. In addition to being a graduate research assistant focusing on Multimedia and ContentDevelopment, he is also the Project Manager for the FIE Online Review Project at the University ofOklahoma. He is currently a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).Kurt GramollKurt Gramoll is the Hughes Centennial Professor of Engineering and Director of the Engineering MediaLab at the University of Oklahoma. He has developed and published CDs

Conference Session

Design Education I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priya Manohar, Robert Morris University

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

and significantly stimulate student interest inthe course at Illinois Institute of Technology6. At Texas Tech7, efforts are being made tobridge a gap between the hands-on manufacturing processes knowledge of the entry levelengineering graduates and the production, fabrication and manufacturing processes beingpracticed by their industry employers. Simulation using analogous systems / computermodeling8 - 11 has also been tried to incorporate a degree of hands-on experience inmanufacturing systems design education. Learning factory concept12,13 has been utilizedat Wayne State14 to build student skills in product realization and manufacturingengineering.The consensus in the above studies is that the students are not well exposed to

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Flikkema, Northern Arizona University; Jeff Frolik, University of Vermont; Carol Haden, Magnolia Consulting; Tom Weller, University of South Florida

context ofembedding environment and the problem context the environmental sensing application domain.(Figure 1).Experiential LearningIn our experience, today’s students, much more than those from previous generations, arestrongly motivated by hands-on exploration of concepts. They also respond enthusiasticallywhen they are learning modern analysis, simulation, and design tools that they can expect to usein industry or in graduate studies. We designed a set of experiments under the moniker“Experience the Muse” (ETM) that are coupled closely with the video lecture modules.Laboratory technology has changed dramatically in the last decade. Our tool selection wasdetermined in part each tool’s cost and ability to be used by students anytime and

Conference Session

Active Learning in ECE

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jay A. Weitzen, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Alan Rux, University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Erin Isabel Webster, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

module. Dr Weitzen has published over 100 papers in the open literature and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.Mr. Alan Rux, University of Massachusetts, LowellMs. Erin Isabel Webster, University of Massachusetts Lowell I am a graduate student in Computer Engineering at UMass Lowell. I am a research student with Prof. Weitzen, and we are developing a hands-on ”Lab in a Box” Program for our first year Electrical and Computer Engineering students. The open ended labs are built around the Analog Discovery Kit, and focus on introducing our students to hardware, programming, and test equipment. Page 24.1284.1

Conference Session

Innovative IE Course Content

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John P. Mullen, New Mexico State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering

Paper ID #7421Towards Improving Stochastic AwarenessDr. John P. Mullen, New Mexico State University Dr. Mullen has been an educator for a total of 29 years, the last 21 at New Mexico State University. His areas of interest are in operations research, including stochastic analysis. For the last 17 years, he has been heavily involved in graduate-level distance education in operations research. Page 23.1255.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2013 Towards

Conference Session

AERO 1: Rocketry and Space Education

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Megan Ennis, University of Michigan; Elizabeth Ann Strehl, University of Michigan; Aaron W. Johnson, University of Michigan; Corin L. Bowen, California State University, Los Angeles; Oliver Jia-Richards, University of Michigan

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace Division (AERO)

Paper ID #38305Work in Progress: Implementing an Orbital Debris Macroethics Lesson in aJunior-Level Spacecraft Dynamics CourseMegan Ennis, University of Michigan Megan Ennis is a master’s student in aerospace engineering and a research assistant with the SHUTTLE Lab at the University of Michigan. After completing a B.S. in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, she spent a year at University of Cambridge for a master’s in gender studies. She returned to Michigan and is now enjoying her time as a graduate student instructor. Beyond being involved in the lab’s macroethics work, Megan’s research interest is to

Conference Session

Construction Engineering Division (CONST) Technical Session 2

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Veto Matthew Ray, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis; Emily McLaughlin; Brenda Morrow, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Construction Engineering Division (CONST)

teaching space and discuss the anticipatedrenovations and improvements which will soon be in place. Surveys that were administered tostudents, faculty, and advisory board members will highlight key findings which serve as a basisfor the transformation, and future plans for additional steps are also included in this study. Itshould be noted that this is an ongoing project which plans to analyze the long-term effects ofchange and improvement in one particular classroom, therefore final conclusions may be issuedin future publications.In addition, this paper reviews the literature which discusses similar research and observationsfrom comparable studies to evaluate student learning environments embedded within othermajors as well as additional higher

Conference Session

Computers in Education 2 - Programming 2

Collection

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Junhao Liao, University of Toronto; Haoran Zhang, University of Toronto; Jiaxing Li, University of Toronto; Yizhong Xu, University of Toronto; Hamid Timorabadi, University of Toronto

). Bachelor's degree of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a Business Minor Degree. Co-op internship at Tencent as a Web Developer starting in July 2020. Passionate about programming. Sophisticated with C/ C++, familiar with JavaScript, PSQL, Intel FPGA Verilog and ARM Assembly(V7). Upcoming graduate students in University of New South Wales, major in Master of Information Technology.Jiaxing Li Jiaxing Li graduated from University of Toronto. He studied Computer Engineering for undergraduate. He will join Intel as a software engineer. Jiaxing Li is responsible for creating a C++ software model of the FPGA chip that the rest of the compiler can interact with. The FPGA chip is composed of various building blocks

Collection

2022 ASEE - North Central Section Conference

Authors

Laurene Sweet, LeafBridge of UCP Cleveland; Alisa Jones, UCP of Greater Cleveland-LeafBridge Alternative Education Program; Colin K Drummond, Case Western Reserve University

Paper ID #36075SETT: A Framework for Capacity Building PartnershipsDr. Laurene Sweet, LeafBridge of UCP Cleveland Dr. Laurene Sweet serves as an educational consultant, serving individuals with highly complex needs. She holds a graduate degree in Special Education with a concentration in Assistive Technology. Dr. Sweet is tri credentialed as a licensed Intervention Specialist (Moderate to Severe), Doctor of Physical Therapy, and RESNA certified Assistive Technology Professional. With over 30 years of professional experience, Dr. Sweet works with passion for students with complex learning needs to increase engagement and

Conference Session

Technical Session 1 - Paper 3: Online and Global Education in Engineering: Building a Strategic Case for Placed-based Learning

Collection

2022 CoNECD (Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity)

Authors

Natasha B. Watts, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

CoNECD Paper Sessions, Diversity

Paper ID #35636Online and Global Education in Engineering: Building a Strategic Casefor Placed-based LearningDr. Natasha B. Watts, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University As Director of Cardinal Education and the Associate Director of Online Learning in the College of En- gineering at Virginia Tech, Natasha provides college-level leadership for the design, development, im- plementation, and evaluation of distance learning initiatives. Watts is the main point of contact for the Cardinal Education Program (formerly Commonwealth Graduate Engineering CGEP). Before coming to Virginia Tech, Natasha worked as an

Conference Session

Architectural Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eugene Kwak, State University of New York, College of Technology at Farmingdale

Tagged Divisions

Architectural Engineering

apply Graphics in preparing students as one or more areas of knowledge, highly qualified design: architectural, techniques, skills, professionals through construction, site and and modern tools of expanding mentoring, structural in addition mathematics, research, service, and to history, theory and science, experiential learning technology. engineering, or Graduates will technology to solve assume professional broadly-defined positions in engineering architectural and problems

Conference Session

Outreach and K-12

Collection

2021 Illinois-Indiana Regional Conference

Authors

Mary Elizabeth Foltz, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Tagged Topics

Outreach and K-12

graduating, she aims to become an assistant professor in an environmental engineering and science program.Dr. Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Dr. Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis holds a Diploma degree in Civil-Surveying Engineering (National Tech- nical University of Athens, Greece), a M.A. in Geography (University of California, Los Angeles), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Air Quality, Science and Environmental Policy, and En- gineering Risk and Uncertainty. Her recent research is about gaseous emissions of reactive nitrogen from fertilized fields into the atmosphere

Conference Session

IT-based Instructional Technologies

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edward Gehringer, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Information Systems

what pagesthey can edit, but usually each page can be edited by multiple students and/or each student canedit multiple pages. This makes assessment a challenge, since it is difficult to keep track of thecontributions of each student. Several assessment strategies have been proposed. To ourknowledge, this is the first attempt to compare them. We study the assessment strategies used insix North Carolina State University classes in Fall 2007, and offer ideas on how they can beimproved.1. IntroductionAs an instructional medium, wikis have many advantages. Their collaborative nature enables aclass to tackle projects larger than a single individual could attempt. The ability of students toview their colleagues' work allows cross-fertilization of

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Teaching Part One

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reynaldo Pablo, Jr., Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

ahelpful tool to quantify the risk involved in this process of bridge assessment.Addition of a semester-long course on reliability of bridges in the civil engineering curriculumcan greatly help the students understand the fundamental concepts of bridge safety. Civilengineering graduates will have the capability in evaluating bridge safety which they canconfidently use in their future career. As a result, this will encourage students to specialize in thefield of bridge reliability and eventually the nation’s bridge assessment experts will grow innumber. These experts will have the technical know-how to help maintain bridge infrastructuresto avoid catastrophic failures and most significantly of all, save lives.IntroductionThe load carrying capacity

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bijan Sepahpour, The College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Junior 1st. 3 Heat Transfer Senior 1st.Summary and ConclusionsAdvances in design and applications of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) make theman interesting area of exploration in graduate studies of engineering students. Although MEMShas been introduced for over a decade, many engineering students are unaware of its truepotential. Two practical examples for applications of MEMS are offered to expose thesophomores in Mechanical Engineering to MEMS. The first one discusses the “Design of aTwo-Stage Accelerometer for Automobile Airbags” and the second focuses on the “Design of aMicro-Actuator” that triggers/closes a MEMS Circuit when a change in temperature

Conference Session

Women in Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith J Bowman, Illinois Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

, M.S. 1983) and the University of Michigan (Ph.D. 1987). He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1992, and then promoted to Professor in 1996. Keith Bowman served as a visiting professor and received Alexander von Humboldt stipends for research at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany in 1996 and again in 2002. He served as a visiting professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in 2003. From 1996 to 2004 he served as graduate program chair of the Purdue School of Materials Engineering (MSE) during a substantial retooling of the program to more strongly emphasize doctoral degrees. In 2005-06 he served a one-year appointment as Interim Head of MSE and in 2007 was named Head of the

Conference Session

Industrial Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lesley Strawderman, Mississippi State University; Shuchisnigdha Deb, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

Paper ID #16353Using a Service-Learning Pedagogy to Improve Student EngagementDr. Lesley Strawderman, Mississippi State University Lesley Strawderman received her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2005. She has also received a M.S.I.E. from Pennsylvania State University and a B.S.I.E. from Kansas State University. She joined the Industrial and Systems Engineering faculty at Mississippi State Univer- sity in August 2006, where she currently serves as Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator. Dr. Strawderman’s research interests center around human factors and ergonomics. She is

Conference Session

Computing Tools for Engineering Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saroj Biswas, Temple University; Musoke Sendaula, Temple University; Sesha Yeruva, Temple University; Krishana Priya Sannidhi, Temple University; Ravi Shankar Dwivedula, Temple University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

, respectively. His research interests include intelligent systems, computer communication and security, and power systems. He is the coauthor of a text book on power quality control, and many publications. He is a member of IEEE, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Phi Kappa Pi, and Sigma-Xi.Sesha Yeruva, Temple University Sesha Yeruva completed her master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Temple University in 2005. She is currently with Siemens Medical Inc as a Circuit Design Engineer.Krishana Priya Sannidhi, Temple University Krishna Priya Sannidhi is a graduate student in Electrical Engineering, Temple University. Her primary area of researh is digital signal processing.Ravi Shankar Dwivedula, Temple

Conference Session

Curricular Issues in Computing and Information Technolog Programs

Collection

2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mudasser Fraz Wyne, National University; Raul Soto Jr

Tagged Divisions

Computing & Information Technology

heavily weighted withstudents from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women and minorities.Most students, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, are reentering an academicenvironment after having been out in the working world for some time. Like any otheruniversity, NU is always considered a center of excellence with main objectives toprovide education, conduct research, in addition to providing public service to itsconstuents [1]. Similarly, National University Library System (NULS) supports alleducational and research activities of students, faculty, and staff of all of the affiliates ofthe National University System. Our library uses a Library Management System (LMS)that provides easy access to a countless array of

Conference Session

Instrumentation in Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akram Hossain, Purdue University, Calumet (Tech); Mohammad A. Zahraee, Purdue University, Calumet; Hamza Kadir, Purdue University Calumet (College of Technology)

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

, industrial process control, modeling and simulation of mechatronics devices and systems, wireless controls, statistical process control, computer-aided design and fabrica- tion of printed circuit board, programmable logic controllers, programmable logic devices, and renewable energy-related projects.Dr. Mohammad A. Zahraee, Purdue University, Calumet Mohammad A. Zahraee, Ph.D., P.E., is the professor of mechanical engineering technology and Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies at Purdue University, Calumet. Zahraee has authored and co-authored a large number of papers and conference proceedings in the areas of mechanical engineering technology educa- tion and assessment, as well as technical papers in the areas of

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Venubabu Vulasa; David Grieve; Chetan Sankar; Bob Bulfin; Paul Swamidass

of about 170 pages. Auburn team was graded by Auburn teacher and vice versa.The University of Plymouth’s interest in the project Students from Mechanical Engineering and related fields at the University of Plymouth(UP), UK, have for many years done team-based design projects in their final stage (years 3-4)design module in order to: • Develop group working skills ( team sizes are normally 6-8 students) • Gain an understanding of how graduate engineers work and to gain this experience; team chairperson and secretary are elected • Enable students integrate different fields of their undergraduate studies e.g., fluids, manufacturing, business etc. This is a requirement of the British accrediting professional

Conference Session

Forum for Nontraditional Engineering Programs

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

Mikaya Lumori; Ernest Kim

. Page 9.1325.1 “Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education" Session 1732The heavy graduation course requirements of the program place demands on efficientapplication of material in the engineering offerings. The required EE electromagneticscourse is offered in the senior year of study and is structured with three hours of lectureand a three-hour laboratory each week. The primary prerequisite for the course is thesecond semester electronics circuit design course. The prerequisite course in itself hasseveral prerequisites

Collection

2001 Annual Conference

Authors

Ernest Tollner

Engineering EducationLinks with the traditional civil/environmental engineer will be presented which highlight thedifferences and commonalities in the disciplines. The agricultural engineering curriculum was developed in an era of extensive ruraldevelopment of an agricultural based economy. There were courses on soil and waterengineering, rural electrification, power and processing, agricultural structures and machinedesign. Agricultural engineers traditionally study all the common engineering science courseswith colleagues in other disciplines, then focus on discipline specific coursework that extendsengineering science and emphasizes design. The focus of this paper is the soil and water courseand how it is being transformed into an emphasis

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ricky T Castles, East Carolina University; Chris Venters, East Carolina University

Tagged Topics

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Paper ID #44323Board 421: Using Interdisciplinary Engineering Design Challenges Coupledwith Career Exploration to Develop an Engineering Identity in Low-IncomeStudentsDr. Ricky T Castles, East Carolina University Dr. Ricky Castles is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering at East Carolina University. He primarily teaches courses in the area of electrical and computer engineering with an emphasis on digital electronics and microprocessor-based courses. His research focuses on broadening access to engineering for low-income students and transfer student success.Dr. Chris Venters, East Carolina University

Collection

2013 GSW

Authors

Xavier Mirza; Amir Ali; Thomas Reyes; Jonathan Zea

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Rectifier Pacemaker Circuit with Piezoelectric Minisense100 Vibration SensorsWhile conducting our research, we came across Volture Vibration Energy harvesters that arecreated by MIDE Engineering group. The Volture Piezoelectric Energy Harvester uses thepiezoelectric effect to convert normally wasted mechanical energy in the form of vibrations intouseable electrical energy. Any application where sensing is needed and there is a consistentvibration to harvest from can benefit from the Volture. This harvester was clamped at its base toallow for resonant frequency energy harvesting. This ensures that the clamp line (front of theclamp) is around) 0.2” over the edge of the piezoelectric ceramic is

Conference Session

Assessing Teaching and Learning

Collection

2002 Annual Conference

Authors

Khalid El Gaidi; Diane H. Soderholm; Doris Brodeur; Dava Newman

skills, or program outcomes, are also thecornerstone of the program's self-study report for ABET accreditation.) This paperaddresses the planning and development of portfolios for assessing students' achievementat the end of their programs in aerospace engineering at MIT.BackgroundIn its strategic plan of 1998, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) committed to major reform of itscurriculum, teaching and learning methods, and laboratory environments. To achieve itsgoals, the department framed its curriculum to model a product system life cycle. Thefour phases in the curriculum are referred to as Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate(CDIO). The Conceive stage includes defining the need and

Collection

1999 Annual Conference

Authors

W. J. Wiseman; S. M. Scoggins; R. D. Michelli; J. A. Janet; A. L. Walker

computingstructures, pattern recognition, object oriented design, and distributed systems.WILLIAM J. WISEMANBill Wiseman is currently a design engineer at TMI Robotics, Inc. He received his B.S. in Weapons andSystems Engineering from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and his M.S. in ComputerEngineering from NC State University. Before returning to graduate school, he served as a naval officer atSEAL Team FIVE for over five years.JASON A. JANETJason Janet is an Adjunct Professor at Duke University. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineeringfrom the University of Virginia, and his M.S. in Integrated Manufacturing Systems and Ph.D. in ElectricalEngineering from NC State University. He has published over 25 research papers in the areas of

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 1B

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

P.L.STEPHAN Thamban, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS; Dani Fadda, The University of Texas at Dallas; Oziel Rios, University of Texas at Dallas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

where his research focused on design of robotic systems with an emphasis on kinematic and dynamic modeling for analysis and control. Dr. Rios teaches the first-year and CAD courses in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Rios has also taught courses on Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), kinematics and dynamics, and graduate-level CAD courses. Dr. Rios’ research and teaching interests include: robotics, design, GD&T, and engineering education. Dr. Rios has received UTD President’s Teaching Excellence Award, the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award from UTD’s Jonsson School, and the UT System Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award

Conference Session

Energy & Technology in Pre-College Engineering Education

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew J. Traum, Engineer Inc.; Sharon Liz Karackattu, Oak Hall School

Tagged Divisions

Pre-College Engineering Education

of the top-ten undergraduate-serving engineering universities in the U.S. Dr. Traum coordinated MSOE’s first crowd-funded senior design project. He also co-founded with students EASENET, a start- up renewable energy company to commercialize waste-to-energy biomass processors. Dr. Traum began his academic career as a founding faculty member in the Mechanical & Energy Engineer- ing Department at the University of North Texas - Denton where he established a successful, externally- funded researcher incubator that trained undergraduates to perform experimental research and encouraged matriculation to graduate school. Traum received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Division Technical Session 8

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth A. Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Dianna Newman, University at Albany-SUNY; Kathy Ann Gullie Ph.D., Gullie Consultant Services; Robin L. Getz, Analog Devices, Inc.; Douglas A. Mercer, Analog Devices Inc.; John D. Kelly, North Carolina A&T State University; Craig J. Scott, Morgan State University; Mohamed F. Chouikha, Howard University; Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University; Abdelnasser A. Eldek, Jackson State University; Petru Andrei, Florida A&M University, Florida State University; Otsebele E. Nare, Hampton University; Mandoye Ndoye, Tuskegee University; Demetris Geddis, Hampton University; Shujun Yang, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Her major areas of study are program evaluation with an emphasis in STEM related programs. She has numerous chapters, articles, and papers on technology-supported teaching and learning as well as systems-change stages pertaining to technology adoption.Kathy Ann Gullie Ph.D., Gullie Consultant Services Dr. Kathy Gullie has extensive experience as a Senior Evaluator and Research Associate through the Eval- uation Consortium at the University at Albany/SUNY and Gullie Cnsultant Services/ZScore. She was the principal investigator in several educational grants including an NSF engineering grant supporting Histor- ically Black University and Colleges; ”Building Learning Communities to Improve Student Achievement