Is the Meyerhoff Model Replicable? Evaluating the Effect of Participation in a Meyerhoff Adaptation Program on Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Majors

Over the past decade, the Meyerhoff model has increasingly been employed to promote inclusive excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This study assesses the effects of participating in a Meyerhoff adaptation program, the STEM Scholars Program (SSP), on student persistence in STEM majors. Using propensity score matching and discrete-time survival analysis, we explored patterns of STEM persistence from enrollment to 6-year post-enrollment and evaluated the impact of program participation. Our findings indicate that participation in the SSP notably improved persistence probabilities in STEM majors and effectively narrowed equity gaps among women and underrepresented minoritized students compared to their non-participating peers. These results highlight the potential for replicating/adapting the Meyerhoff model to foster inclusive excellence in STEM.