Innovative STEM Schools February 23, 2012 Rebecca Payne NC DPI STEM Education and Leadership Mark Ezzell NC STEM Community Collaborative
Overview Outcomes: STEM Model Programs Elementary Q & A Middle Q & A High Q & A NC STEM Learning Network Benefits
Agenda Introduction Rebecca Payne New Hanover County, NC Liz Day Rachel Freeman School of Engineering Winston-Salem Forsyth County, NC Andy Kraft Hanes Middle School Knox County Schools, TN Becky Ashe L & N STEM Academy NC Learning Network - Updates Mark Ezzell Wrap up Rebecca Payne & Mark Ezzell
Rachel Freeman School of Engineering Liz Day, STEM Coordinator lizette.day@nhcs.net
Rachel Freeman School of Engineering Gearing Young Minds for the Future Adrian Pearson, Principal
Mission We are a community of student engineers who use team work, communication, and creative thinking to solve problems as we build dreams and become lifelong learners in a global society. Vision We will achieve social and academic excellence utilizing the engineering design process.
STEM Rachel Freeman School of Engineering incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering and Math into the NC SCOS Students learn science through hands on kits Students learn math through small group direct insruction, guided practice and independent practice Students use technology to help them learn all subjects Students apply what they ve learned to an engineering design challenge
STEM We use four, 9week rotations, based on science kit rotation Field trip experience included each 9weeks Engineering notebook for every student National Engineer s Week: school wide engineering design challenges, guest speakers After School Program STEM Coordinator
Partnerships NHCS Professional Development Financial Support Public Relations NC State Professional Development After School Program GE Professional Development Financial Support Volunteers College Acres Baptist Church Financial Support Volunteers
% Proficient Freeman NC EOG Data by Year 90 80 70 60 50 40 Reading Math Science Composite 30 20 10 0 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 School Year
% Proficient NC EOG data by Content 90 80 70 60 50 40 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 30 20 10 0 Reading Math Science Composite Content Area
QUESTIONS Rachel Freeman School of Engineering Liz Day
Hanes Middle School Melita Wise, Principal Andrew Kraft, K - 12 STEM Education aakraft@wsfcs.k12.nc.us www.hanesmagnet.org
History of STEM at Hanes $1,100,000 Federal Magnet Grant in 2008 Magnet Theme Math, Science & Pre-engineering Money was spent on; Technology Staff development Personnel
Technology added to the Hanes campus 50 flat screen TV s in all classrooms Wireless tablets in all classrooms Document cameras in all classrooms Distance Learning Lab added Laptops for every teacher TI Inspire calculators with wireless communication Computer Lab added 3 Project Lead the Way Labs added Every PLTW computer runs Autodesk inventor 5 Computer Labs on campus plus 3 PLTW labs
Changes with STEM Before STEM / Magnet After STEM / Magnet 500 students Keyboarding elective Only served certain students Segregated student body Very few after school clubs 1100 students Project Lead the Way Available to all students in Forsyth Co. Integrated student body Many after school STEM clubs
Math & Science informs people about the world Engineering makes improvements in the world Technology is the improvement that the engineer makes
To prepare our students to solve real world problems like; Saving trapped miners Cleaning up oil spills Creating clean energy
Hanes 2011 2012 (1050 Students) 1. Core Classes (100% of students) a. Quarterly STEM Projects b. Engineers speaking to students regularly via skype and prerecorded interviews and visits to the school c. Lessons infused with STEM 2. Encore Classes (75% of students every year 90% of students over 3 years) a. Project Lead the Way 3. After School Clubs (20+% of students) a. Science Olympiad d. TSA b. TARC e. Math Counts c. FLL f. Sea Perch
Quarterly STEM projects Every grade level participates in quarterly STEM projects STEM theme integrated into curriculum How does an engineer use what we are learning in Math Language Arts teachers reading articles about local Scientists and Engineers Social Studies classes looking at how technology changed history.
STEM Fair (Not just Science Fair)
Project Lead the Way Components Design and Modeling Science of Technology Energy and the Environment Flight and Space Automation and Robotics *Adding Bio Tech in 2012 2013*
FIRST Lego League (FLL) 3 teams of 6-8 students Students build and program a robot designed to accomplish certain tasks Students develop an innovative solution to a particular problem and present their solution to experts Local, Regional, State Competition Season = September - January
Sea Perch Program through the US Navy Students build a submersible remotely operated vehicle Students test the vehicle in a local pool Obstacles are created for students and they work in teams to overcome the obstacles
Technology Student Association (TSA) Students work individually or as a team agriculture and biotechnology website design dragster design flight challenge film technology CAD with 3D modeling desktop publishing extemporaneous speaking radio controlled transportation scientific visualization
Science Olympiad Life, Personal & Social Science Earth & Space Science Physical Science & Chemistry Technology & Engineering Inquiry & Nature of Science
Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) Largest Rocket Competition in the world Students build a rocket that must accomplish a certain task Teams of 6-8 students in 7 th or 8 th grade Season= September - March
Community Partnerships Partnerships provide Curriculum Development Volunteers Field Trips Financial Support Hanes Partnerships Include BE Aerospace Cook Medical Wake Forest University / WFBMC Volvo/Mack Trucks Data Max
Growth of STEM in WS/FCS K-12 STEM Continuum in WS/FCS All available to any student in WS/FCS Two new STEM schools will be added in 2012-2013 Kernersville Middle, Wiley Middle Community Partnerships WS Chamber of Commerce partnered with every middle school in WS/FCS to add afterschool STEM clubs
QUESTIONS Hanes Middle School Andrew Kraft
L & N STEM Academy Becky Ashe, Principal Knox County Schools, TN - STEM Coordinator Becky.ashe@knoxschools.org
An overview Meet The L&N STEM Academy
http://knoxscountystemac.knoxschools.org Find us on Facebook: Knox County STEM Academy On Twitter @KCStemAcademy
L&N how do we STEM-ify our teaching? L&N STEM Habits We think STEM is not a content or discipline, but a philosophy, a set of skills that allow logical analysis and innovation. All courses are designed to foster the L & N 6 STEM habits of: Collaboration Critical thinking Inquiry Design thinking Problem solving Professionalism
The STEM experience Course offerings All freshmen and sophomores required to take Latin All students take 4-year STEM course arc. This is an original, completely problem based curriculum that is co-facilitated by a STEM field and humanities teacher. Modified from the Stanford d school concept. (www.dschool.stanford.edu) Inverted curriculum in science all freshmen taking Conceptual Physics (one section, 18 students, on track to earn standard Physics credit)
Student Selection NO ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS As a recipient of federal Race to the Top dollars, we are not allowed to have any prerequisites. No minimum GPAs, test scores, or aptitudes. Application asks only for a statement from student on why they want to attend (trying to solicit student buy-in ) and their geographically zoned school Students are selected via lottery Each zoned high school in the system (13) is allotted a number of seats based on their grade-level proportion of the system s total seats for that grade
Inaugural Year (2011-12) 173 students 131 freshmen, 42 sophomores 27.6% free and reduced lunch 29.8% minority students 53% male, 47% female First mid-year benchmark tests show higher-thanpeer growth in English 10 and Algebra I (only KCS benchmarked courses)
Looking ahead We ve held showcases and school tours since September on a regular basis We ve hosted visitors from 8 other school systems (surrounding counties, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio) We ll accept 150 new freshmen and 26 sophomores next year. We received 250 applications for 176 seats Planning to implement geographical blind lottery (as last year)
Student Support Blocks Within the school Peer advisory groups Enrichment periods for enhanced instructional opportunities 3 x/week From the STEM community Distinguished lecturer series Brown bag lunches Volunteer opportunities through Advisories
Teacher Support Blocks Within the school Technology training Collaboration across disciplines From the STEM community Research opportunities through the University Externships
The KARST East TN Hub Knox Area Resources for STem
Inspirational view! This is from the porch area on the back of the school facing World s Fair Park. The Veteran s Memorial is visible in the foreground, the Sunsphere to the left, Knoxville Museum of Art to the right, and the edge of the new Engineering Building on UTK s campus just behind the Candy Factory lofts at the far right. Visual reminders all of the potential to impact and mold his/her own future for each one of our students!
QUESTIONS L & N STEM Academy Becky Ashe
NC STEM Learning Network www.ncstem.org
Important Dates: March 1, 2012 Applications due for NC Learning Network (1 st round) Visit: www.ncstem.org/initiatives April 16-18, 2012 Scaling STEM: Transforming Education Matters Visit: http://newschoolsproject.org/2012stemconference/
Embracing STEM Education
Thank You! Rebecca Payne NC DPI rebecca.payne@dpi.nc.gov Mark Ezzell NC STEM mezzell@ncstem.org Tina Marcus NC DPI tina.marcus@dpi.nc.gov lizette.day@nhcs.net Rachel Freeman School of Engineering aakraft@wsfcs.k12.nc.us Hanes Middle School Becky.ashe@knoxschools.org L & N STEM Academy 58