Applications and School Choice
In 2009, three science educators (Penny Eucker, Kellie Lauth, and Tracy Tellinger) approached superintendent (Chris Gdowski) with the idea of starting a new STEM School centered on the belief that ALL students in all grade levels from all backgrounds CAN do STEM and should have access to a vibrant, hands-on STEM education. They met with industry and community leaders to design a transformative educational model. The heart of this model has industry and community working together with students and school leaders. With this dream in hand, a plan was made and transformations occurred.
STEM Magnet Lab. In 2010, STEM Magnet Lab PK-8 opened with students in Kindergarten and sixth grade with a waiting list of over 300 students in a dilapidated former junior high! Students and learning took center stage and Problem Based Learning (PBL) was implemented in ALL grades. Teams of students are given an industry problem to address looking through a variety of transdisciplinary lenses. The students present their solutions to panels of industry and community leaders for feedback. Engineering design became a core content area alongside: math, English, science, and social studies.
STEM Launch. In 2012, to address the community desire for more students to have access to this incredible educational model, a struggling middle school was transformed into Adams 12's second Five Star STEM K-8! PBLs flourished and included the expectation that the outcome of every PBL would be an entrepreneurial endeavor or a society contribution. Students continued to take engineering every year. A community maker space was included in the model. Also that year, the oldest high school in the District was named as the Five Star STEM high school, and Kerry Glenn joined the vision team to expand the model into grades 9-12.
Northglenn HS STEM. In 2012, Northglenn HS STEM started its journey as a fully comprehensive neighborhood STEM high school. PBLs and industry partnerships thrived and generated a number of presentation styles. In order to increase student access to engineering, all students take physics (general, college prep, or AP) as freshmen. Multiple options of blocked math classes were introduced so students could take Calculus 3 at their high school. Three pathways were introduced: PLTW Engineering, PLTW Biomedical Science, and By Design. Every year Pathway students take one elective on their pathway and students can letter in STEM, receive diploma seals and regalia at graduation. Through partnerships, many students receive paid and unpaid internships. In 2016, the "By Design" pathway was replaced with P>TECH Computer Information Systems making Northglenn HS STEM one of the first three P>TECH schools in Colorado. P>TECH students receive a free associates degree, are mentored by our industry partner, Lumen, and are first in line for job interviews upon program completion. During this transformation, Northglenn went from a school population of ~1600 students with a graduation rate of 69% to a population of over 2000 with a graduation rate of 91%. (data) (data2)