Leadership

School/program has established a shared vision for STEM and has leadership structures to support effective implementation.

Concept 1 - School/program has developed a model of shared leadership whereby structures exist both internally (i.e. STEM Leadership Team, STEM Coordinator) and externally (i.e. STEM Advisory Board, STEM Stakeholder Committee) to support and sustain STEM initiatives.

Concept 2 - STEM leadership has effectively communicated a shared vision and mission for the STEM culture, with goals and intended outcomes for STEM initiatives.

Our external and internal shared leadership structures are in place to support our broad STEM initiatives, which will ultimately lead to student learning and achievement. A distributed form of leadership helps classroom teachers embed authentic STEAM learning in the classroom on a regular basis. Our ultimate goal is to become a school where students are immersed in STEAM through project-based learning. Our leadership structures are all focused on student-driven education.

STEAM FLOWCHART.pdf
STEAM Flowcart
Technology Learning Plan .pdf
Technology Learning Chart
20-21 FES Teams and PLTs copy 3.pdf
Fairhope West Elementary Teams and PLT's

Fairhope Elementary School has facilitated shared leadership with our STEAM initiative, beginning with the STEAM PLT. In 2017 & 2018, a STEAM PLT and a Math PLT were created using the professional learning team model outlined in Anne Jolly’s book Team to Teach: A Facilitator’s Guide to Professional Learning Teams. A STEAM vision was officially established by the teachers in the STEAM PLT: Using innovative, 21st Century teaching to empower happy, successful, and self-directed lifelong learners in a safe, challenging, and engaging environment.

Each grade level has one STEAM PLT member from grades preK through three. In grades four through six, there are two STEAM PLT members, one math teacher and one science teacher. Also represented are administration, physical education, art, gifted, instructional coaches, the Pelican’s Nest Director, and our county STEAM consulting teacher.

Doc - Nov 17 2020 - 12-59 PM.pdf

During our STEAM PLT meetings, teachers participate in differentiated professional learning activities, plan STEAM units, review resources, and create strategic plans for the school STEAM program. A primary focus of our PLT is teacher learning and growth with the ultimate goal of improving student learning. We use the professional learning team decision-making cycle (Jolly, 2008) to support grade-level teams.



Copy of FEEF MasterPlans Grants 2020-21-2.0.docx

A STEAM partnership began in 1997 with the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation (FEEF) through The Pelican’s Nest Science Lab (PNSL). The product of a 23-year-old collaboration through FEEF and Baldwin County, the PNSL is a marine and environmental science lab for kindergarten through sixth-grade students. Each year, FEEF provides funding for Master Plan Grants for Fairhope Schools. The purpose of the grants is for STEAM enrichment and education for Fairhope children.

The partnership between Fairhope West Elementary, FEEF, and the PNSL is the core of our STEAM program. FEEF continually supports our teachers by offering classroom grants throughout the school year. Teachers apply for grants that go toward STEAM classroom materials. Our teachers are awarded multiple monetary grants throughout the year.

The City of Fairhope also partners with FWES to accomplish our vision through the sponsoring of a 3-mill tax overlay to help fund our STEAM activities and lab. We are fortunate to have this financial support. It provides resources that are easily accessed to build our STEAM resource library. In Fairhope, voters endorsed their increase by a 54.8% to 45.2% difference with 2,920 voting to support it, and 2,407 against. The 3-mill increase is estimated to bring in $1.9 million to $2 million annually for the schools in Fairhope. Eddie Tyler, superintendent of the Baldwin County School System – the state’s third-largest public school district – said the schools felt “blessed” to “once again have the support of our local communities.”

FEEF's vision for a STEAM Center
STEAM Internal School Leadership Structures

Fairhope West has two Instructional coaches that support the STEAM program. The job duties of the instructional coaches are as follows:

  • To improve academic skills and literacy in schools, across all content areas and grade levels, through collaborative professional development, coaching of teachers, demonstration lessons, data analysis, and modeling of effective instruction

  • To improve teacher practice so that all students learn and achieve at the highest levels.

The instructional coaches plan learning activities for students and facilitate the STEAM PLT meetings. The PLT structure has been researched and defined by the coaches. They also provide technology support and professional development to empower teachers.

Sustaining Current Practice

  • Continue having STEAM PLT meetings quarterly

  • Co-teaching in the STEAM Lab

  • Continuous professional learning-eMINTS, educational technology, STEM, Ron Clark Academy

  • Continue and maintain relationships with external partners (i.e. Dauphin Island Sea, local artists)


Next Steps

  • Consistent and concise messaging of our vision and goals to all stakeholders

  • Include more student input on our school STEAM vision as a kindergarten through sixth grade school - Peer Helpers, Student Lighthouse Committee, student council, STEAM ambassadors

  • Build relationships and make contact with local businesses and STEAM-related professionals.