Culture

"Students love to ask the questions of 'Where are we going to use this?' or 'How does this get used in the real world?' I believe using STEM in our classrooms really helps to answer these questions for our students. I believe the more real-world connections we can incorporate the better. I also think it seems like the students get more involved and excited for this type of learning and our STEM projects."

Dustin May, Special Education Teacher

Decision-making regarding the planning and implementation of North Posey Junior High School’s STEM program is the work of our school STEM team, which includes five classroom teachers, one school counselor, and one administrator. All ideas are discussed with the entire staff during monthly faculty meetings and surveys are given to the staff (100%).

We strive to cultivate students who are ready for real-world applications of our STEM curriculum. We are intentional with the development of a schedule to ensure this endeavor. On a daily basis, our Project Lead The Way classes work on STEM-based projects and activities to increase our students’ skills to solve everyday problems. At least once a week, students complete lessons on Code.org to improve their coding knowledge and skills. STEM is incorporated into all disciplines because we understand the importance of a strong STEM curriculum that is intertwined throughout every subject. We facilitate opportunities for students to collaborate with teachers and peers. This teamwork is vital. Teachers evaluate students on STEM standards in a variety of ways to ensure quality assessment and feedback.

Teachers across curriculums come together to plan integrated STEM learning opportunities and use each other as sounding boards to encourage STEM-related activities. We have a five-year STEM certification sustainability plan in place identifying funding sources for both technology and STEM curriculum and training needs due to staff turnover to ensure STEM activities are continuous and consistent.

Students have been and will continue to be surveyed regarding STEM attitudes and interests. Feedback from these surveys is used to create enhanced opportunities for students to engage in STEM classes and career pathways. Parents are annually surveyed in regards to STEM. The opinions and attitudes of all of our stakeholders are of utmost importance.

Evaluation indicators have been determined in Harmony RISE for identifying targeted STEM instructional practices, and all evaluators have been trained in observing these practices. Evaluators incorporate feedback on targeted STEM instructional practices in formative and summative evaluations.

We embrace the idea that providing teachers with everything that they need to integrate STEM is of utmost importance. We are committed to offering a deeper level of support as teachers try to integrate STEM into their classrooms in meaningful ways. Examples of instructional supports include an eLearning coach, a STEM coach, early release days to provide PD for STEM integration, and dedicated time at each staff meeting for the STEM committee to update all staff, elicit feedback, and brainstorm together. This support will be continual and timely as we troubleshoot and brainstorm innovative ways to help our teachers integrate STEM using technology.

Communication tools, including our school web page, Facebook page, Twitter account, and newsletters are used daily to communicate about STEM education among other things.

All students participate in research-based, integrated STEM instruction/programming at North Posey Junior High School. After sparking interest in STEM through these programs, we also offer STEM elective courses that are a true representation of the demographics of our school, thereby ensuring equitable access.

1.1 Decision-Making

At North Posey Junior High School, decision-making regarding planning and implementing the school's STEM program is the work of a school team, comprised of our principal, our school counselor, and five teachers across various disciplines. As a team, we value the importance of feedback and encourage 100% of certified staff members to share opinions and feedback. The team meets regularly and analyzes the feedback we receive as we continue to revise the school STEM plan as an ever-changing vision. We have included on the right a list of certified staff members and the topics and grade levels they teach, survey data and explanation, staff meeting dates and example meeting minutes, pictures, and our STEM team's working agenda.

1.2 Continuity of Learning Plan

At North Posey Junior High School, we are purposeful with scheduling. We have included a copy of our master schedule, continuous learning plan, and a summary of how we are incorporating STEM in our school schedule regardless of format (in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments). The school's continuity of learning plan is included with an explanation that includes integrated STEM lessons in the context of solving real-world problems or challenges, how students work in teams either synchronously or asynchronously, and a variety of methods that are used to assess student STEM learning.

1.3 Common Work Time

At North Posey Junior High School, all teachers (17) collaborate weekly in interdisciplinary groups during planning periods to create integrated STEM learning opportunities that they teach in their classrooms. We have included on the right examples of cross-curricular STEM planning meeting notes and have linked the lesson plans at the bottom of each one.

1.4 Sustainability Plan

At North Posey Junior High School, we have a five-year STEM certification sustainability plan in place identifying funding sources for both technology and STEM curriculum and training needs due to staff turnover.

1.5 Measurement of Students' Attitudes/Interests

At North Posey Junior High School, we value the input of all of our students. Formal measurement of students' attitudes toward STEM and/or interest in STEM classes/career pathways are measured at least two times per school year and the school's STEM program is revised, as needed, based upon analysis of this data. We have included student surveys and results, including the topics of STEM and Chromebook use. This data will help us evaluate our STEM offerings and make necessary changes to appeal to students' interests.

1.6 Student/Parent Feedback Data

At North Posey Junior High School, we value the input of all of our students and parents. We have multiple formal collections of student and parent feedback regarding STEM integration on an annual basis and the school's STEM program is revised, as needed, based upon analysis of this data. We have included student and parent surveys and results, including the topics of STEM and Chromebook use. This data has helped us evaluate our STEM offerings and make necessary changes to respond to feedback from students and parents as seen in the STEM meeting.

1.7 STEM Instructional Feedback

At North Posey Junior High School, we value authentic feedback on instructional practices, provided by our administrator. Evaluation indicators have been determined, in the current local evaluation instrument (RISE) and through modifying the local evaluation instrument (STEM checklist from rounds), for identifying targeted STEM instructional practices. Our evaluator (principal) has been trained in observing targeted STEM instructional practices, using the local evaluation instrument. Our evaluator incorporates feedback on targeted STEM instructional practices in formative and summative evaluations, using the local evaluation instrument. In this section, we have provided evidence of our district's investment in effective STEM evaluation for our administrator through training certificates of completion (through Five Star), an overview of our instructional model, and examples of feedback provided to teachers in our building.

1.8 Instructional Support

At North Posey Junior High School, we value our teachers and seek to support them with a variety of opportunities for professional development. All teachers experience at least one form of instructional support, related to STEM instruction, on a quarterly basis. We have included examples of district professional development days with an overall summary of professional development opportunities throughout the school year, individual teacher professional development certificates, and peer observation explanations and forms.

1.9 STEM Communications

At North Posey Junior High School, we take pride in sharing our STEM story with our community. In order to expand our reach, we employ a variety of communication strategies, including social media. We have included examples of how STEM and technology are regularly used in our classrooms.

1.10 Equity

At North Posey Junior High School, we are committed to offering equitable educational opportunities for all of our students - especially with STEM. We have included our school year demographics, a visual of our enrichment period activities, and our implementation plan for the enrichment period to ensure equitable access to STEM.

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