Culture
Dream. Believe. Achieve.
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Culture at SC final.mov"The culture of South Central is really incredible"
"The culture of South Central is really incredible"
"You can feel the energy, the passion, and the joy the teachers bring to the school every single day."
Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education
October, 2023
Going Above and Beyond for their Students
Going Above and Beyond for their Students
At South Central Elementary School, there's a palpable enthusiasm for nurturing a robust STEM program that resonates with the community's aspirations. The school's culture is deeply rooted in the values of Student Focus, Passion for Excellence, Rigorous Expectations, Inclusiveness, and Partnerships, aligning seamlessly with the broader vision of launching student success through quality education. A committed team of administrators and teachers helm the STEM program, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to refining STEM pedagogy through research-based best practices such as inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and engineering design.
The staff's passion for building a superior STEM program shines through in the meticulous planning and implementation, underscored by the establishment of a STEM Leadership Team and a STEM Advisory Board. These entities foster continuous dialogue, feedback, and strategic planning, ensuring that the STEM program not only aligns with the Indiana STEM Priorities but also resonates with the local community and the broader educational objectives of the state.
The school embraces a comprehensive approach in evaluating the success and appeal of its STEM program through methodical analysis of students' attitudes and interests, conducted bi-annually. This data-driven approach facilitates periodic revisions to the STEM curriculum, ensuring it remains attuned to student interests and the overarching goal of fostering a conducive environment for STEM learning and exploration.
Moreover, the culture of professional growth among the teaching staff is evident in the robust support mechanisms in place, such as peer observations, coaching, critical feedback, and instructional modeling through platforms like Tech Mondays and Weekly co-teaching classes. This culture of continuous improvement and collaboration not only enriches the teaching staff but significantly contributes to delivering a student-centered learning experience.
In essence, South Central Elementary School is a nurturing ground for not only fostering STEM education but for building a community of learners and educators passionately engaged in realizing a shared vision of academic excellence and real-world relevance of STEM education. Through a blend of targeted instructional practices, community engagement, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, the school stands as a beacon of quality STEM education, poised to equip its students with the requisite skills and knowledge for future success.
1.1 Decision-Making
1.1 Decision-Making
The evidence provided demonstrates that South Central Elementary has established a team composed of administrators and teachers with the necessary skills and expertise to plan and implement the STEM program. We have also established a process for collecting feedback from 100% of our certified staff and meet regularly to make decisions and track progress. Overall, the evidence in this slide deck indicates that the school is taking a thoughtful and deliberate approach to decision-making regarding the STEM program.
1.2 Common WOrk Time
1.2 Common WOrk Time
Every week at South Central Elementary School, a designated Common Work time is set aside for teachers to come together as a grade-level, interdisciplinary team. During these collaborative sessions, they meticulously plan integrated STEM learning opportunities, harnessing their collective expertise across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This structured teamwork not only enriches the educational content but also embodies the school's mission of creating engaging learning experiences, encouraging the students to dream, believe, and achieve in the realm of STEM education.
1.3 Sustainability Plan
1.3 Sustainability Plan
South Central has meticulously structured a five-year STEM certification sustainability plan, ensuring a robust and continuous enhancement in STEM education despite staff turnover. A pivotal aspect of this plan is the identification of reliable funding sources, which are earmarked for advancing technology infrastructure, STEM curriculum development, and facilitating ongoing training needs for the staff. By proactively addressing funding and training requisites, South Central showcases a forward-thinking approach, ensuring that the caliber of STEM instruction remains high and evolves with the changing educational landscape, thus affirming its commitment to providing an exemplary STEM education for its students.
1.4 Measurement of Student Attitudes/Interests
1.4 Measurement of Student Attitudes/Interests
At South Central, the evaluation of students' attitudes towards STEM and their interest in STEM classes or career pathways is an integral part of the academic assessment framework, conducted at least twice within the school year. Through a methodical analysis of this collected data, insights are gleaned regarding the effectiveness and appeal of the current STEM program. Consequently, the school's STEM curriculum undergoes periodic revisions, if necessary, ensuring it remains aligned with student interests and the overarching goal of fostering a conducive environment for STEM learning and exploration.
1.5 STEM Program Engagement
1.5 STEM Program Engagement
South Central Elementary School takes a collaborative approach to bolster its STEM program by actively involving a range of stakeholders. Parents provide valuable feedback through regular surveys, guiding the school's STEM direction. Community partners and STEM professionals play an integral role, from celebrating STEM achievements to aiding classroom teachers in presenting authentic problem-solving challenges. Additionally, the school consistently promotes its STEM initiatives through press releases and newsletters, while also hosting STEM-focused family nights and presentations from STEM professionals and local businesses, ensuring the entire community is engaged and informed.
1.6 STEM Instructional Feedback and Support
1.6 STEM Instructional Feedback and Support
At South Central Elementary School, a robust system for rendering STEM instructional feedback and support to teachers is firmly in place, anchoring on targeted STEM instructional practices. Through a locally-developed STEM instructional walkthrough tool, evaluation indicators have been delineated, with all evaluators undergoing thorough training to proficiently observe targeted STEM instructional practices. Feedback from these evaluations is seamlessly integrated into both formative and summative assessments, providing a holistic view of instructional efficacy. Furthermore, 100% of the teaching staff are enriched with a plethora of support mechanisms weekly, such as peer observations, coaching, critical feedback, and instructional modeling, all accessible through diverse platforms including Tech Mondays and Weekly co-teaching classes. This comprehensive approach ensures a conducive environment for continuous professional growth, nurturing a culture of excellence in STEM education.
1.7 Access and Opportunity to STEM Courses and Programs
1.7 Access and Opportunity to STEM Courses and Programs
At South Central, all students are immersed in integrated STEM instruction and programming across their coursework. During the designated STEM instructional periods, there is a school-wide emphasis on inclusivity, ensuring no student is pulled out for remediation, thereby upholding the belief that every student deserves the enriching learning opportunities that STEM education provides.
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