Standard 14

Standard 14: Students develop STEM skills and cross-cutting competencies that support workforce readiness.

We want our students to be prepared for life after school. In order for them to be ready, they must develop STEAM skills and competencies that support that goal. Even though our elementary students have some time before they join the workforce, we want to familiarize them with what is out there whether they continue on with post-secondary education or immediately join the workforce. No matter what students choose to do, these STEAM skills will be vital to their success. Again, we use this data during grade group data meetings and STEAM Team meetings to guide our future planning.

For students in grades Kindergarten through second grade, we use performance-based rubrics and a standards based report card to evaluate content knowledge, speaking, and writing. In the upper grades, we use performance-based rubrics to determine efficiency in cross-cutting competencies.

At Childersburg Elementary School, our students in grades Kindergarten through fourth take a Soft STEAM Skills Survey twice during each school year. This survey helps educators reflect on instructional supports and areas in which we need to make adjustments as well as set goals for our students. Our faculty studies the survey results, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and makes adjustments to our STEAM instruction with a goal to strengthen our areas of improvement.

To promote and build STEAM literacy skills, CES students have leadership roles in the classroom and around the school. Students have the opportunity to be a member of the STEAM Leadership Team. Third and fourth grade students complete an application and virtual interview process to be selected as a member. All students have the opportunity to apply for jobs around the school such as greeters, pledge leaders, breakfast crew, peer helpers, and custodial helpers. In classrooms, students are tasked with jobs that make them prominent members of the class. Classroom jobs enable students to feel important, help students learn responsibilities, promote positive behavior, and ensure that all students are contributing to the classroom community. This type of environment allows them to be ready for the next level of STEAM learning.

In addition to content knowledge and STEAM skills, we understand the importance of cross-cutting competencies for preparing our students for the future. Throughout our STEAM learning activities, PBLs, and special events, we consistently incorporate oral and written communication.

Third grade students completed a Creature Feature PBL that aligned with Alabama Science Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. During this PBL, students learned about the different ecosystems and the animals that live there. Students began with the driving question, “How does an animal’s physical characteristics allow it to survive in a particular environment?”. Prior to beginning their research, students were divided into teams and each team chose a particular ecosystem to research. Each team member was assigned a role such as an engineer, environmentalist, nutritionist, and psychologist. Students’ research of conditions within their ecosystem was related to their particular role. For example, the engineer’s job focused on body structures that allow animals to survive in that ecosystem, while the environmentalist’s role was to research the aspects of the physical environment. Animals’ diets were studied by the nutritionist, as the psychologist focused on researching animals’ behaviors that enable them to survive. After much investigation, the team members presented their independent research to the team. The group could then analyze the physical and behavioral adaptations of the animals in the ecosystem and the problems their animals might face within that environment. During the course of the students' research, professional visitors brought in birds of prey and the animals’ rehabilitation and rerelease. Students also went on a field trip to the zoo to learn more about animal adaptations from zoo experts. The students were challenged to take the feedback from the experts and apply it to their research. Using all of the information from their research, each team created a model of their ecosystem containing the animals they studied.

Once the content knowledge was established, the class learned that sometimes animals need to develop new adaptations to avoid extinction. Students were tasked with creating a new creature that would flourish within the group’s ecosystem. The students decided to create bristle bot animals. As per the project criteria, the team’s animal had to be able to stand and move on its own. The bristle bot animals also had to have adaptations that allowed them to survive and thrive within the team’s environment. The students applied what they had learned about the characteristics and adaptations of the animals within their ecosystem in order to create this new creature and add it to their ecosystem. Finally, students came up with a plan to introduce their new species to the scientific community. During their oral presentation, they explained how their new, improved animal could better adapt to its environment and presented.

Strengths

We provide students with opportunities to practice cross-cutting competencies through their leadership roles, collaborative activities, projects, and presentations.

Sustainability

We have seen our students grow as they learn communication skills and demonstrate those skills throughout the year. Teachers will continue to look for ways to incorporate STEAM skills and cross-cutting competencies into students’ everyday events.

For Kindergarten through second grade, we will continue to use a standards based report card. In all grade levels, we will continue to evaluate soft skills and graded writing samples.

Opportunities for Improvement

Even though we gather data from students, we think it would be beneficial to incorporate a formal reflection tool. This will give us additional data that will demonstrate students’ growth.