ST 1.6

Self-Assessment Rating: 4

Pinecrest Academy of Nevada - Cadence Campus works collaboratively with our 4 sister schools to develop annual long-range plans aligned to the Nevada Academic Content Standards (NVACS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These plans are located in System-Wide TEAM drives and shared with every teacher across all campuses. The plans ensure that our students are exposed to every standard required for grade-level mastery. Pinecrest also uses established curriculum chosen explicitly because of its in-depth coverage of state standards. Our use of research-based, standards-aligned curricula such as Wonders, Ready Classroom, Springboard, Pearson Interactive, Project Lead the Way, and TCI History Alive ensures PAC teachers have access to materials which set consistently high expectations for delivery of content and student outcomes. Teacher-generated STEM Infusion Units are delivered throughout the year to provide students with a more comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to learning.

Because learning skills and information in isolation does not lead to mastery, the Pinecrest STEM Leadership Team was formed to plan and develop system-wide quarterly STEM-Infused Units to engage students in solving real-world engineering problems connected to topics and standards covered in the elementary literacy curriculum. Every unit requires an engineering (design) component where students apply literacy, math, and science content knowledge when imagining, planning, creating, and improving a real-world design problem. To strengthen critical-thinking skills, teachers developed experiences within these units to guide students in determining relevant facts, asking critical questions, investigating multiple solutions, and testing out potential theories. Comprehensively, PAC STEM Infused Units provide the opportunity for students to participate in the engineering design cycle multiple times throughout the year. In addition to the design challenges presented in the general education setting, Pinecrest has invested in a STEM specialist who provides weekly instruction to all elementary students in the areas of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. The STEM teacher also infuses language arts, math, science, and social studies standards in the development of engineering units.

Secondary teachers team up across their subject contents to connect learners. Teams plan units, when applicable, which cross into each of the core content areas. As an example, the science fair is a shared responsibility among subjects. ELA teachers support the background research while math teachers support the graphing components. Additionally once a month all teachers in middle school grades 6-7 host a STEM workshop for students. Students rotate through a variety of STEM workshops which include properties of physics, engineering, Rubiks algorithms, exposure to coding and CTE programs, and more.

Example: These lessons set up the students for being able to make good construction choices when we build our penguin enclosures. Students also provide a cost analysis with provided prices for each used item. They will revise their structures after the first testing. The house with the thermometer on inside with black roof is to show radiation (thermometer on bottom floor to show that heat comes from above and not from within). Also included are pictures of radiation being blocked by an insulator and pic of which will melt most quickly with fun penguin ice cubes

Last year, Pinecrest incorporated Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Launch to enhance the STEM curriculum for all elementary students. Initially, PLTW was facilitated through our STEM specialist while classroom teachers focused on the quarterly STEM Infused Units discussed above. Because of a desire to continually increase hands-on, meaningful STEM learning experiences for our students and teachers, PAC invested in PLTW certification for every general education teacher and now incorporates PLTW Launch units into every general education classroom.

In these modules, teachers are exposed to strategies to help them guide students in exploring concepts related to careers in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Project Lead the Way utilizes the Activity - Project - Problem Based instructional approach to learning. By working through PLTW units with students, as well as through collaboration with fellow educators also teaching similar units, PAC educators are able to hone their STEM integration practices.

• Increase community partners in elementary grades that provide students with real-world challenges and feedback
• Increase focus of STEM integration in long-range planning in all grade levels and content areas
• Increase exposure of STEM activities and CTE programs to all students