At Madison Elementary, we have worked hard to build and continue to strengthen a culture whereby our systems, supports, and programming are built to maximize and sustain a strong integrated STEM program that transforms the student educational experience.

Evidence will abundantly show that we prioritize the voice and reflective input of all stakeholders, including staff, students, parents and families, and community partners through the strategic design, administration, and analysis of stakeholder surveys by our Madison STEM council. We have worked to expand and strengthen our STEM program engagement, now hosting a yearly family STEM night, sending a bi-monthly family newsletter with a dedicated "STEM Corner," engaging in numerous STEM advisory groups, strengthening our STEM program visibility through social media, and offering a more wide range of business and community presentations through stronger and more established community partnerships.

Our teacher ownership over our integrated STEM program has also grown substantially since our initial recertification in 2019-2020. Our most recent STEM staff survey shows that 76% of teachers felt strong ownership over our integrated STEM program and curriculum (90% of teachers felt ownership) in 2024, compared to 33% of teachers who felt strong ownership over our integrated STEM program in 2019-2020. Evidence will also clearly show that our master schedule prioritizes common planning time, and we prioritize STEM instructional feedback and strong supports for our teachers through both formal evaluations, our walkthrough tool, and strong planning, modeling, and various supports from our dedicated integrated STEM coach.

We are proud of the culture we have built, whereby we foster critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration, recognizing that STEM is more than just a curriculum--it's a process and a mindset. At our school, STEM isn't just what we teach—it's how we teach and how we inspire to create a future driven by possibility for our students.

1.1 Decision-Making

Madison Elementary is a collaborative school dedicated to fostering a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement. By actively involving various members of the school community, the school creates an inclusive environment where everyone contributes to the success of its educational mission. A key focus is refining and enhancing the school's STEM program, with a commitment to providing engaging, real world learning experiences that inspire creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. Through open communication and teamwork, Madison Elementary strives to ensure that every student continues to thrive in their education journey at Madison Elementary. Evidence includes STEM Council members with bios, STEM Council meeting schedules and agendas, staff survey and revisions based on analysis of feedback.

1.1 Decision-Making

1.2 Common Work Time

Madison Elementary's master schedule is organized to provide optimal time for staff to collaborate and plan integrated STEM learning opportunities as an interdisciplinary team. Evidence will show staff are provided with an hour to engage in weekly professional learning communities each Monday morning, and are provided with thirty (30) minutes of daily common collaborative planning time to plan integrated STEM across grade-level teams. Evidence provided further shows staff are provided with a half day of collaborative planning time on a quarterly basis to develop and refine grade-level STEM units.

1.2 Common Work Time

1.3 Sustainability Plan

Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) and Madison Elementary School are committed to fostering STEM sustainability through a comprehensive approach that aligns with WCS's 5-year strategic plan. The core of this plan emphasizes the integration of STEM principles across all grade levels, ensuring students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. By embedding STEM in daily instruction, WCS aims to create lifelong learners prepared for a rapidly changing world.

Madison’s efforts focus on building a sustainable STEM culture by equipping teachers with ongoing professional development, encouraging cross-curricular collaboration, and integrating technology seamlessly into the classroom. The school is also committed to fostering partnerships with community organizations and local industries to provide real-world STEM experiences for students.

The 5-year strategic plan highlights key pillars of this initiative:

Curriculum and Instruction – Continuous integration of STEM into the existing curriculum with a focus on inquiry-based learning and project-based approaches.
Professional Development – Ongoing teacher training to ensure that faculty members are equipped with the skills and resources necessary for STEM instruction.
Community and Industry Partnerships – Strengthening ties with local businesses and organizations to offer authentic STEM learning experiences and support.
Resource Allocation – Investing in cutting-edge technology, tools, and materials to keep pace with the evolving STEM landscape.

By systematically addressing these areas, Madison and WCS aim to build a lasting foundation for STEM education that prepares students for future academic and career success.

1.3 Sustainability Plan

1.4 Measurement of Student Attitudes/Interests

Madison Elementary is committed to understanding students interests, challenges, and overall engagement in our STEM program. Our data-drive, student-centered approach is vital for identifying strengths and weaknesses in the STEM curriculum. In students' Innovation Lab time, grades K-2 and grades 3-6 students are given a locally created, developmentally appropriate survey twice per year (at the beginning of the year and end of the year). When the surveys are given, the data is analyzed to ensure our STEM program remains relevant and engaging for our students. Evidence includes the locally-created STEM surveys, over 1 year of student STEM survey results, analysis of results, and revisions made based on the analysis.

1.4 Measurement of Student Attitude/Interest

1.5 STEM Program Engagement

Madison Elementary School actively engages stakeholders—parents, educational leaders, and community partners—to reflect on, grow, and promote its STEM program. Collaborative efforts foster a strong educational network, enhance student learning experiences, and strengthen community ties around STEM initiatives. Overall, Madison Elementary creates a unified culture around communication, continuous improvement, and maintaining a growth-oriented vision. Evidence includes STEM-focused press releases and newsletters, surveys, STEM-focused community forums, STEM community partner celebrations, STEM career/community/business presentations, STEM-focused family night, and volunteer schedules.

1.5 STEM Program Engagement

1.6 STEM Instructional Feedback

At Madison Elementary, the STEM coach uses a specialized STEM walkthrough tool to observe and support teachers in effectively integrating STEM into their classrooms. This tool allows the coach to gather insights into the teaching methods, STEM activities, and student engagement levels within each class. By conducting these observations, the coach provides targeted feedback to teachers, helping them enhance their instructional approaches, align activities with STEM objectives, and foster a more inquiry-based learning environment. In addition to feedback from the STEM coach, teachers engage in self-reflection using a feedback sheet, where they assess their own progress in integrating STEM concepts. This self-reflective process encourages teachers to critically analyze their strengths and identify areas for growth. In addition, teachers participate in peer-to-peer observations, observing each other’s classrooms and providing constructive feedback. This collaborative approach promotes shared learning and continuous improvement, enabling teachers to refine their practices and elevate the quality of STEM experiences for their students. The STEM coach also conducts technology instruction and engineering lessons for students in order to model-teach for staff. The coach creates and teaches the lessons to demonstrate to teachers a quality STEM model and aids them in planning and instructing their own STEM lesson plans.

1.6 STEM Instructional Feedback/Support

1.7 Access and Opportunity to STEM Courses and Programs

At Madison Elementary, we are committed to providing access and opportunity for all K-6 students, ensuring every student participates in STEM programming and instruction. The STEM program has been built around integration of STEM in core concepts; by integrating science, technology, engineering, and math with foundational subjects, students develop a deeper understanding of real-world applications, fostering a more engaging and relevant learning experience that prepares them for future challenges in whichever career path they choose. Our school's master schedule is intentionally designed to protect "STEM" time to ensure equitable access and opportunity to STEM courses. Students also have access to additional STEM opportunities outside of the integrated STEM curriculum; with communication across supports around scheduling, students' access to STEM learning continues to be at the utmost importance. Evidence includes master schedule, computer science time that is protected from pullouts, STEM enrollment data, and curriculum maps/courses.

1.7 Access and Opportunity to STEM Courses/Programs