NARRATIVE
Winfield Middle School provides equitable opportunities for students to engage in high-quality STEM learning.
Students are provided the ability to experience and achieve in an equitable learning environment. Our teachers are not merely focused on preventing the negative consequences of inequity, but on how students can benefit as a result of equity.
True classroom equity is exemplified at Winfield Middle School by ensuring that all students are both respected and included, regardless of their individual backgrounds or abilities. Classroom climates are created to ensure that every student has accessibility to the educational resources and rigor they require at any given time. This type of STEM/project-based climate can be exasperating for teachers. Therefore, the use of autonomy to encourage accountability, independence, and self-direction allows the student to become empowered in a positive way, and as a result, a driving force for learning in the classroom.
Realizing that each student brings strength and talent to both the class and lessons, Winfield teachers are able to help our students believe that there is a true value and necessity for both their skills and perspective in the classroom. Empowering our students and releasing autonomy helps build self-confidence. As a result, students are not inhibited by more responsibility and thrive while engaged in cooperative learning. Drawing from each other’s strengths, they develop the ability to succeed when faced with rigorous STEM activities.
Rigor, by definition, is the result of work that challenges students’ thinking in new and interesting ways. The recent pandemic upended our entire education system. Unfortunately, distance learning and limited operations exacerbated inequalities for our low-socio-economic population. The increased use of technology during the coronavirus pandemic has, therefore, proven the importance of our STEM curriculum at Winfield City which is designed for all students of all backgrounds to prepare them for both local and global challenges. Our investment in the current inequity in STEM education will pay dividends for future generations and ensure that Winfield Middle School remains a leader in STEM education.
Strengths: Winfield City School's strength for Standard 1 is Engagement. Our school strives to serve all students and give all students a chance to explore STEM education and STEM fields. Administration, educators, parents, and community members strive to give all Winfield students amazing opportunities that take place in and outside of the standard classroom.
Opportunities for Improvement: Winfield City Schools shows room for growth with Results and Sustainability. In the recent Covid pandemic years, Winfield City Schools has been forced to back off with some face-to-face encounters and partnerships outside of the school system. The stakeholders have continuously supported us, but the distance that the pandemic required made collecting data difficult. It also slowed down the growth that Winfield City expected to have with the STEM initiatives.