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Innovative STEM Middle Schools>

[Innovative STEM High Schools]

August, 2012 -- This page profiles six STEM Middle Schools that were launched in the past 7 years and are engaged in both a STEM focus and 21st Century Learning. It has been my practice in the past to only profile and recommend exemplar schools and districts that I know well through personal visits and knowledge. However, today it is possible to visit some schools and districts through the World Wide Web and see documents, articles, and videos that tell the story of what is happening in these places. A good name for this process is "curating". I first consulted knowledgeable colleagues around the country for recommendations and also searched the WWW for candidate schools. In some instances there were other candidate innovative STEM middle schools, however there were not sufficient additional artifacts to validate their "innovative" practices. To develop this page and its resources, I then scoured each school's website and then searched the Internet for "artifacts"--additional materials, articles, and videos. If you have a recommendation of additional schools to profile, please contact me at bobpearlman@mindspring.com. I hope this page proves useful to those who are designing and developing the next generation of STEM Middle Schools. --- Bob Pearlman

            1. Preston STEM Middle School, Fort Collins, CO

            2. National Inventors Hall of Fame School, Akron, Ohio

            3. STEM Middle Academy, Springfield, MA

            4. Waukesha STEM Academy, Waukesha, WI

            5. Bayside S.T.E.M. Academy, San Mateo, CA

            6. Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Jefferson Parish, LA

            7. From S.T.E.M. to S.T.E.A.M.

Preston STEM Middle School,
Fort Collins, CO

In order to inspire and challenge our 21st century learners, Preston has adopted a four-pronged approach to STEM education: STEM focused classes and enrichments, School-Wide research projects on STEM themes, STEM extra-curricular activities, and the STEM Summer Institute. In 2006, 25 students were involved in MathCounts, an association for mathematics competitions and math enhancement. Preston had no specific STEM exploratory classes, robotics program, Science Olympiad and did not participate in science fair. In 2010, Preston examined the number of students enrolled in STEM classes, participated in robotics competitions and classes and Science Olympiad and science fair as well as MathCounts and the number of 'touches' (students involved in a specific activity) was well over 900!

 

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National Inventors Hall of Fame School, Akron, Ohio

NIHF opened in 2009 in temporary quarters and moved into its permanent location in 2010. The National Inventors Hall of Fame School (NIHF School) adjoins the former National Inventors Hall of Fame, a portion of which now operates as the Invent Now Museum. The school's vision is to provide the highest quality education experience for students that ensures creativity and inventive thinking through a focus on science, mathematics and technology.

 

 


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STEM Middle Academy,
Springfield, MA

STEM Middle Academy is a magnet school in Springfield, MA. The school opened in the fall of 2008 with 100 sixth grade students. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM Middle Academy integrates the STEM theme in everything we do. Staff members plan integrated units that include the STEM theme. STEM Middle Academy has been awarded a second Federal Magnet Grant and will be enhancing itsSTEM theme through Expeditionary Learning.

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Waukesha STEM Academy
Waukesha, WI

Waukesha (WI) school district opened K-5 and 6-8 STEM charter schools in Fall 2010, Waukesha STEM Academy (WSA), at the Randall and Saratoga campuses, respectively. The mission of WSA is to engage, inspire, and empower a community of learners in thinking, collaborating, innovating, and creating for the future.

 

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San Mateo, CA

The Bayside STEM Academy, a middle school in San Mateo, California, switched to a STEM-oriented curriculum in 2008. Sixth- through eighth-grade students are taught a core curriculum along with a rotating wheel of STEM courses, which can include classes in architecture, acoustics, and other subjects.The school has a creative approach to STEM, due in part to its unique relationship with the nearby Stanford University Institute of Design. ( from Scholastic Adminstrator, April 2010).

A San Mateo, CA middle school with a high-quality instructional program that is designed to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.), including:

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Jefferson Parish, LA

Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy (PFTSTA) in Jefferson Parish, LA, is a Grade 6-12 middle-high school that "provides enriched instruction in mathematics, science, and technology in an academically challenging, college preparatory environment. Teachers engage students with research-based practices to develop 21st century skills such as cooperative and collaborative learning and technology integration. " The school has received numberous awards: 2010 Blue Ribbon School, Homefacts A+ School, and Louisiana Five-Star School. PFTSTA is a regional school open to students throughout the New Orleans area. It opened in 2004 with 88 seventh and eighth graders in the school system's Special Services Building in Elmwood. Today, it educates almost 300 students in grades 6 through 12, becoming a full-day middle and high school and is temporarily located at the old Deckbar School campus in Old Jefferson. A new facility and a cornerstone of the Churchill Technology and Business Park in Avondale is expected to start rising this Fall (2011) for the new Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Regional Academy and Conference Center. The new facility will feature 100,000 square feet of classroom space for grades 6-12. It will include 22 classrooms and six “pod areas” for specialized sciences that will provide students with extra space for breakout sessions. The current school has between 300 and 400 students, and the new facility will have a target enrollment of 600.

 

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From STEM to STEAM

September, 2011 -- There is increasing interest nationally in integrating the Arts, particularly design, into STEM programs and there is evidence of transforming existing STEM schools into STEAM schools and developing new STEAM Middle and High Schools. But most of this is targeted for Fall 2012 and I have been unable to discover as yet any intentional STEM Middle or High Schools that currently have a fully developed STEAM program and emphasis. Below are some links for schools that are in the planning stages, and some interesting articles and videos concerning the move from STEM to STEAM. -- Bob Pearlman

School Links
  • Mounds View Public Schools (MN): Turning STEM into STEAM, Video: Full STEAM Ahead, Brochure. Middle schools in Mounds View have readapted curriculum to focus more on preparing students in the concepts of science, technology, engineering and math — often referred to as STEM. In fall 2012, all middle schools will add an arts component to this approach, turning STEM into a standards-based STEAM program.
  • STEAM Academy at Crystal Lake Middle School, 2410 North Crystal Lake Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801-6299, (863) 499-2970
  • Newark STEAM Academy: The Newark STEAM Academy, opening in Fall 2012, is an exciting new school that incorporates the nationally acclaimed Big Picture Learning (BPL) design of a small highly personalized and high performance school environment with a rigorous and relevant cross-disciplinary approach that integrates academic and experiential learning focusing on complex problem solving/critical thinking skills applied to the challenges of sustainability and the environment. Contact: Carlos R. Moreno, New Jersey Director of Big Picture Learning, 973-400-9532.
  • High Tech High, San Diego. HTH does not explicitly call itself a STEAM school, but CEO Larry Rosenstock says "A STEM focus is central to our design and success, but we also integrate the arts (often referred to as STEAM) to prepare students to participate in a global economy and help them to focus on their futures both in college and in careers."

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