Transcript Wake NC State University STEM Early College High School

Wake NC State University STEM
Early College High School
Preparing Tomorrow’s Problem Solvers
Overview
• STEM ECHS is a collaboration between the
Wake County Public School System (WCPSS)
and NC State University (NC State) as part of
the NC Early College High School initiative
• Students attend for five years and graduate
with a NC high school diploma (21 credits) and
up to two years of course credit from NC State
Overview
Mission Statement
The mission of the Wake NC State University STEM Early
College High School is to provide a highly supportive and
academically challenging learning environment for students
underserved in a traditional high school setting and
underrepresented in the STEM disciplines, including first
generation college going students, who will graduate
prepared to compete globally in careers related to science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Innovative Education
Initiatives Act (IEIA)
• Passed by the NC General Assembly in 2003
• Encourage cooperative efforts between
secondary schools and institutes of higher
education (IHE) to reduce dropout rates, increase
graduation rates, decrease need for remediation
in IHE, and raise IHE completion rates
• Act also created Cooperative Innovative High
School Programs, which led to the creation of
Early College High Schools (ECHS)
North Carolina New Schools
Project (NCNSP)
• Provided direction and advice through
participation on the Leadership Team
• Established by Governor and NC Education
Cabinet in 2003 with support from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation
• Partners with colleges/universities, state/local
governments, and funding sectors to establish
innovative high schools that graduate students
ready for college and 21st Century life
Planning for the STEM ECHS
• Aug. 2008—letter of intent to support planning
and application for planning grant
• Oct. 2008—series of meetings by the WCPSS and
NC State representatives to develop school
mission statement, preliminary curriculum, and
organizational principles
• Formation of Leadership Team and three
subcommittees—Curriculum,
Organization/Logistics, and Student Support
Issues
Joining Our Business and
Schools (JOBS) Commission
• Established in 2009 as an extension of the IEIA
in 2003
• Charged with studying the issues related to
economic development in NC
• Instructional programming frameworks that
reflect high academic standards required for
students to be successful and prepared for
21st Century jobs
JOBS Commission and STEM
• January, 2010. Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, Dean of the
College of Engineering presented the how the
Grand Challenges relate to STEM education
• March, 2010. Pam Townsend, Vice-President of
AECOM, Inc. and President of the Professional
Engineers of NC, discussed the goal of creating an
ECHS around the theme of the Grand Challenges
• March, 2010. Dr. Betsy Brown, Vice Provost for
Faculty Affairs at NC State, discussed the creation
of the STEM ECHS
Funding
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between
UNC institutions and NC school districts
• IHE responsible for facility and some staffing
costs
• School districts responsible for personnel and
operating costs
• School districts receive extra funding for IHErelated costs such as tuition, fees, and textbooks
• Planning funding provided by JOBS Commission
Targeted Students
• Underserved students—those who do not
maximize their potential in traditional,
comprehensive high schools
• Under-represented students—those who are
not represented in the STEM disciplines (by
gender, ethnicity, etc.)
• First-time college going students in a family
• Willing to accept the challenges of an
accelerated high school and college education
Application, Selection, and
Demographics
• 312 students applied. 302 “screened” in through
paper application due in January—EOG scores,
course grades, two essays, three
recommendations
• Online application in February
• Pool of 302 students forwarded to the WCPSS
Magnet School Office. Standard magnet
selection process in March
• 55 students selected
• 43% first-time college goers, 50:50 male/female
ratio, over 70% non-white
Academic and Vocational
Goals
• Completion of NC Future Ready Core curriculum that
leads to a high school diploma
• Completion of up to two years of NC State course
credit
• Students prepared for educational activities beyond
the first two years of college
• Students prepared to function as productive and
effective citizens
• Students ready for the world of work
Pedagogy
• The STEM ECHS will serve as an “anchor”
school to help the NCNSP continue to create
and develop innovative high schools in NC
• Need for “common pedagogy”
• The STEM ECHS will adopt and use the NCNSP
Common Instructional Framework—Every
student reads, writes, thinks and talks in every
classroom every day.
Pedagogy—Principles
Student success requires
• That all graduates will be Ready for College
• Powerful Teaching and Learning
• Personalization of early college experiences
within the school community
• Redefining Professionalism for the staff and
administration
• Purposeful Design of “teaching and learning”
• That collaborative Leadership is developed,
implemented and enhanced
Pedagogy
• Project-based learning
• Technology—appropriate and meaningful use
• Socratic seminar and Paideia Principles
(“upbringing of the child”)
• Use of NC State faculty, students and
resources
• Focus on the new NC Teacher Evaluation
Process instrument, which emphasizes 21st
Century teaching
Curriculum—Year One
• Based on the National Academy of
Engineering’s Grand Challenges
(http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/)
• Use of the five “sustainability” challenges as
the framework or “backbone” for the first
year (access to clean water; carbon dioxide
sequestration; nitrogen cycle; making solar
energy economical; fusion energy)
Curriculum—Year One
• Earth Science/Engineering Design—Yearlong,
“A/B” flexible schedule, two credits
• Integrated Math I/II or II/III—Block schedule, two
credits
• English I/Geography—Yearlong, “A/B” flexible
schedule, two credits, students learn how to
apply Socratic seminar techniques to the
economic, ethical, legal, political, social, and
sustainability issues related to the Grand
Challenges
Curriculum—Year One
• Seminar with two major foci
• ”Whole child” to explore issues related to
adolescent development, college
environment, university resources, career
exploration, etc.
• Learning how to participate in thoughtful and
democratic discussion through Socratic
seminar
21st Century Learning
Outcomes
• Mastery of 21st Century interdisciplinary core
content and themes
• Mastery of learning and innovation skills
related to creativity and innovation; critical
thinking and problem-solving; and
communication and collaboration
• Mastery of information, media, and
technology skills
21st Century Learning
Outcomes
• Development of life and career skills such as
flexibility and adaptability; initiative and selfdirection; social and cross-cultural skills;
productivity and accountability; and
leadership and responsibility
Assessment and Evaluation
Methods
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Business/college internship assessment
Formative assessment
Formulating essential questions
High school diploma
NC State course assessment
NC State transcript
Project-based learning and portfolio of
artifacts
Assessment and Evaluation
Methods
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PSAT, SAT, ACT and other standardized testing
Socratic seminar
Student, teacher, parent surveys
Summative assessment such as written/oral
activities, End-of-Course exams, etc.
Relevance to NC State
• Consistent with NC State focus on innovation
for K-16 and graduate school education
• Enhances development and dissemination of
STEM discipline excellence
• Opportunity to work in a sustained way with a
new high school on innovative issues related
to STEM teaching/learning
Relevance to NC State
• Provides an opportunity to conduct educational
research related to STEM teaching/learning
• Offers recruitment of under-represented students
to STEM-related departments
• Allows NC State to contribute to statewide goal of
using university knowledge and expertise to help
address challenges and issues related to STEM
disciplines with respect to improvements in
public education, workforce development, and
public awareness
Research Partnership
Opportunities
• Angie Wright, Ed.D. WCPSS
• http://www.wcpss.net/evalresearch/external_research/index.html
• Dr. Heather Davis, NC State. Assessing
Attitudes, Behaviors, and Achievement related
to STEM education
• Measuring Impact of STEM Outreach (MISO).
Grant from NSF to NC State. See Logic Model
handout
Contact Information
Rob Matheson
Principal, Wake NC State University STEM
Early College High School
C/O Centennial Middle School
1900 Main Campus Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606
852-3376
[email protected]