MORNING PLENARY PRESENTATION
What Everyone Should Know About Successful K–12 STEM Education
Martin Storksdieck, Director, Board on Science Education, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences
In this session, learn more about the National Research Council report, Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, which provides a review of research on STEM-focused schools, effective STEM practices, and effective schooling, and makes recommendations for improving STEM education. The presenter will also discuss Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing?, which identifies 14 indicators linked to the Successful K-12 STEM Education report's recommendations that can be used to monitor progress in K-12 STEM education and make informed decisions about improving it.
MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS I
Biology Levers Out of Mathematics (BLOOM)
Christian Schunn, University of Pittsburgh
The Next Generation Science Standards highlight understanding and application as well as the integration of mathematics and computational tools into science. The gap between these goals and classroom reality is particularly salient in high school biology, where memorization is king and mathematics/computational tools are largely absent. In this session, a new approach to teaching biology involving engaging engineering design challenges that students solve using a combination of inexpensive hands-on materials, basic mathematics, and simple simulations will be presented.
The FabLab Classroom: Learning Middle School Science Through Engineering Design and Manufacturing
Glen Bull, Eric Bredder, Peter Malcolm, and Nigel Standish, University of Virginia
This session will focus on the FabLab Classroom, a project exploring the use of digital fabrication to allow middle school students to create digital designs that are realized as physical objects, such as model satellites (in collaboration with NASA), working wind turbines, and speaker systems. The Fablab Classroom work provides context for addressing the goals of (1) helping create the skilled workforce needed for the future and (2) responding to the Next Generation Science Standards, which call for integration of engineering design into science education.
The GLOBE California Academy Program: Strengthening College and Career Readiness in STEM by Leveraging School Structure and Student Aspirations
Svetlana Darche, WestEd
In this session, the GLOBE California Academy Program (CAP) will be discussed through the lens of “college and career readiness.” The session will emphasize the steps along an outcomes-based experiential career development continuum for GLOBE CAP students. Participants will leave with a framework, as well as tools to support college readiness and career readiness (from career awareness to full career preparation) that can be implemented in any STEM program.
Improving STEM Education Through the Redesign of the Advanced Placement Science Courses
Serena Magrogan, College Board; Andrew Elby, University of Maryland at College Park; Audra Ward, Marist School
In this session, presenters will provide background on the redesign of the Advanced Placement Science courses (principles of the redesign, policy implications for both K–12 and higher education, plans for working with teachers, etc.). The new courses reduce the rate of content coverage and emphasize deep, cross-cutting conceptual understanding and scientific inquiry. Hands-on activities will illustrate the kinds of inquiry and formative assessment that the new AP exams will reward.
Loudoun County Public Schools Academy of Science
George Wolfe and Duke Writer, Loudoun Academy of Science; Odette Scovel, Loudoun County Public Schools
In partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Loudoun Academy of Science (AOS) was formed to provide students with an integrated, inquiry-based math and science curriculum culminating in a two-year independent research project in math modeling or science. In this session, the presenters will delineate the steps in forming the AOS, the overall structure and curriculum of the program, and the techniques they use to facilitate research in math and science.
Urban Advantage: Formal-Informal Collaborations to Improve Science Learning and Teaching
Jim Short, American Museum of Natural History; Kathleen Tinworth, ExposeYourMuseum LLC
In this session, presenters discuss how museum-based research and development projects in New York City and Denver are transforming formal-informal collaborations to improve science learning and teaching in urban school systems. Urban Advantage (UA) programs in both cities will share challenges and lessons learned from projects aimed at scaffolding students’ interests, building on what they know, and providing experiences to engage students directly in scientific inquiry. Presenters will discuss teacher professional development and broad access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities.
MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS II
Broadening Advanced Technological Education Connections (BATEC)
Deborah Boisvert, University of Massachusetts, Boston
This session will focus on lessons learned by BATEC for creating pathways in computing and the infrastructure needed to support students in their educational pursuits. Participants will learn about strategies such as problem-based curricula tied to industry and accreditation standards, stackable credentials that promote transferability, and developmentally-appropriate work-based learning opportunities that can be adapted and implemented in any field of study.
Cultivating Mathematical Habits of Mind in All Students
E. Paul Goldenberg and Mary Fries, Education Development Center, Inc.
Algebra is widely seen as a gateway course and, correspondingly, as a foundation for the workforce and higher education. Participants will learn how several EDC projects—including a logic-building algebra intervention curriculum, a professional development program designed to elucidate the Standards for Mathematical Practice from the Common Core State Standards, and a set of mathematical puzzle apps—are supporting a fundamental shift in algebra preparation, moving toward building the mathematical habits of mind necessary for success in STEM learning.
The Impact of Different Early-College/Dual-Enrollment Programs on Minority Student Persistence in Science Disciplines
Nancy Shapiro and David May, University System of Maryland
To address the representation gap in the sciences, a partnership of institutions has implemented multiple early-college/dual-enrollment courses for high school students. One program is a full-time, residential, summer program, and the other is a school-year program with single courses that take place in the high schools. In this interactive session, presenters will discuss strategies for determining the effects of these and other dual-enrollment programs on students’ persistence in college and choice of major.
Separating Facts from Fads: How K-12 Educators’ Choices Impact Students' College Performance and Persistence in STEM
Philip Sadler, Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Twenty thousand college students’ histories taking critical college “gatekeeper” courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus have been mined, putting to the test K–12 educators' beliefs about the kinds of preparatory experiences and key resources that impact both college grades and students’ career choices. In this session, the presenter will share findings on the value of lab experience, graphing calculators, computerized labs and simulations, demonstrations, content coverage, Advanced Placement courses, project work, teacher professional development, and mathematics preparation.
Studio STEM: Engaging Middle School Students in Networked Science and Engineering Projects
Michael Evans and Brett Jones, Virginia Tech; Carol Brandt, Temple University
Studio STEM is an inquiry-based studio experience supported by information and communication technologies (ICTs). Presenters will discuss how Studio STEM uses engineering design activities that integrate digital modeling and game development tools, and social networking technologies to engage students in investigating concepts and skills in science (e.g., alternative energy resources, energy transfer, and energy sustainability), technology (e.g., social networking technologies, multimedia software), engineering (e.g., engineering design processes), and mathematics (e.g., mathematical modeling, graphing).
LUNCHTIME PLENARY PRESENTATION
How Do We Make ALL Children Smart in STEM?
Alan Leshner, Chief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Executive Publisher, Science; Heather Gonzalez, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Lillian Lowery, State Superintendent, Maryland Department of Education; and James Pellegrino, Professor, co-Director of Learning Sciences Research Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago
Many critical questions in STEM education seem to get muddled around the issues of who we are worried about educating and for what purposes. The nation badly needs a scientifically competent workforce to compete on the international stage. Yet our focus too often is only on the best and brightest and how to bring them into the professional workforce. This disconnect must be addressed if we are ever going to make the progress we need.
AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS
The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education
Eric Banilower, Horizon Research, Inc.
The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), conducted by Horizon Research, Inc., provides valuable information on the status of K–12 mathematics and science education in the nation. Results include the background and education of the current teaching force in mathematics and science, their views on their own preparedness, and the classroom practices they use. The presenter will report findings from the most recent NSSME and provide opportunities for participants to discuss implications.
Next Generation Science Standards and Building Capacity for State Science Education
Matt Krehbiel, Kansas State Department of Education
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), based on the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education, has the potential for a huge impact on science and STEM education. In this session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the content and development of the NGSS. The presenter will discuss how Kansas mapped the 6–8 and 9–12 grade-banded standards into courses. Discussion will also cover the implementation issues connected to future professional development, preservice teacher education, and STEM education.
Pathways to Calculus: A Research-Based Model for Transforming Precalculus-Level Mathematics Teaching and Learning
Marilyn Carlson, Arizona State University
In this session, the Pathways Precalculus student materials and teacher resources will be shared. The research knowledge that guided the design decisions will be discussed to illustrate the critical role of design research in generating materials that are effective in realizing dramatic gains in student learning. The presenter will share the data from four large school districts and three large universities to illustrate the dramatic and widespread improvements in precalculus teaching and learning that are possible through design research.
Successful STEM Education and Education for Life and Work: Some Critical Connections and Implications
James Pellegrino, University of Illinois at Chicago
The 2012 NRC Report Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century discusses the meaning of terms such as “deeper learning” and “21st century skills” and considers how such constructs are connected to contemporary STEM education standards and frameworks. The implications of this for successful STEM education and for college and career readiness will be considered in this session.
Using Research Findings on Interest Generation to Help Us Provide Equal Access to Quality STEM Experiences
Adam Maltese, Indiana University
In this session, findings from recent research involving the generation and maintenance of interest in STEM degrees and careers will be discussed. The presenter will review results from recent studies and discuss how these results might apply to the specific contexts of various STEM experiences. The goal is for attendees to be able to use the findings to start a plan of action related to their programs.
AFTERNOON PLENARY PRESENTATION
The Federal Role in Smart STEM
Steve Robinson, Special Assistant, White House Domestic Policy Council
Steve Robinson is on assignment to the White House Domestic Policy Council from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education. Robinson served as the Legislative Assistant for education in the office of Senator Barack Obama, advised on policy development during the 2008 presidential campaign, and worked on education issues with the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. He joined the Department of Education in February of 2009, and was assigned to the White House Domestic Policy Council in September of that year. Steve first joined the office of Senator Obama in July 2005, supported as a fellow through the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. Prior to joining Senator Obama's office, Steve was a high school science teacher in Eugene, Oregon. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, earned a degree in Biology at Princeton University, and then a Ph.D. at University of Michigan. On the Biology faculty at the University of Massachusetts, he headed a laboratory and mentored Ph.D. students. His teaching experience includes more than 15 years in the classroom at middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels.