Moody High School
Innovation Academy for Engineering, Marine and Environmental Science
Corpus Christi Independent School District
Corpus Christi, Texas
http://moody.ccisd.us/groups/innovation-academy
Learning tour conducted on January 14, 2009
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The Innovation Academy for Engineering, Environmental and Marine Science, housed within
Cunningham Middle School and Moody High School in Corpus Christi, is part of the Texas High
School Project’s T-STEM Academy Network. Although the Innovation Academy is one of eight
academies at Moody, it has separate facilities that allow its students to take classes together and
collaborate on STEM-centered projects.
Campus leaders and teachers at the Innovation Academy have cultivated a dynamic partnership
with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (www.harteresearchinstitute.org/
index.html), which gives Academy students access to the Institute’s resources and opportunities
to participate in research experiences alongside Harte Institute scholars.
Why we visited
Texas High School Project staff cite the Innovation Academy as taking one of the most novel
approaches to STEM education among the 35 T-STEM academies. A key aspect of this approach
is the Academy’s emphasis on ocean science, a natural course given the school’s location on the
Gulf of Mexico.
The Academy’s strong relationship with the Harte Institute provides its students with an
unparalleled opportunity to learn about—and conduct sophisticated research on—the Gulf
environment. The partnership between the Academy and the Harte Institute allows students to
expand their understanding of the natural world by focusing on the dynamics and socioeconomic
impact of local natural resources. Academy students will graduate high school having
participated in research alongside nationally recognized marine biologists, oceanographers, and
other environmental scientists.
What we learned
Although we visited the high school only, the Innovation Academy is located on two campuses,
Cunningham Middle School and Moody High School. The Academy opened in 2007 with a
cohort of 6th graders at Cunningham and 9th graders at Moody.
Teachers from the middle school and high school collaborate on a regular basis and plan learning
projects together; they work so closely together that the STEM program coordinator, Tina
Dellinger, considers the middle and high school teachers and staff as one cohesive faculty. Part
of Ms. Dellinger’s job is to make that collaboration happen—she aligns and coordinates the
programs at the middle and high schools and facilitates collaboration with the Harte Institute.
Together, faculty and staff at both schools have created a seven-year course of study for students
who show an interest in and aptitude for science, mathematics, and engineering.
Both schools have adopted project-based learning as a strategy for teaching mathematics and
science content. Middle school students also use a curriculum developed by Project Lead the
Way (PLTW), www.pltw.org/, which uses the engineering process to strengthen students’
mathematics and science skills.
Culture:
“Our business is the business of students. Our students are some of the best kids in the state and
the country. We have to make sure they are given an education that will take them as far as they
can go—at a university and in a profession.”
These words, spoken by Conrado Garcia, Moody High’s principal and a 30-year veteran of the
Corpus Christi Independent School District, welcomed us and set the tone for our tour. The
commitment to students is shared by the faculty at Moody High School and the Innovation
Academy in particular, who are, Garcia says, “Corpus Christi’s finest teachers . . . they work
very hard to ensure that each student is not just a number, but a person with a goal, [and they]
make sure that each student attains his/her goals.” Tina Dellinger echoed Principal Garcia,
commenting that “Our teachers will do almost anything for our kids. They are the reason we are
here.”
In two years, the Innovation Academy at Moody High will have the first group of students who
have been involved in the STEM program since 6th grade. Ms. Dellinger said, “We can’t wait to
get our first class of kids from Cunningham. They will be very prepared and ready for our
academy experiences.”
The curriculum for students at the middle school and the high school relies heavily on projectbased learning, which brings together content and skills from several disciplines on a single
project, incorporating the state standards (TEKS) as well as 21st-century skills in specific content
areas. Ms. Dellinger cited the 9th grade Laguna Outreach project, which integrated science,
mathematics, and English, as an example of project-based learning. For this project, students
made nine trips to the research field station, where they worked alongside marine biologists to
conduct fieldwork and collect data.
Science:
“Science is our passion here,” remarked Ms. Dellinger as she further described the Innovation
Academy’s partnership with the Harte Institute. The Academy’s science classes follow the state
standards but use curriculum developed by the Harte Institute to support the students’ research in
areas that in some way connect to the environment. The partnership between the school and the
Institute is crucial to student success, Ms. Dellinger believes. “Some of these kids have never
been to the beach, I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. And, to go into the Laguna and the
different areas where there are protected species or environmentally sensitive areas, our kids feel
like they are contributing to a much bigger picture.”
The science curriculum Ms. Dellinger described gives students a wide range of exploration and
research opportunities: “We use real-time, real ocean data collection alongside scientists at the
Harte Institute.” When students spend time at the Harte Institute, they are not filing papers or
answering phones. Rather, students help Harte Institute scientists with their research by
collecting water samples, marine life, and environmental data.
Participating in research at the Harte Institute gives students a realistic look at the life of a
scientist. Ms. Dellinger told us that two of her students were awarded summer internships at the
Institute. “These kinds of internships are usually limited to university or graduate students,”
Dellinger said, “but two of our kids showed the scientists that they could do the research at a
level that compared to much older students.”
Technology and engineering:
The technology and engineering components of the Innovation Academy continue to be
developed. As we toured the facilities, we saw a deep-water tank being installed. Ms. Dellinger
explained that the tank will be used to help students get certified as scuba divers. Scuba
certification is an integral part of the Academy’s curriculum and is available to all Academy
students so that they can participate in underwater research. Scuba diving certification gives
students a practical skill that they can use not only for scientific research under water, but also
for careers in oil and gas exploration that require a diving certification.
In the next year, engineering will become more prominent in the Innovation Academy’s
curriculum. At the time of the tour, engineering was embedded in the science and mathematics
curriculum. Ninth graders take an engineering design class that uses scientific inquiry to teach
engineering processes. As sophomores, students can move into robotics and digital electronics.
Students can choose among a number of STEM electives, including civil, aerospace, and
electrical engineering (taught by the electrical trades teacher), and biotechnology engineering.
As seniors, Innovation Academy students choose among the following AP courses:
environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, and advanced placement or dual-credit
anatomy and physiology. In addition, seniors are required to participate in a year-long research
project.
Collaboration with the other academies in the high school help staff leverage resources–for
example, the electrical engineering class that Innovation Academy students take is offered
through the career and technology trades academy. Ms. Dellinger noted that coordinating
schedules and working with teachers outside the Innovation Academy does present some
challenges, but “We find innovative and creative ways to use resources within the school to give
the students what they need.”
Academy students earn between 12 and 30 college credits before graduating from high school—
more, on average, than students enrolled in other advanced placement or gifted and talented
programs in the Corpus Christi Independent School District earn.
Academic skills development and college preparedness:
Faculty and staff at the Innovation Academy work together to challenge students with rigorous
coursework that will prepare them for college. Going to college—and succeeding there—is
expected of all Academy students, and staff constantly emphasize this message.
Currently, the Innovation Academy uses two resources specifically to help prepare students for
college and develop the skills they will need in the workplace.
All 9th graders enroll in AVID, www.avidonline.org/, which emphasizes skills such as note
taking, studying effectively, reading for content, and managing time that students need to survive
in high school and beyond.
Beginning in Fall 2009, the Academy will also launch the Bridges Program, which provides a
comprehensive system for students to develop academic and technological skills online.
Who is the Innovation Academy?
Students:
The Innovation Academy student body is 90% Hispanic, 9% white, and about 1% African
American—a demographic profile that mirrors that of the larger Corpus Christi community. So
far, more girls than boys have enrolled at the Academy; 55% of the students are girls, and 45%
are boys.
Tina Delllinger reported that 56% of entering 9th graders meet the state’s definition of at-risk
students, and at least 2% of the students qualify as having limited proficiency in English. Further,
almost 85% of the students come from families in which neither parent attended college; these
students will be first-generation college students. Ms. Dellinger commented that many of these
students have an enthusiasm and talent for science and math, but do not have the confidence they
need to persevere without support from mentor teachers and programs like AVID.
Teachers:
When we visited in January 2009, the middle and high school together had 19 STEM teachers,
including those with an engineering focus. Nine additional teachers are expected to join the
faculty for the 2009–2010 school year.