Meeting Minutes December 9, 2009
“Innovation Nation – STEM Education”
President Lori Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Ms. Stevens discussed the delegates’
responsibilities to keep their schools informed of LEAP presentations by getting minutes or information
onto school websites and into school newsletters. She noted that December is the start of budget
discussions and LEAP has been invited and will attend a Community Budget Workshop on January 30,
2010. If you have any budget issues you believe LEAP should raise, please email Lori Stevens.
Ms. Stevens then requested officer reports.
VP Communications Karen Cholakis thanked everyone for being at the meeting and did not have
anything to report.
VPs Programs Susan Boyd and Aundrea Foster thanked the delegates for coming to the meeting and
thanked the panelists on an upcoming volunteer training series every Wednesday from January 20February 24th from 3-7 pm. Flyer has been posted on the LEAP website. Also, high school students
volunteer forms are due May 1st so if you have a high school student, please remind him/her.
Secretary Kristen Thatcher stated that last month’s minutes and handouts are posted on the LEAP
website.
Treasurer Ed Myers reported the LEAP account balance is $358.57 and approximately 30% of
schools have remitted annual dues. Additionally, about 40% of the delegates have attended at least one
of the meetings.
Ms. Stevens introduced the speakers for the program:
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Odette Scovel, Science Supervisor, K-12, Loudoun County Public Schools
Shirley L. Bazdar, Director of Career and Technical, Adult and Alternative Education,
Loudoun County Public Schools
Viewing of Video Clip: The National Math and Science Initiative Video
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Odette Scovel, Science Supervisor, K-12, Loudoun County Public Schools
Ms. Scovel explained that STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She
first gave what she referenced as “the bad news”. Of the aforementioned fields, 26% of the
professionals in those fields are age 50 or older. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) reported
that the US ranks 20th of 24 year olds entering these fields. Too few students are considering STEM
fields for careers. However, LCPS is working hard to create integrative programs that take these fields
that are traditionally taught independently and creating a curriculum that integrates these fields, much
like how these fields collaborate professionally to help and encourage students to be prepared to enter
these fields.
Some of the programs LCPS offers to students are STEM Camps (4th and 5th Grade students are invited
to spend a week at camp focused on learning and applying STEM), the GO Girls Institute ( a camp for
high school girls to learn and have hands on lab experience with cutting edge technologies and
sciences), GWU Science, Technology and Engineering Day, Geospatial Technology, Regional Science
and Engineering Fair, Academy of Science, Science Research Institute and HHMI – Middle School
Core Experience Initiative. Much of the funding for these programs is funded from grants from
Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
To help teachers keep current with the latest in their respective fields, LCPS offers teacher to attend the
Genomics Institute, the VA Tech STEM Education Certificate or Master’s Program and has assembled
a Teachers in Industry-Education Workforce Committee to help educators understand current industry
experiences by interning with an company in these fields so they can relay those experiences to their
students. To learn more about these programs, a parent is encouraged to contact the Science
Department or review the LCPS’ website.
Shirley L. Bazdar, Director of Career and Technical & Adult Education, Loudoun County Public
Schools
Ms. Bazdar discussed the STEM Program at Monroe Technology Center and the Loudoun Governor’s
Career and Technical Academy. To apply, a student must be chosen from a competitive application
process. The STEM program offers integrative classes that, for some classes, a student may receive
college credits. The program helps the student identify a career and technical education cluster which
the student then can choose courses to advance towards a career goal. There are 16 clusters some of
which are: Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Architecture and Construction; Finance;
Information Technology; Health Science; Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security; Marketing;
and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.
The clusters help students identify a potential career interest. Classes train students technically in the
career path as well as develop their knowledge and work skills such as communications; problem
solving and critical thinking; information technology applications; ethics and legal responsibilities.
The result makes Loudoun County students highly competitive for jobs in the technical fields and
prepares them for all aspects of those careers.
Viewing of The National Math and Science Initiative Video
The National Math and Science Initiative, as reported on their website,
Was formed to address one of this nation’s greatest economic and
intellectual threats - the declining number of students who are prepared
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to take rigorous college courses in math and science and equipped for
careers in those fields. To flourish in the 21st century, the United States
must continue to generate intellectual capital that can drive the economic
engine of our future prosperity. This crucial project was initiated as a
public-private partnership, led by private donors such as Exxon Mobil
Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael
and Susan Dell Foundation.
(http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/index.php/about-nmsi/about-nmsi.html)
The organization created a video which highlights the need for the United States to focus its efforts to
improve the current and future math and science in the K-12 system and to raise the achievement of
American students from the first grade through college. The video can be found at:
http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/index.php/video-library/video-library.html
Question and Answer Session:
Q: How do I help my first grader who loves science continue to love science?
A: First, keep doing what you are doing. Stay very interested in her learning, keep encouraging her
curiosity. The place where we find children begin to lose interest is in the transitions between
elementary and middle school and middle school to high school. There is a 4th and 5th grade
enrichment program that you may have her attend, but during these years use every opportunity you
have (in the kitchen cooking, on walks, at a museum) to keep teach and keep her interested in
learning more.
Q: Fast forward eight years, they do not get accepted into Loudoun’s Academy of Science, how do
you keep her interested in science?
A: There are many programs in the schools that will nurture her continued interest and let her grow
and develop her skills. There are independent science research programs, GIS programs, and
advance placement classes - plenty of opportunity to have an enriched science and math experience
in all of the schools.
Q: How do we find out about the 4th and 5th grade camps?
A: Loudoun County Public School link – summer enrichment programs.
Q: Aren’t Honors programs the feeders for students down the road for these programs?
A: They can be but students in all classes can excel. Just because a student hasn’t attended an honors
program does not mean they can’t participate in programs like the GIS program or STEM or
independent research.
Q: STEM seems very focused on High School and Middle School. Our math curriculum is changing
but STEM is not making it to the elementary schools? The middle school curriculum seems
repetitive and boring?
A: It’s called spiraling – the lessons are adding on to their earlier learned skills. That is why we are
trying to build the transition stages in 4th and 5th grade to keep students interested.
Q: Our school does not have a science fair. Do we need a corporate sponsor?
A: No, the school can sponsor one. There is a new position for elementary resources on staff now who
could help with that endeavor.
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Q: I asked my kids if you could create a class or get rid of a class what would you do and they
answered get rid of math class. How can we change their perception of math?
A: Integrating STEM is very important to helping students better understand the importance and
interdependence math has to science, engineering and technology.
Q. It seems we are concentrating on the kids that are already ahead, what about the ones who are not?
A. We work to develop all of our teachers to make sure that all of our kids are getting trained. It’s not
just honors it’s every class.
LCPS Superintendent Dr. Hatrick:
Dr. Hatrick thanked the panel for all of their work making STEM a real part of the County’s
curriculum.
Budget Update:
Dr. Hatrick stated that the Board of Supervisor held one session and has a second session scheduled for
December 10th at 6:30 pm at the LCPS Administration Building to receive input from the public
regarding the budget. He explained at the first session, Chairman York presented the County’s budget
scenario with a shortfall of 156 million. The County cannot look to the State for help because they face
of shortfall of $3.4 million and the priority for Richmond is transportation. In addition, there was a
reduction in our federal funds received. So the BOS needs to hear from the public regarding their
views of the budget what to save and what to cut. Also, on January 5th, the School Board will present
their budget.
Q. If the School Board received the exact amount from the BOS from last year what would change?
A. We are adding three more school openings this year which is roughly $10 million to open; we are
increasing our student roll which is roughly $30 million and I am recommended a 2% raise for our
employees which are $14 million.
Q. Does a salary increase include benefits package.
A. Strictly a pay increase. Our employees have not received an increase in pay in two years, we are
now falling behind Counties who we compete to hire and keep the best teachers and staff.
Q. Is the WAB Guide on the website?
A. Yes, it’s on the LCPS website and compares Loudoun County to other counties.
Lori Stevens informed the audience that the next LEAP meeting will be Wednesday, January 13, 2010
at 7:30 pm - "How to Close the SOL Achievement Gap"
Learn about efforts within LCPS to close the SOL achievement gap identified by various diversity
measures. One such effort that will be highlighted is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
(SIOP) model that has been implemented at Sugarland Elementary School. Listen to our panel of
experts describe the effectiveness of SIOP program and how its unusual success at Sugarland can be
sustained and leveraged to benefit other schools.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.
Submitted by Kristen Thatcher
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