INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Due via e-mail on or before 4:00 p.m. December 1, 2015 to Rebecca Derenge
rderenge@k12.wv.us
Section 1 – Applicant Information:
Applicant(s):
School 1
County:
Superintendent
Principal(s)
Grant Contact
Name & Title
E-mail:
Telephone:
Applicant(s):
School 2
County:
Superintendent
Principal(s)
Grant Contact
Name & Title
E-mail:
Telephone:
West Virginia students have a greater interest in STEM jobs than most of their peers across the
nation. According to the ACT's The Condition of STEM 2014 report, West Virginia is one of the
top performers in the percent of high school graduates who took the ACT and are interested in
a future career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
"This is extremely encouraging news as we work to reach our One Voice, One Focus: All
Students Achieving Vision Plan goal of increasing graduation and attendance rates," said
Michael Martirano, West Virginia superintendent of schools. "The latest ACT STEM data tells us
that high school students are engaged in the STEM fields. This data not only helps the West
Virginia Board of Education and the department set the course for future STEM initiatives but
also links into the West Virginia job market and the West Virginia Council on STEM
recommendations."
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Name
LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS
Identify the school(s) or consortium’s leadership team.
(add additional lines as necessary)
Title
Signature
Please ensure you have all of the supporting documents required completed and attached to
the end of this application:
______ Record of Commitment from Staff, Parent, and LSIC
______ Local Educational Agency Report of Support or Concerns
______ Community Partner Records of Commitment
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
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ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Section 2 – Overview:
In his 2015, State of the State, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin reiterated the importance of West Virginia
following the recommendations made by the final report from the West Virginia Council on
STEM. The council's report highlighted the urgency for an increase in STEM education to meet
future workforce demands and recommended specific ways to best address this growing need.
ACT's The Condition of STEM 2014 report also looked at the percentage of test takers ready for
college level courses. The ACT college readiness benchmarks are scores used to indicate a
student has at least a 50 percent chance of getting a grade of B or higher in first-year college
courses.
According to the ACT report, the percentage of West Virginia students interested in STEM
meeting the ACT College Readiness Benchmark for English exceeded the nation. Seventy
percent of state students met the benchmark compared to 68 percent nationally. The percentage
of West Virginia students meeting the ACT College Readiness Benchmark for Reading was
equal to their national peers (48 percent). More students across the nation interested in STEM
met the ACT College Readiness Benchmark in Mathematics (50 percent) than did West Virginia
students (37 percent). The report found that more West Virginia males interested in STEM met
the ACT College Readiness Benchmark in Mathematics (45 percent) than did their female
classmates (30 percent). Nationwide, more students interested in STEM met the ACT College
Design Principles:
The STEM Innovation school is designed to help young people from broad and diverse
backgrounds use their minds well, take charge of their lives and learning and succeed in a
global age.
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Personal mastery of WV Next Generation Standards and 21st century skills (critical thinking
and problem solving creativity and innovation; communication and information; collaborations;
contextual learning; and information and media literacy).
Engage the power of science and mathematics as the international language of innovation and
engineering and technology as the language design.
Learn how to create, acquire, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, understand and communicate
knowledge and information in a global context.
Engage Partnerships to Accelerate Capacity and Broaden Opportunity
1. The STEM Innovation school is designed to build system capacity, spread innovation and
serve the greater common good.
2. Serve as a knowledge network for innovative and evidence-based teaching, learning and
leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
3. Deliver professional development and technical assistance in effective strategies and practices
for STEM Education.
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
4. Bring together middle school, high school and high education faculty and STEM oriented
businesses to align and enrich education, workforce and economic development strategies
and resources.
5. Develop higher education partnerships for mentoring and fostering a college aspiration and
success culture.
6. Develop partnerships with businesses to engage students in meaningful mentoring and
apprenticeship experiences.
Set a Positive Tone with High Expectations
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Set explicitly high expectations built from a personalized learning environment.
Innovative and flexible use of time. Long blocks of time in integrated courses and student allow
for deep inquiry and the development of strong student/teacher and peer-to-peer relationships.
Build a civic community in the school and ensure each student has an adult who serves as her
or his advocate.
Use service learning, problem-based learning, peer-to-peer learning and internships to feed
the imagination and to support self-directing learning.
Facilities are tailored for personal and small group learning including networking learning,
project rooms, inquiry studios and exhibition spaces.
The tone of the school should explicitly and consistently stress values of trust, fairness and
respect.
Parents, students and teachers should be key collaborators and vital members of the learning
community.
Make STEM Literacy Attainable and Desirable for ALL
The STEM Innovation school applies evidence-based approaches to a trans-disciplinary curriculum
using project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and authentic assessment of mastery. The
school is designed to bridge the gap between how we live and how we learn in the 21st century by
blending formal schooling with cooperative learning experiences involving postsecondary education,
work and informal education.
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Trans-disciplinary academic curriculum for all students (math, science, social studies,
language arts and a foreign language).
Make curriculum relevant and engaging through the practical, problem solving processes and
tools of engineering and technology.
Complete alignment between high school STEM instructional program and high education and
workforce standards.
All students are expected to succeed, therefore student learning styles and needs help shape
the pace of coursework and instruction.
All students again mastery before proceeding to the next level.
All students will attain early college credit through independent research, group projects,
Internships, coops and/or dual enrollment coursework.
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
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Prepare students to pass both standardized and performance based measures.
Full participation in co-curricula and enrichment activities that strengthen and enhance STEM
mastery.
Drive Scalable and Sustainable Innovations
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The STEM innovation school is designed and supported by a public and private partnership
involving K-12 schools, an institution of higher education and a private sector entity with
expertise in STEM fields. The school is designed to be meaningful, useful and catalytic.
Participating school districts and educational systems received tangible returns on investment
for their participation with the school. Districts benefit from the research and professional
development connected to the school; STEM teachers are trained and cycle back to
participating districts; and Innovations are shared
Participating higher education institutions, 2-year and well as 4-year, work with the school to
improve the quality and access to STEM related dual enrollment and early college credit
options. With the WEST Virginia STEM Innovation Labs and other critical partners, they also
design and deliver a shared research, professional development and technical assistance
agenda and infrastructure.
Participating businesses make real, tangible and sustainable commitments.
Public and private partnership creates a high accountability/high autonomy environment to
create and to take to scale evidence-based innovations in STEM in high school education
across the region and state.
Section 2 – STEM PROJECT DESIGN COMPONENTS:
1) Outreach – includes, but is not limited to:
 Engage younger students in career awareness and planning
 Engage community including parents, civic organizations, retail
businesses, service agencies, PTO, and workforce with information
regarding STEM
2) Co-curricular – includes, but is not limited to:
 Competitions such as Science Fairs, Math Field Day, Robotics
competitions, etc.
 Guest speakers to include experts in the field of Math, Science,
Engineering, Health, etc.
3) Extra-Curricular – includes, but is not limited to:
 Extended day and extended year activities and/or clubs that focus on the
math, science, computer and engineering components such as: LEGO,
Robotics, MineField, SimCity, etc.
4) Partnerships – includes, but is not limited to:
 Partnerships with local businesses and industry to explore
entrepreneurships possibilities along with possible internships and
experiential learning opportunities
 Both face-to-face and online partnerships
 Higher Education partnerships to explore option to incorporate college
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
credits into the STEM project
 Business experts share life experiences in related fields as careers
5) Technology – includes, but is not limited to:
 On-line tools and applications
6) Innovative Use of Time and Classes– includes but is not limited to:
 Saturday programs
 Flexible scheduling
 Extended periods
 Embedded credits
Section 3 – STEM PROJECT NARRATIVE:
Provide not more than three (3) page only project summary that briefly describes the school’s
vision, goals, activities (from selection listed above), and key features for student success in STEM
that will be addressed and how the project will be sustained over time.
Section 4 - Waiver Requests:
Requires that no exception be granted to assessment programs administered by the West Virginia
Department of Education (WVDE), provisions of NCLB or other federal law, nor exception from WV
Code §§ 18A-2-7, 18A-4-7a, 18A-4-7b, 18A-4-8, 18A-5-8b. However, exceptions may include a
proposal to require that a candidate for a teaching vacancy in an innovation school possess
qualifications over and above those stipulated in statute if approved in a county-wide school staff
election process.
Indicate the specific type(s) of policy or code that prohibit or constrain the design that you
wish to request a waiver from:
____ Specific waiver requested of county policy
____ Specific waiver requested of WVBOE policy
____ Specific waiver requested of WV code/statute
WV Code Waiver Request
(Specify section and article)
Impact of the waiver
What will the waiver enable the
school to do differently?
WVBOE Policy Waiver Request
(specify section and article)
Impact of the waiver.
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
What will the waiver enable the
school to do differently?
County Policy Waiver Request
(specify section and article)
Impact of the waiver.
What will the waiver enable the
school to do differently?
Section 5 - Goals, Objectives, Evaluation, Timeline:
Goal:
Objectives
Identify the
measureable
objectives that
will be used to
determine
success in
achieving these
goals
(Must be specific,
measurable,
attainable,
relevant, and
timely goals
SMART)
Activities
Personnel
Develop
Indicate the
activities for
name and title of
each objective
personnel that
that are: Creative
will be
and innovative;
responsible for
Impact student
the activities.
success; Allow
for greater
flexibility;
change the way
the
school(s)/district
currently operate
Timeline
Budget
Identify the
timeline for the
activities
(include
month/year)
Indicate budget
requirements
(include
formulas used to
derive totals in
budget sections
e.g. 3 subs
@$143/day=total)
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
The allocation for the Innovative STEM Application is $266,144. These funds will be awarded in one
competitive grant process and applicants must prepare proposals and accompanying budgets for one (1) year
to be considered the foundational year. The budget should support the activities described in the above
application goals and activities. Major item requests must be supported with activities within in the
application. The budget range for each proposal is $75,000 to $80,000 for the first year 2016-2017 due on
December 1, 2015. Successful candidates who implement the first year as outlined in this application will be
eligible to submit an application for continuance for the 2017-2018 school year and a possible third year based
on successful completion and implementation of the first two years. (Funding for these grants are subject to
legislative appropriations.)
FY January 1, 2016 - January 1, 2017
Expenditure
Amount
Requested
In-Kind (Optional)
Total
Professional Salaries
Fringe Benefits
Equipment
Supplies
Professional
Development
Travel
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Contracts/Consultants
Other
Total
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
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ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Appendix A - COMMITMENTS
Record of Commitment
Use this form to report the staff commitment regarding the innovation application and plan. A
copy must be forwarded to the Innovation Zone Committee with the application and the plan.
School: ___________________________________________________________________
Department (if applicable): _____________________________________________________
Notice of Meeting (Date provided to faculty or department/subdivision): ______________________
Meeting Date: ______________________________________________________________
Faculty Senate Elected Officers:
President: (Name) ___________________________Signature: ____________________________
Vice-President: (Name)______________________ Signature: ____________________________
Secretary: (Name) ___________________________Signature: ____________________________
Treasurer: (Name) ___________________________Signature: ____________________________
Other: (Name) ______________________________Signature: ____________________________
Service Personnel Representative:
Name: ______________________Position:________________Signature:____________________
Parent Representatives:
Name:__________________________ Signature:________________________________________
Name: __________________________Signature: _____________________
_
LSIC Representatives:
Name:__________________________Signature:______________________________________ _
Name:__________________________Signature:________________________________________
Name:__________________________Signature:______________________________________ _
We certify that 80 percent of the faculty affected by the application/plan has voted to support
the application/plan. (This Report Certification is not required of institutions of higher education in
their application or plan).
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Local Educational Agency Report of Support or Concerns
Use this form to report the county board or boards and superintendent’s support or concerns, or both,
about the innovation to the principal and faculty senate. A copy must be forwarded to the Innovation
Zone Committee.
School: ___________________________________________________________________
Department (if applicable): _____________________________________________________
Date of School/Department/Subdivision Receipt of Application: ____________________________
Date of Regularly Scheduled County Board of Education Meeting: ___________________________
County Board of Education Elected Officers:
President: (Name) ________________________Signature: ___________________________
Vice-President: (Name) __________________ Signature: ___________________________
Members
Name: _____________________________
Signature: ___________________________
Name: _____________________________
Signature: ___________________________
Name: _____________________________
Signature: ___________________________
Support:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Concerns:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
__________
(Report of the Local Education Agency must be forwarded to school/department/subdivision for
submission to West Virginia Board of Education with the application/plan).
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
(This Report Certification is not required of institutions of higher education in their application or plan).
Community/Business Partner Support
Use this form to document community organization/agency support
and partnership for the innovation dropout plan/project.
Use a separate form for each community partner.
.
School/Schools/District: ______________________________________________________
District: _________________________________________________________________
Date(s) of School/District/Community Partner Dialogues: _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Name of Community Organization/Agency: __________________________________________
Contact Person:
___________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person email address:
_______________________________________________________________
Contact Person phone number:
_______________________________________________________________
Contact Person address:
____________________________________________________________________
Explain the community organization/agency’s commitment to the Plan/Project:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
List the resources and contributions (not monetary) that the organization/agency is making to this
Plan/Project:
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Agency Representative (Name) ________________Signature: ____________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
Innovation Zone Requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
*Approval by 80 percent of faculty (those affected by innovation proposal)
**Record of Support from Parents, LSIC, Business Partners, Students
Record of School/LEA/County Board Report (Support and Concerns) on application
Record of Support from Community/Business Partners
IMPORTANT NOTES:
*To determine staff support, the innovation application and plan must be submitted to all employees
affected by the design of the plan for a secret ballot vote at special meetings called to determine
the level of commitment.
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The meeting is called with two weeks prior special notice, and the vote is conducted and certified
to the principal, superintendent, and county board president by a panel.
The panel must provide an absentee ballot to each employee eligible to vote who cannot attend
the meeting.
The panel consists of the elected officers of the faculty senate of the school or schools;
one representative of the service personnel of the school; and three parent members
appointed by the Local School Improvement Council (LSIC).
At least 80 percent of the employees who are eligible to vote must approve the school’s
Innovation Zone plan.
Any regular employee at a school applying for or designated as an Innovation Zone whose job
duties may be affected by implementation of the Innovation Zone plan or proposed plan may
request a transfer to another school in the school district. The county board shall make every
reasonable effort to accommodate the transfer.
**Please make sure your application is submitted to your local board in time to receive their signature
and supports/concern before the application due date.
Application is due on or before 4:00 p.m. on December 1, 2015 to
Rebecca Derenge via e-mail at rderenge@k12.wv.us
Innovation Zone Grants are subject to funding
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
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ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
APPENDIX B - RESOURCES
STEM Resources - ACT has connected with state STEM councils across the country to identify
valuable STEM-related resources. These are the top resources suggested by STEM experts.
The Condition of STEM 2014/West Virginia can be found at:
http://www.act.org/stemcondition/14/pdf/WestVirginia.pdf
STEM Premier®
STEM Premier is a virtual platform that connects STEM students with higher education and
the workforce. Students can showcase their skills, get ranked and rated, receive guidance,
and find STEM scholarships while colleges, technical schools, and corporations can identify,
track, and recruit STEM Premier talent.
STEMconnector®
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
STEMconnector is the “one-stop shop” for STEM information. With several products and services,
STEMconnector supports its members in the design, implementation, and measurement of their STEM
strategies. Since its launch in 2011, STEMconnector has been the leader in leveraging a network of
STEM stakeholders to “make things happen.” STEMconnector’s charge is to identify, inform, and
connect entities working in STEM education/careers to assess smart STEM investments and results
USA Science and Engineering Festival
The USA Science and Engineering Festival attracts thousands of K–12 students, parents, teachers,
and STEM professionals in the largest national celebration of STEM. The fourth annual conference
will be held April 15–17, 2016, in Washington, DC.
National Science Teachers Association
The National Science Teachers Association, founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Va., is
the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science
teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership of 55,000 includes science teachers, science
supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in
and committed to science education.
Learning Blade®
From the creators of ACT KeyTrain®, Learning Blade is an interactive, online system designed to foster
interest in high-demand STEM careers among middle and early high school students. Its unique
methodology includes game-based “missions,” using Common Core–indexed math and English
problems that educate students on STEM careers and technologies in a system validated by BattelleEd.
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INNOVATION ZONE APPLICATION FOR WEST VIRGINIA STEM
(SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, HEALTH SCIENCE,
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY)
USNews.com
USNews.com has comprehensive coverage on STEM trends in education and careers. Its
national leadership conference, US News STEM Solutions, is where employers and educators
meet to effect change, take action, and make an impact. The 2015 US News STEM Solutions
National Leadership Conference is set for June 29–July 1, 2015, in San Diego, California.
West Virginia STEM resources at LEARN21:
Lessons and activities - Pre-K through 12:
http://wvde.state.wv.us/learn21/1/2/stem/
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