STEM INITIATIVE ANNUAL UPDATE
Superintendent Luncheon
March 22, 2013
Aurora University Mathematics
and Science Education Center
COMPONENTS
• STEM in Schools: After School and Summer
Programs for K-12 Students
• STEM Teacher Training and Professional
Development Programs
• John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School
Aurora University Mathematics
and Science Education Center
AREAS OF PROGRESS
• Grant Opportunities and Fundraising
• Partnership Health and Expansion
• Refine Vision and Establish a Structure
• Increase Capacity and Improve Curriculum
Grants Awarded
Elementary Mathematics and Science
$1,022,489
Middle/High School Mathematics
$1,001,247
Middle/High School Life Science
$1,026,771
WIP1 Physical Science
$370,418
WIP1 Mathematics
$370,076
WIP2 Elementary Mathematics
$394,323
WIP3 Engineering Now
$472,766
WIP4 Mathematical Modeling
$276,769
WIP5 Developing Models
$140,000
TOTAL
$5,074,859
Teachers Benefited By District
Aurora East 131
46
Aurora West 129
36
Carpentersville 300
5
Downers Grove 99
6
Elmhurst 205
2
Indian Prairie 204
16
Medinah 11
1
Oswego 308
21
Plano 88
38
St. Charles 303
1
West Chicago Elementary District 33
6
Woodstock 200
15
TOTAL
193
Expanding the Partnership
Three
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Graduate Packer Engineering
Programs Robert Crown Centers for Health Education
SciTech Hands On Museum
WIP1
Challenger Center
WIP2
DuPage Children’s Museum
WIP3
Waste Management, Inc.
Fox Valley Park District
WIP5
Hooke College for Applied Sciences
Building a Diverse Team
18 faculty from various disciplines have
contributed to advancing the AU STEM initiative
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Biology
Mathematics
Physical Sciences
Communication
English
College of Education
Building Capacity
Elementary Math & Science
Middle/High School Math
Middle/High School Science
Jane Davis
Saib Othman
Hans Beck
WIP1 Physical Science & Math Chetna Patel
WIP2 Elementary Mathematics Geoff Apel
WIP3 Engineering Now
Regina Rahn
Amazing Science Summer
Julie Adams, Dan Hipp
NSF-TUES and NSF-MSP
Michael Marvel, Deborah Stevens
WIP4 Mathematical Modeling
Sharon Miller, Ariel Ramirez, Matt
Kneller
WIP5 Developing Models
Jessica Heybach, Pamela Wicks
STEM After School Programs
Pat Butler, John Lloyd, Mimi Ojaghi
STEM in Schools
 After-School Programs
 Amazing Science Summer Program
STEM in Schools
• Two types of programs that directly
work with students
– After-school programs
– Amazing Science Summer Camp
• Program highlights:
– Involve teams of AU faculty, teachers,
and undergraduate students
– Directly work with students to improve
STEM interest and knowledge
– Implement both on the AU campus and
at Aurora schools
STEM After-School Programs
Program Title
STEM
Topic
School(s)
# Undergraduates
Involved
Approximate
# Students
Impacted
MyTime STEM AfterSchool Program
Energy
Jefferson MS
Simmons MS
4
45
CIS STEM After-School
Program
Health
Jefferson MS
Simmons MS
Waldo MS
3
50
3
25
STEM in the
Elementary School
Forensics Brooks ES
Amazing Science
Summer 2012
• Three-week summer sessions
– Session 1: Energy
– Session 2: Environment
• 88 middle school participants
– Session 1: 48 students, 10 schools
– Session 2: 40 students, 10 schools
• 2 faculty administrators and 6
undergraduate leaders
Evaluation of Amazing Science
100% of students demonstrated an
increase in content knowledge between
pre- and post-tests
100% of undergraduate student
leaders felt more comfortable
teaching science
100% of middle school students
would participate in the summer
camp again
What Students Said about
Amazing Science…
“The experiments were cool.”
“It’s a fun place where you learn
about higher levels of science.”
“You never have a day where you don’t
want to come back here.”
“Science rocks.”
STEM Teacher Training and Professional
Development
 IMSP Life Science Workshop Series
 IMSP Workshop Institute Programs
 Graduate Programs in STEM Education
IMSP Life Science Workshop Series
Professional development for teachers and administrators
– Symposium: Understanding
the Next Generation Science
Standards (September 4,
2012)
– Workshop 1: Understanding
and Implementing the Next
Generation Science Standards
(January 25, 2013)
– Workshop 2: Integrating the
NGSS and CCSS-ELA (April
23, 2013)
Evaluation of Workshop 1
93%
Exit Survey Question
Understand workshop purpose
Aware of difference between current
and proposed standards
86%
Have sense of how curriculum
needs to change with NGSS
79%
84%
Have better understanding of NGSS
Increased ability to incorporate
NGSS into teaching
0
1
3
2
Average Score (1-5 scale)
69%
4
5
Percent of
participants that
“Agree” or
“Strongly Agree”
IMSP Program Defining Highlights
• Graduate credit after
completion of the program
(6 credits)
WIP5
• Collaborative curriculum
design team
• Continued corporate,
WIP4
academic, and community
support
• Integrated approach to
implementing new math and
science standards
WIP3
Developing Models
MS-HS Science
DuPage Children’s Museum – Hooke
College – Robert Crown Centers for
Health Education - Waste Management
Mathematical Modeling
MS-HS Math
DuPage Children’s Museum – IMSA –
Robert Crown Centers for Health
Education – Waste Management
Engineering Now
Elementary
DuPage Children’s Museum – Fox Valley
Park District– Robert Crown Centers for
Health Education – Waste Management
Impact of WIP3
Student Success
(p < 0.001 for all years)
ISAT Scores
Teacher Success
• Physical Sciences DTAMS (Pre – 10.5, Post – 15.9)
• Life Sciences DTAMS (Pre – 17.2, Post – 20.9)
• SEC - Teachers spent more time
conducting investigations and
300
2011 2012
helping students learn actively,
250
with less time spent on rote
200
memorization.
150
100
50
0
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 7
Impact of WIP4
100%
Exit Survey Question
Diversity of partnership
Collaboration with STEM partners
84%
Strength of IMSP leadership
91%
Collaboration with other educators
84%
88%
Use of STEM technologies
Improved content knowledge
0%
73%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Percentage reporting satisfied or very satisfied
100%
Workshop Institute Program
(WIP5)
Developing Models and Carrying Out
Investigations in STEM
• June 10 – June 28, 2013
• Learn and implement science and
engineering practices of the NGSS into
science classrooms
Use of STEM technologies
• Earn 6 graduate credits toward a masters
Improved content knowledge
degree in STEM
education at Aurora
University
Graduate Programs in STEM
Education
• Online Master of Arts in Mathematics and Science
Education for Elementary Teachers
• Online Master of Arts in Mathematics Education
• Online MastersCollaboration
of Arts inwith
Science
Education
other educators
• Curriculum has been aligned to national
Use of STEM technologies
standards
• Program requirements have been updated based
on feedback from participants and partners
John C. Dunham STEM
Partnership School
Caterpillar Curriculum Design
Team
• Industrial, Community, and Education Partners
• Two Courses for Graduate Credit
STEM Curriculum Development
Through Manufacturing
Student and Teacher Outcomes
• Interpersonal Attributes
• Career Awareness
• Understanding the Design Process
• Industry Experiences and Activities
Evaluation
• Nationally-Normed Content Tests
• Course Assessments
• RTOPS Classroom Evaluations
• Surveys/Focus Groups
• Participant Reflections
Multi-Generational STEM Labs
Align lab specifications and equipment to:
• Science and math core standards
• Activities suitable for 3-8 grade students
• Undergraduate and graduate mathematics and
science courses
Curriculum Alignment and Lab
Specifications – Example
Lab Technical
Specifications
AU
Courses
Grades 3-8 NGSS
and CCSS
Grades 3-8
Activities
•STEM for
Equipment
Educators

Oscilloscopes

Circular motion
•Physics
equipment
Room requirements

Storage space for
force plates, motion
detectors
Mathematics
Standards
I. Mathematical
Practices1,2,3,
4,5,6,7,8
II. Mathematical
Clusters
Grades 3-5
Demonstrations
Conduct
experiments