case study: pine river-backus school
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CASE STUDY:
PINE RIVER-BACKUS SCHOOL
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 1
About The Case Study
This case study is one of a series of case studies produced
for The STEM Schools Project. The purpose of the STEM
Schools Project is to document promising practices in
high schools and middle schools that are providing
students a STEM-rich experience, drawing upon a high
quality implementation of Project Lead The Way's
Pathway To Engineering and/or Biomedical Sciences
programs.
The Meeder Consulting Group conducted the site visits,
wrote the case studies and final report, and is managing
all aspects of The STEM Schools Project. The project is
funded through generous support from the Kern Family
Foundation based in Waukesha, Wisconsin
(www.kffdn.org).
From information collected during each of the nine site
visits, the authors prepared detailed, reader-friendly
reports describing the schools’ accomplishments,
approach to STEM learning, and school improvement
strategies. The case studies organize material into three
overarching themes related to how schools use PLTW to
spur STEM-related learning emerged:
� Create an Exceptional PLTW Implementation,
� Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and
� Implement Related School Improvement
Strategies.
In addition to the case studies, a Final Report will be
released that synthesizes key findings from all the case
studies and places them in the larger context of STEM
education reform. For more information about the STEM
Schools Project, visit www.meederconsulting.com.
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 2
Part i. introduction and overview
Summary
Pine River-Backus is a small, rural school in the northern Minnesota lakes and
forest region that demonstrates an intensive offering of engineering technology
opportunities for students and also has adopted an innovative blended curriculum
that satisfies state science requirements with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) course
content. The school delivers a comprehensive engineering and technology
experience to all students in grades six, seven, and eight by making the PLTW
Gateway to Technology (GTT) program required coursework. All students in grade
nine participate in a robotics experience. Furthermore, the state’s ninth grade earth
science requirements are fully satisfied by the integration of chemistry instruction
and content from PLTW’s Principles of Engineering (POE) course.
Profile of Pine River-Backus School
Pine River-Backus School is located in Pine River, Minnesota, in the heart of
northern Minnesota’s lakes and forest region. The school serves elementary,
middle, and high school students in one facility and enrolls approximately 950
students. There are fluctuations in the size of the senior class and attrition from
one year to the next. The 2011–2012 class is on track to graduate 58 students. In
the past, there have been classes of 70 seniors.
The combined Pine River-Backus district covers 550 square miles, and most
students live in relatively close proximity to the school. There are 7,171 residents
within the district. The school population is predominately white. The school
serves a large number of students who are economically disadvantaged, with
about 70 percent of students receiving Free and Reduced Lunch. Approximately 18
percent of students receive special education services.
Established in the early 20th century, the Pine River School District and Backus
School District consolidated to form the Pine River-Backus School District in 1991.
The district has 170 employees, including one superintendent, one high school
principal, one elementary school principal, one Area Learning Center director, and
73 teachers. Other staff members include paraprofessionals and transportation,
clerical, food service, custodial maintenance, and business office personnel.
Synopsis of Project Lead the Way Implementation
As with many school-based reforms, the beginnings of the initiative to implement
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) were somewhat organic. In 2005, Pine River-Backus’s
counselor, Ms. Mary Ruth Sigan, attended an annual state counselor convention at
which she learned about the PLTW Pathway To Engineering (PTE) program. She
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invited the conference speaker to present at Pine River-Backus (PRB) about the
PLTW opportunity. Ms. Sigan found out that a science teacher at the school had
also learned about PLTW some time before (perhaps as long as a year before) but
had not approached the school leadership team about the curriculum, although he
thought positively about the effort. That staff member is no longer at PRB, but the
school counselor speculated that he might have thought the expense of the
program was too much for the school to undertake and therefore did not pursue
the program further.
A working group was formed that included Ms. Sigan, Superintendent Cathy
Bettino, former Principal Kristil McDonald, and two relatively new technology
teachers, Duane Anderson and Steve Bergerson. The school’s technology director
was also involved, and his involvement was critical because the program required
a significant investment in new and more computing technology. Mr. Anderson
explains, “The initial discussion happened 2–3 years before we actually did
anything.”
In the fall of 2006, several members of the working group visited Clearbrook-
Gonvick School in Clearbrook, Minnesota, to learn more about its implementation
of PLTW, which had begun two years earlier. The PRB team met with Clearbrook-
Gonvick’s superintendent, Diane Lacy, who shared the school’s implementation
lessons with the team.
At about the same time, the PRB team learned about the opportunity to secure
funding for PLTW implementation from the Kern Family Foundation. The team
began working on an application and received advice from the state’s PLTW
coordinator, Jim Mecklenberg, who is based at Minnesota State University,
Mankato.
According to Superintendent Cathy Bettino, the Pine River-Backus school board
was initially resistant to the idea of implementing PLTW because board members
believed the program would be expensive and might not attract much student
involvement. Bettino said, “The STEM initiatives were fairly new at the time and
the board was reluctant to take too much risk for limited payoff.” Bettino and the
school principal presented the concept several times to the school board and
outlined the program and the opportunity for start-up funding from the Kern
Family Foundation. Once the external funding was available and a cadre of
teachers expressed commitment to the effort, the school board approved the
venture. The school applied for and received approval for the funding in early 2007;
PRB sent its first teachers to PLTW training in the summer of 2007.
In the summer of 2007, Steve Bergerson went for training on PLTW’s middle
school program, Gateway to Technology (GTT), at Milwaukee School of
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Engineering, and Duane Anderson went for GTT training at St. Cloud State
University. GTT was first implemented in 2007. As of the 2011–2012 school year,
students complete four GTT modules, one at each grade level (in the sixth through
ninth grades):
• Sixth grade: Design and Modeling;
• Seventh grade: Magic of Electrons;
• Eighth grade: Science and Technology; and
• Ninth grade: Automation and Robotics.
In the summer of 2008, Duane Anderson was trained in Introduction to
Engineering Design (IED). Dick Larsen and another instructor were trained to
deliver Principles of Engineering (POE). The IED and POE courses were first
delivered in the fall of 2008. Anderson received training for Computer Integrated
Manufacturing (CIM) in summer of 2010 and began offering the course in the fall
of 2010.
In 2008, after one year of implementing POE in its typical fashion, PRB developed
an innovative approach that integrates POE with Minnesota’s standards for ninth
grade earth science. Now, all freshman students meet the state earth science
requirements by taking POE, which is supplemented by additional content in
chemistry.
The table below provides enrollment information for the high school PLTW PTE
courses offered at PRB. (Enrollment information for the GTT modules is not shown
because all middle school students participate.)
Project Lead the Way Enrollment
PLTW Courses Offered Number of Students Enrolled
2011-2012
Introduction to Engineering Design 8
Principles of Engineering* 70
Digital Electronics 7
Computer Integrated Manufacturing** N/A
*All ninth graders enroll in this course.
**This course is offered every other year.
Source: Pine River – Backus School, November 2011.
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The STEM Continuum Model The working theory of the STEM Schools Project is that there is a natural
continuum of integration and connection of STEM education occurring in schools
that use Project Lead the Way’s GTT (middle schools) or PTE and/or Biomedical
Sciences (BMS) programs (high schools). In some schools, PTE and BMS are
offered as sequences of courses that offer an excellent learning experience to
students, but the courses stand alone and do not connect to other courses that fall
under the STEM umbrella. In some schools, teachers—on a case-by-case basis and
through individual initiative—inculcate some of the project-based and inquiry-
based approaches of PLTW courses into the math and science courses that they
teach. Alternatively, they may informally collaborate with colleagues in other
content areas to create a smattering of integrated or linked curriculum units.
Further along the continuum are schools that are actively and intentionally
creating integrated and connected learning between STEM courses, and in some
cases with other courses such as English Language Arts and the Social Sciences.
In these schools, teachers are actively and consistently collaborating with the
support of administrative team members.
The STEM continuum includes the following groupings of strategies:
• create an exceptional pltw implementation,
• Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and
• Implement Related School Improvement Strategies.
The remainder of this case study is organized around these groupings, although
not every strategy in the continuum will be observed in every case study. If the
strategy was not observed during the site visit or subsequent interviews, this fact
is noted but should not be construed to reflect negatively on the school that is
profiled.
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Part ii. Strategies
1. create an exceptional pltw
implementation 1.1 Building Readiness and Support for PLTW Implementation
The PRB leadership team originally envisioned and hoped that offering PLTW
would inspire more students to take an interest in career studies related to the
STEM disciplines. According to district leadership team members, the goals
related to PLTW were fairly general. They hoped that an increased interest in
STEM opportunities would demonstrate the relevance of math and science classes
and hopefully result in increased student achievement in these content areas.
In addition to these academic achievement goals, the leadership team also viewed
PLTW as an opportunity to help students improve their quality of life in the long
term. There was a specific linkage in the original application to the intent to help
break generational poverty. The application stated, “We are also desperate to
break the cycle of poverty and provide our students with the skills they need to
succeed in the high tech and globally competitive world. Motivation will be key in
empowering students to higher educational opportunities. Project Lead the Way
stresses motivation, relevancy and possibilities.”
The application for funding envisioned PLTW being relevant not only for students
who pursue traditional STEM careers, but also for students who pursue careers in
trades like construction, welding, and heavy machinery.
For the small rural school, the Kern Family Foundation’s funding was indispensible.
The start-up expense was significant, entailing the purchase of dozens of new,
high-capacity computers as well as the annual purchase of Autodesk Inventor
software licenses.
The original proposal included a three-year implementation plan in which GTT
would be introduced to all seventh and eighth grade students at the start of the
2007–2008 school year and expanded to all seventh, eighth, and ninth grade
students by the 2008–2009 school year. Furthermore, that same year, students in
grades 10–12 were given the option of taking Principles of Engineering and/or
Digital Electronics.
1.2 Select and Support a Strong PLTW Instructional Team
Currently, a total of five teachers deliver PLTW at Pine River-Backus. There is one
middle school math teacher who provides the Gateway to Technology experience
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to fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Two teachers (one math and one
science) deliver the Principles of Engineering/Earth Science course to ninth graders.
One technology education teacher provides the Gateway to Technology
Automation and Robotics unit to all ninth grade students. That technology
education teacher also provides Computer Integrated Manufacturing every other
year, sharing equipment with another school district. A math teacher provides
Digital Electronics.
Because PRB is a small school with a small number of teachers, there are only a
few PRB teachers properly licensed and eligible to teach PLTW. But importantly,
according to Superintendent Bettino, all of the PLTW teachers “participated
willingly and I would say eagerly.”
1.3 Set Goals for Program Enrollment
One of the requirements of the funding tied to the Kern Family Foundation grant
that Pine River received was that it would implement the PLTW middle school
program—Gateway to Technology (GTT)—in addition to four elective PLTW
Pathway To Engineering (PTE) courses at the high school level.
During the original site visits to other schools in Minnesota that were
implementing PLTW, the PRB teachers formed the firm opinion that “we’re not
going to do the high school program without also doing the GTT program.” These
teachers had observed some high school instruction (not at Clearbrook-Gonvick,
they emphasized) that they believed was at too low of a level to be useful to
students; thus, the middle school preparation was essential to pave the way for
more rigorous high school instruction.
PRB leaders made the decision not only to offer the GTT program in the middle
school but also to also make it part of the required program for every PRB middle
school student, with segments of the program offered in sixth, seventh, and eighth
grades. In PRB, ninth grade is also considered a middle grade, so the Automation
and Robotics module is offered to all ninth grade students as part of a nine-week
unit.
Although the GTT modules are organized into 12-week modules, PRB staff
modified the modules to be offered in nine-week segments, which fit their delivery
model more readily.
Instructor Duane Anderson suggests that offering the middle school component
for all students was the right decision. Incoming high school students “have the
training when they get to POE; they were definitely better prepared because of the
sixth, seventh, and eighth experience.”
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Students echoed the value of the middle school GTT program. When asked what
they like about PLTW, seventh and eighth grade students noted the “creativity in
the program, the fun, the tools, the lack of worksheets, and the increased hands-on
activities.” Another student suggested that “you learn more about math,
measuring, and problem solving. You learn from your mistakes; if you get it wrong
you keep working until you get it right.”
By definition, the ninth grade POE/Earth Science course and the Automation and
Robotics unit also reaches all students in the school.
However, one of the biggest challenges in PLTW implementation is the very low
participation in the other PLTW courses after ninth grade, including Introduction to
Engineering and Design, Digital Electronics, and Computer Integrated
Manufacturing. Possible explanations for this drop-off in enrollment are discussed
in a later section.
1.4 Reach Out to Prospective PLTW Students
PRB does not implement a specific strategy to reach out to prospective PLTW
students because all middle school students are already enrolled in GTT programs
and all ninth grade students participate in POE to fulfill their ninth grade science
requirement.
One issue of concern to the PRB leaders and teachers is the serious drop-off in
participation in the upper-level PLTW high school electives, however. On average,
only seven to 10 students enroll per class.
The faculty members are considering several possible explanations for this drop-
off in enrollment. One possible reason discussed was that students were “burned
out” on engineering by the time they finished ninth grade. But in a small interview
format, current ninth grade students expressed a strong interest and preference
for the PLTW format and affirmed they would like to continue taking PLTW classes.
Another factor discussed was that a six-period day with four mandatory courses in
grades 10 and 11 limits the number of electives students can take. In terms of
graduation requirements, students are currently required to take three math and
three science classes to earn a diploma, and new policy requires that the math
include Algebra II and that the science sequence include either chemistry or
physics.
For ninth grade students, there are four core classes (English, Math, Science, and
Social Studies), the trimester courses of Robotics, Health, Physical Education, and
an elective class. For 10th grade students, there are just two periods available for
electives. Many students want to participate in band or chorus, and if the student
is planning to attend a four-year college, he or she is encouraged to take at least
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two years of a foreign language. Also, students who are seeking college admission
are also encouraged to take both chemistry and physics. This combination of
scheduling squeezes may be the most significant barrier to increasing the
enrollment in upper-level PLTW electives.
In one interview, one upper-level student acknowledged that her tight schedule
made it difficult to participate in PLTW courses, but she viewed her participation in
the after-school Robotics Club as a valuable alternative to the PLTW course.
1.5 Reach Out to Local Businesses to Gain and Sustain Support
At PRB, business advisory council meetings have been the responsibility of the
school principal rather than the PLTW teachers. As a result, and because of recent
leadership transitions, PRB’s business engagement efforts were in flux during the
2010 and 2011 school years. During 2010, Principal McDonald was preparing to
leave and no meetings of the business partners were held. Further, at the time of
the site visit in November 2011, the new principal, Mr. Trent Langemo, had not yet
held any meetings with the PLTW business partners.
Even in a rural town, there are companies that utilize engineering and
manufacturing, and some of these companies have been engaged as business
partners with PRB. One of the most active local companies is Hunt Technologies, a
firm working on environmental sustainability. Ryan Hunt, the son of the firm’s
founder, is a committed member of the school’s PLTW Partnership Committee.
Other companies that have been involved include Pequot Tool and Manufacturing,
Inc., Trussworthy Components, Inc. (a manufacturer of highly automated wood
truss), and Precision Milling (a firm specializing in water jet milling).
The most consistent role for business partners appears to be with the school’s
Robotics Club, an after-school program in which students participate in the
national FIRST Robotics Competition. Business partners serve as mentors to
students during this intense learning experience that runs all year long and that
has a particularly intense phase during January and February, from the time the
design specifications are released to the time of the first intraschool competitions
in February. Teams that are successful at the local level can then proceed further
to regional, state, and national competitions. Other firms like Pentair provide
financial support to the project, helping to fund both materials and travel costs.
Student field trips to local businesses happen occasionally, but they are not
established as a specific expectation for the programs. Students usually visit
Pequot Tool and Manufacturing about once a year. During this visit, they learn
about a “traveler,” a work order that “travels” through the design and
manufacturing process. Students see the original order and follow it through all of
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the steps, including parts constraints, manufacturing, and shipping. Since PLTW
was implemented at PRB, students at times have also visited Hunt Technologies,
Precision Milling, and Trussworthy. Business partners may also occasionally stop
by a classroom in progress, but partners have not typically been invited to teach
lessons or speak to the students during class time.
With GTT there are no field trips, although some business partners such as Mr.
Hunt come in occasionally to talk with the students. One PLTW instructor said he is
reluctant to pull students out of class because each day is only six periods and any
out-of-school activities would be disruptive to the other classes.
When asked why businesses choose to get involved, one business partner stated
that he’s involved out of ‘enlightened self-interest.’ He said he knows his kids will
eventually attend the school and that he believes their experiences will be more
practical and hands-on if businesses are involved.
2. develop a school-wide stem
culture
2.1 Establish Shared Guiding Principles for STEM Learning
Under this strategy of establishing shared guiding principles for STEM Learning
are three related, but distinct sub-strategies: Define STEM Education, Define
STEM Literacy, and Develop District-Wide Vision for STEM Learning.
2.1.1 Define STEM Education
At this time, PRB is not actively trying to define STEM education or to establish a
school-wide focus on STEM education. When asked about the role of PLTW in the
school, one PLTW instructor said, “Our egos would like to say we’re a STEM
school, but ... I’m not sure the rest of school recognized that. So maybe we’re a
STEM program within a typical school.”
There are, however, additional activities that offer STEM experiences beyond just
classroom offerings. As mentioned previously, PRB has a FIRST Robotics team,
which, as of the 2011-2012 school year, is in its third year of existence with about
25 students involved intermittently. During the 2010-2011 school year, about 17
had done enough work to travel to the competition. Also, at the middle school
level, Mr. Bergerson coaches a junior high team called Math Masters, which is part
of a national program that uses math in highly contextualized scenarios.
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2.1.2 Define STEM Literacy
The PRB district mission statement says: “Our mission is to inspire life-long
learners in pursuing their dreams and becoming responsible, productive citizens
through a partnership of families, educators and communities committed to
excellence.” The mission statement does not include an explicit definition of STEM
literacy for students in PRB.
2.1.3 Develop District-Wide Vision for STEM Learning
In the case of Pine River-Backus, with just one school in the district, there is
essentially no separation between district and school level vision and operations.
2.2 Implement Innovative STEM Curriculum and Instruction
Under this strategy of implementing innovative STEM curriculum and instruction,
there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Integrate STEM-Rich Instruction,
and Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies
2.2.1 Integrate STEM-rich Instruction across Math, Science, and Other
Applied STEM Programs
Principles of Engineering and Ninth Grade Earth Science
PRB has developed an innovative approach to adapting its POE course to meet the
state standards for ninth grade earth science.
In the fall of 2007, POE was offered as an elective to upper-level students in grades
10, 11, and 12. During this early stage of implementation, Principal McDonald and
the school counselor attended a conference at which they heard another school
talk about its plans to make POE a mandatory program for all ninth graders by
using the course to fulfill the state’s ninth grade physical science standards.
Principal McDonald, who had extensive experience in taking on and coaching
others in curriculum alignment, spent a good deal of time reviewing PLTW’s
content standards and comparing them to the content standards expected in
Minnesota’s ninth grade earth science program. She found a significant amount of
overlap and concluded that offering POE as the earth science course was feasible.
However, she also noted that the state’s physical science standards included a
significant amount of chemistry content that would need to be incorporated.
Although this would not pose a problem content-wise, it did present a challenge in
terms of available instructional time. To address this challenge, the leadership
team asked the English department to supervise the research project component
of the POE curriculum. Because all ninth graders take the POE/Earth Science class,
they could embed the research component in the ninth grade English classes.
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English teachers would already be familiar with research guidelines for formatting,
organization, and citations and would be able to provide reliable writing
instruction and grading as well.
The model of shared responsibility between the POE teachers and English teachers
was followed during the 2007, 2008, and 2009 school years. Beginning in the 2010
school year, teachers began revisiting the decision to “outsource” the research
project to the English department. Current PLTW teachers explained that “we
experimented a couple years with the English department,” but it was too
overwhelming for ninth grade English and so the PLTW teachers assumed
responsibility for the research project again.
In 2011, they re-integrated the research project into the POE/Earth Science course.
To make time for the research project in the curriculum, PLTW teachers reviewed
the chemistry content requirements prior to the 2011 school year and were able to
pare down the instructional time. PLTW teachers had found that the amount of
chemistry they originally offered in POE/Earth Science was “too much to cover.”
The PLTW teachers acknowledge they were not trained English teachers and that
“trying to grade research papers was a little out of our field.” So, although the
project itself officially rests with the PLTW program, the PLTW teachers may still
request some help and advice from the English department in grading the
research papers.
POE instructor Dick Larson said that the PRB team is mapping its curriculum to
match the revised 2011 POE curriculum. A new instructor will participate in POE
training during the summer of 2012 and will help ensure there is a strong
understanding of the revised curriculum. Mr. Larson noted that instructional time
continues to be a challenge in integrating POE with the state’s earth science
standards. “We don’t leave topics out, but we leave a couple construction projects
out since there needs to be a chemistry component.” He explained that “when we
get to materials, we take a break from POE and cover atomic structure.” Mr.
Larson hopes that, with the revised 2011 curriculum, they will be able to offer POE
in the sequence that PLTW recommends.
2.2.2 Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies
Apart from the official integration of content that happens through the POE/Earth
Science course, there does not appear to be an active initiative in the school to
replicate the project-based learning in other courses. On an individual basis, some
teachers apply inquiry-based and project-based learning in settings other than
PLTW.
Middle school math and GTT instructor Steve Bergerson said that he teaches
junior high math as well but tried to avoid teaching “naked math”—that is, math
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that is not placed in the context from which it is derived. He said that when
students see the math in its context, they have more motivation to “get it right.”
Sometimes he incorporates scores from the local basketball team so the students
can do statistical analysis on numbers they know are real. He also creates
applications that are quirky like having the class estimate the number of ounces of
orange juice that a particular student drinks weekly (this student is known as an
avid orange juice drinker). He will also have students do conversions of
measurements relating to family recipes (such as, how much mashed potatoes
would you need to feed the entire classroom?).
Other math teachers explained that their instruction is fairly typical. One teacher
said, “My math class is pretty traditional. It’s pretty relaxed, but the math hasn’t
changed…I do try to bring real life applications and projects.” Another teacher said,
“In advanced algebra, it’s hard to bring in the real world stuff. If there’s a course
that is amenable to real-world application, it would probably be the statistics.”
2.3 Engage Math, Science, and PLTW Teachers in Collaborative
Planning and Instruction
Middle School
At the middle school level, teachers indicate that very little collaboration between
curricular disciplines is happening. Teachers mentioned a project on the Holocaust
that is coordinated between the English and Social Studies departments. No
examples of PLTW collaboration with math and science teachers were mentioned.
Because all students take the middle school GTT components, there could be an
opportunity to create linkages between GTT and middle school math and science
content.
High School
It appears that little cross-curricular collaboration occurs at the high school level
beyond the curricular integration that is built into the POE/Earth Science course.
One high school teacher explained that “I’ll go over some things in math or
calculus, and students will say, yeah, we’ve done some of these in PLTW. But as
far as the teachers actually collaborating and planning, that doesn’t happen very
often. The students are seeing the connections. The students are recognizing it and
talking about it. But as far as teachers, we haven’t collaborated to the extent we
could or should.”
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3. implement related school
improvement strategies 3.1 Provide Academic Support and Intervention to Enhance Student
Learning
Support for At Risk Students
PRB is served by an Area Learning Center (ALC), which is a free-standing facility
on the same campus as the school. Approximately 65 high school-age students are
enrolled at the ALC. According to the PRB website, the ALC’s mission is to provide
“at risk students an opportunity to find educational success, earn academic credit,
and prepare for the real world challenges they will soon face in a safe and
supportive environment.1” ALC students are typically those who are close to
dropping out or who already have dropped out of school. Students transfer to the
ALC to finish or re-enter school and to work toward earning a diploma. There is a
fair degree of career counseling offered at the ALC. The school counselor notes
that PRB tries to keep students enrolled in the regular school by requiring a
meeting with parents of students who want to transfer to the ALC and requiring
that parents of minors sign-off on the transfer.
As mentioned previously, students who fall behind, particularly those who are
falling behind because they are not completing their homework, are assigned to a
monitored activity called Lunch Bunch. In this daily activity, struggling students
are encouraged to finish homework and projects from other classes.
Another academic intervention offered by PRB is Scholastic’s Read 180 program.2
This program is an intensive, small group reading support activity that integrates
computer-based instruction with small group and teacher-led activities. The Read
180 program is offered to students who are identified as having learning barriers,
regardless of whether they receive special education services.
PRB also provides a Study Skills course for seventh and eighth grade students.
This course is offered for one period a day to students who are struggling
academically but are not receiving special education services. The course supports
academic catch up and skill-based activities. One of the teachers working on the
Study Skills course is an AmeriCorps participant. Finally, an after-school program
called PowerLearners helps support the academic development of struggling
seventh and eighth grade students.
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Teacher Teams Address Student Needs
PRB implements some strategies to help teachers work together to ensure that
student needs do not fall through the cracks. Teachers are organized into four
dual-grade teams, fifth/sixth, seventh/eighth, ninth/10th, and 11th/12th. The teams
include core academic teachers and elective and special education teachers. Most
teams meet on a monthly basis to discuss student needs and decide on specific
interventions for certain students.
The seventh/eighth grade teacher team meets officially on a monthly basis to
discuss the academic and social needs of the 150 students in these grade levels.
Teachers often meet more often than monthly when the need arises. Teachers run
the meetings and have structured agendas. The seventh/eighth grade team is
working toward implementing a structured approach to Response to Intervention
(RTI) goals (an approach to using data to target interventions and monitor
progress). Principal Langemo and a team of three teachers participated in a special
training for RTI in November 2011.
Teachers for ninth/10th grade students are also meeting regularly, but they are not
working on an RTI approach. Students in this grade are assigned to a “Lunch
Bunch” homework/study group when they are struggling in their classes. Teachers
for 11th and 12th grade students meet the least frequently.
3.2 Prepare Students for Postsecondary and Career Success
Under this strategy of preparing students for postsecondary and career success,
there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Offer Career Development and
College Planning, and Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit.
3.2.1 Offer Career Development and College Planning
According to school leadership, with the high rate of poverty (approximately 70
percent) among students, there is a strong likelihood that most parents do not
have personal experience with going to college. Thus, the support and information
provided by the school counseling staff is essential to helping students aspire to
and navigate the college application and funding processes.
This contact with parents is supported by the counseling staff’s ongoing
interaction with every student. For example, each school year, the counselor meets
with every student.
In the springtime, parents or guardians of each ninth grader are invited to meet
with the student and counselor to develop a course enrollment plan and to review
the student’s identified career aspirations. There is a high level of parent
participation in these meetings, as much as 99 percent. Also at the ninth grade
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 16
level, the counseling staff offers a one-month career awareness and planning
activity that is classroom based. The counseling team also delivers career
awareness in the ninth grade as part of the students’ Health class.
Tenth grade students are taken to a career fair at a local college campus. During
the fair, regional chambers of commerce coordinate volunteers to sponsor booths
at which about 100 regional employers are represented and information about the
career opportunities they offer are shared.
At the end of 11th grade, the school counselor meets with students individually to
talk about college plans; the counselor meets again with all students in the fall of
their senior year to make sure the students are taking the appropriate steps toward
applying to college.
At the 11th and 12th grade levels, students are provided three excused absences
each year to allow for college visits. Additionally, the counseling team arranges
group tours of colleges in the region.
Students also are required to take a careers class prior to graduation. Because of
scheduling constraints, students typically do not enroll in this course until their
senior year. The instructor uses a career-interest software system (National Career
Information System, or NCIS) that allows students to take personal interest and
aptitude assessments and create a career profile. The course includes a good deal
of self-reflection on students’ skill sets and the process of transitioning into
adulthood.
In addition to the in-school activities, PRB instructors provide some out-of-school
opportunities as well.
For example, the Bridges Career Program hosts an annual career day in Brainard
that is cosponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and held at the Central
Lakes College. At this event, students learn about career clusters and the
availability of jobs within each of the clusters. This is a voluntary event, but most
students participate.
Kyle Bergen, who teaches several business-related courses at PRB, has organized
an e-mentoring initiative as part of his careers course for seniors. The mentoring
experience is part of the careers/personal finance class. Bergen explained, “We’re
trying to get them a plan for post high school; so many of them haven’t put much
thought into it yet.” PRB has a partnership with Best Prep, a nonprofit in
Minnesota that connects the PRB business students with corporate partners. The
partners and students communicate weekly over a period of eight weeks on
career-related topics. For example, during one week students worked on an
“elevator speech” to express their skills and attributes. Another topic was the use
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 17
of technology in the workplace. Bergen and the students travelled to the Twin
Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota), where they met their e-mentors who
work at the operations center that manages information technology services
worldwide for the United Health Group. At the visit, each student met the person
with whom they were partnered.
Bergen is also starting a chapter of Future Business Professionals of America at
PRB. The organization offers about 60 events to help develop professional skills,
and Bergen plans to integrate these skills into the accounting class. Nine current
accounting students plan to participate in the new group. Students must pay fees
to join and participate in outside competitive events.
The school’s counselor Ms. Sigan expresses continuing concern about the lack of
interest in STEM careers. She meets with each student individually and keeps
handwritten notes from each student interview, but she has not compiled or
aggregated student careers aspirations.
3.2.2 Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit
Central Lakes College Outreach Center
In 2011, PRB opened a new facility in cooperation with Central Lakes College. The
entity is called the Central Lakes College Outreach Center. According to a press
statement about the center, “the goal of the training is to strengthen local business
skills, improve efficiency at small businesses and prepare future students to return
to college.”
Through agreements with Central Lakes and Southwest State University (Marshall
University), the outreach center offers approximately 20–30 dual-credit courses
through the College in School (CIS) program. PRB pays for students to enroll in
courses, and successful students receive dual credit on their college transcripts.
The CIS programs are taught by PRB teachers who are under the mentorship of a
college instructor for the content area in which they are teaching. There are also a
few online courses that are taught strictly by a college professor. Students can use
the school’s media center to participate in those classes.
In the early months of the center’s existence, local residents were invited to take
courses on the use of computer software programs like Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint. In the spring of 2012, another course, Introduction to Manufacturing,
is scheduled to be offered. A special scholarship fund will defray 50 percent of the
tuition for this two-credit class.
About 20 students, or approximately one-third of seniors, at PRB have enrolled in
CIS courses. The typical PRB student that takes CIS courses will enroll in college
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 18
already having reached sophomore status (having already earned about 15 college
credits). Students can earn as few as three to as many as 30 college credits. PRB
does not currently offer any Advanced Placement courses and has instead moved
in the direction of CIS courses in offering students more opportunities to
accelerate their college preparation.
3.3 Focus on Professional Development, Growth, and Collaboration
In the fall of 2011, Superintendent Bettino launched an initiative to help teachers
and staff better understand the “culture of poverty” in which many students live.
The school has solicited professional development from a coach certified with the
work of Ruby Payne; this coach provided two days of professional development in
August 2011.
Following this required training, two professional learning communities (PLCs; one
for high school and one for elementary) were formed, on a voluntary basis, to
allow teachers and staff to further study the issue and to develop strategies to
address or ameliorate students issues related to poverty in their home lives.
Superintendent Bettino indicates that “both teams are very productive and excited
about the work they are doing.”
Bettino said that the primary instructional goal now is to ensure that local
curriculum is aligned with state content standards and that achieving this goal
requires a good deal of curriculum mapping. She states that with the new
emphasis on facing the “culture of poverty,” there is also a great need for
“differentiation of instruction.” In particular, many students need to be explicitly
taught organizational strategies that they may not have learned at home.
PRB received a technology integration grant that is managed by a technology
integration specialist. During the grant period, which covered 2009 and 2010, the
school received SMART Boards, and staff were trained on how to use them. One
teacher notes how the technology integration specialist has helped other teachers
learn to use the SMART boards, digital cameras, and software like iMovie. The
teacher explained that for him, there are no “stupid questions.”
School Leadership Team
Based on an initiative in the early 2000s, the school created a leadership team
made up of members elected by their peers from each department. The leadership
team meets on Wednesday mornings two times a month, and the meetings follow
a flexible agenda that is suggested by the principal. The main purpose of the
leadership team is to communicate with and provide feedback to the
administration—to act as a liaison between staff and the administration.
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 19
Teacher Professional Development
Each year, teachers at PRB are expected to develop personal professional
development plans and goals, which are overseen by the school principals. Each
goal must be tied to data, and progress on the goal is monitored over time.
Teachers may request support and/or training opportunities to help them
implement their professional development plans.
Teachers receive professional development through several means. For example,
in addition to the PLC focused on the “culture of poverty” mentioned earlier,
another PLC is focused on instructional differentiation. Participation in the PLCs is
voluntary. They were formed in September 2011 and meet on a monthly basis.
3.4 Use Data to Make Instructional Decisions
PRB has access to a large amount of diagnostic data through the school’s data
warehouse called Viewpoint. Viewpoint is a longitudinal database that includes all
standardized assessments, including standardized diagnostic assessments
(procured through an arrangement with the Northwest Evaluation Association) as
well as Minnesota statewide summative assessments. Teachers have obtained
extensive training in the use of the data. A second source of data is an information
system called Skyword that teachers use on a daily basis. This data tool includes
school-based data such as attendance and class grades.
Part iii. data and next steps Performance Data
To measure student achievement and to meet the requirements of No Child Left
Behind, Minnesota students are required to take the Minnesota Comprehensive
Assessments, either Series II (MCA-II) or III (MCA-III). Students take the math MCA-
III test in grades three through eight and the math MCA-II test in grade eleven. (The
MCA-II tests measure progress towards proficiency on the 2003 Minnesota K-12
standards and the MCA-III tests measure progress towards proficiency on the 2007
Minnesota K-12 math standards.) Students take the reading MCA-II tests in grades
three through eight and in grade 10. The science MCA-II test is administered in
grades five, eight, and in high school after a student completes a life science
course.
The charts below show the percentage of students scoring proficient or higher on
the MCA-II tests and MCA-III test. (Data was accessed from the Minnesota
Department of Education’s data website:
http://education.state.mn.us/MDEAnalytics/Reports.jsp. Data was accessed on May 3,
2011. Graduation rate data was not available.)
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The math MCA-III is now administered to eighth grade students to measure the
2007 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards for Mathematics. Therefore, there is not
data available beyond 2010 for the eighth grade MCA-II results. On the 2011 math
MCA-III, 45 percent of PRB eighth grade students scored proficient or higher.
Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Math MCA-II
45%
56%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2009 2010
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Reading MCA-II
63%68%
51%
01020304050607080
2009 2010 2011
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
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Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Science MCA-II
26%
38%43%
0
10
20
30
40
50
2009 2010 2011
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
Percentage of 11th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Math MCA-II
24%25%
34%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2009 2010 2011
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
Percentage of 10th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Reading MCA-II
73%75%72%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2009 2010 2011
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 22
Pine River-Backus’s Next Steps
In thinking about the future of PLTW, PRB’s teachers emphasize that they’re
“holding tight” during this tight budget time, trying to keep what they have
already implemented and making sure the quality of programming is good.
In terms of specific next steps, one teacher said he would like to get some up-to-
date training in the Inventor program because it keeps being upgraded annually.
Another teacher talked about getting the 2011 POE standards implemented.
In terms of new PLTW courses, teachers seemed to agree with the statement, “I
don’t see us implementing other programs; it may not be feasible.”
Principal Langemo said that his goal is to “maintain, increase, improve and
strengthen implementation” of the PLTW effort. Superintendent Bettino indicated
that as a district, Pine River-Backus “must continue to tweak the program based on
students’ needs and interests and always tempered with budgeting limitations. I
think we would all like to see increased interests in the STEM areas and applied
curriculum that motivates students. We will need to continue to see the
enthusiasm and positive impact to continue funding this program. Both the
training and the technology are very expensive.” She noted that new grants would
be welcome to help maintain the “unusually expensive program.”
# # #
Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Science MCA-II*
31%31%
26%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2009 2010 2011
Year
Per
cen
tag
e o
f S
tud
ents
*Students take the high school science MCA-II after completing a life science
course.
The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 23
The site visit was conducted on November 30 – December 1, 2011. This case study
was written by Hans Meeder and Michelle Hebert-Giffen of the Meeder Consulting
Group. Site visit coordination and follow up was provided by Cathy Bettino,
District Superintendent; Trent Langemo, Principal of Pine River-Backus High
School; and Mary Ruth Sigan, counselor at Pine River-Backus High School.
Published June 2012. All case studies and affiliated reports for the STEM Schools
Project can be found at http://www.meederconsulting.com. © 2012, Meeder
Consulting Group, LLC.
Endnotes 1 See https://sites.google.com/a/prbschools.org/prb-alc/ (accessed April 30, 2012). 2 Read 180 is a Scholastic program. According to the Read 180 website, “READ 180 is a
comprehensive system of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional
development proven to raise reading achievement for struggling readers in grades 4–12+.
Designed for any student reading two or more years below grade-level, READ 180
leverages adaptive technology to individualize instruction for students and provide
powerful data for differentiation to teachers.”
See http://read180.scholastic.com/reading-intervention-program (accessed May 1, 2012).
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