Bringing Relevance to the Precollege Classroom through the National Academy of Engineerings Grand Challenges of Engineering

Dr. Laura BottomleyMr. Rob MathesonMs. Elizabeth ParryMs. Pam Townsend

Bringing Relevance to the PrecollegeClassroom through the National Academy of EngineeringsGrand Challenges of Engineering

NAE Grand Challengeswww.engineeringchallenges.orgSustainabilityEnergy and EnvironmentMake solar energy economicalPrvida energy from fusionDevelop carbon sequestration methodsProvide access to clean waterManage nitrogen cycle

HealthEngineering and Life SciencesAdvance health informaticsEngineer better medicinesReverse-engineer the brain

NAE Grand Challenges (cont.)www.engineeringchallenges.orgSecurityPhysical infrastructure and Information TechnologyRestore and improve urban infrastructurePrevent nuclear terrorSecure cyberspace

Joy of LivingPersonal technologies and EducationEnhance virtual realeteAdvance personalized learningEngineer the tools of scientific discoveryNAE Grand Challenges vs. Maslows HierarchyGrand Challenges2008Maslows Hierarchy1943SustainabilityHealthSecurity

Joy of LivingPhysiological NeedsSafetyBelongingness and EsteemSelf-actualizationHistory of the Wake NC State University STEM Early College High School (STEM ECHS) 2003NC Innovative Education Initiatives Act2005first NC Early Colleges opened. Currently 74 in NC.2009NC Legislative action to establish the Joining Our Businesses and Schools (JOBS) Commission. Can innovative schools support economic and business development in NC?2010NC State University Dean of Engineering suggests to the JOBS Commission that the NAE Grand Challenges are a key to identify 21st Century jobs and will serve as a hook or relevance for underserved and under-represented students to study STEM in precollege education2010JOBS Commission recommends that a pilot STEM Early College High School focused on the Grand Challenges open in 2011August 2011STEM ECHS opened with fifty-five ninth grade students. An additional cohort added for the 2012-13 school year.

Targeted Students for RecruitmentRyan HaymoreDean of StudentsUnderserved studentsthose who do not maximize their potential in traditional, relatively large, comprehensive high schoolsUnder-represented studentsthose who are not represented in the STEM disciplines by proportional representation (by gender, ethnicity, etc.)First-time college going students in their familyWilling to accept the challenges of an integrated, accelerated, project-based high school and college education through the early college modelRecruitment Practices, Selection Process, and Demographics (Ryan Haymore, Dean of Students)Recruitment practices, lead by the Dean of Students, includes middle school visits, booth at the Magnet School Fair, school tours, and open housesPaper and online application phasesincludes middles chool state test scores and course grades; student essay; and teacher and administrative references to form holistic view of studentScored against rubric to form selection pool, then stratified random selection of studentsCurrently 50:50 by gender, over 60% non-white, over 50% first-time college goers, and over 40% free or reduced lunch (socioeconomic factor)Academic and Vocational GoalsCompletion of NC Future Ready Core curriculum that leads to a NC high school diplomaCompletion of up to two years of NC State course creditStudents college ready and prepared for educational activities beyond the first two years of collegeStudents prepared to function as productive and effective citizensStudents ready for the world of work

21 Century Learning Outcomes (http://p21.org)Mastery of 21st Century interdisciplinary core content and themesMastery of learning and innovation skills related to creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem-solving; and communication and collaborationMastery of information, media, and technology skillsDevelopment of life and career skills (soft skills) such as flexibility and adaptability; initiative and self-direction; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; and leadership and responsibilityThe Three-Legged StoolLink the Grand Challenges to the science taught at a given grade level, integrated across STEM disciplines and the humanities (economic, ethical, legal, political, social, and sustainability issues)Project-based LearningWhole child developmentincludes Socratic seminar, college readiness, career exploration, job shadowing, internships and graduation project, etc.CurriculumNinth GradeGrand Challenges: Access to Clean Water, Make Solar Energy Economical, Carbon Sequestration, Fusion Energy, and Tools for Scientific DiscoveryHonors Earth Science/Engineering Design Iblended yearlong, A/B flexible schedule, two course creditsIntegrated Math I/II or II/IIIBlock schedule, 90-minute classes for each semester, two creditsHonors English I/World Geographyblended yearlong, A/B, two credits. Students learn how to apply Socratic seminar techiques to the economic, ethical, legal, political, social, and sustainability issues related to the Grand Challenges studied in ninth grade.Boomtown Project in Honors Earth Science/Eng. Design IAligned to Access to Clean Water from NAE Grand ChallengesNC Earth Science Standards (ES). Scientific Inquiry: 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05 and 1.06. Lithospheric Materials and Human Impact: 2.05, 2.06, 2.07. Hydrosphere: 4.01, 4.04Engineering Standards (GS). Research access to clean water: 2.01, 2.02. Understand designed systems: 2.04. Formulate solutions to problems: 2.05Honors English I/World GeographyAll projects include a focus on:Components of both the Honors English I and World Geography curriculaOne or more of the Grand Challenges studied in the ninth gradeOne or more of the 21st Century skills previously mentioned (e.g. technology integration, collaboration, etc.)Example: Survival Guide project using the Lord of the Flies as the novel and Access to Clean Water the theme from the Grand ChallengesPedagogyProject-Based Learning (Carrie Horton, English teacher)All children want choice, relevance, and discovery in their learningEvery student reads, writes, thinks, and speaks in every classroom every day (www.newschoolsproject.org)Entry event to hook the studentKnows and need to knows identified/modified throughout the projectUse of rubrics to address content 21st Century skills such as collaboration, professionalism, innovation, and critical thinkingCommunity involvement by higher education and the business community as mentors and authentic audiences

AssessmentsBusiness and college internshipFormativeFormulating essential questions for activities/projectsGraduation project in the fifth (supersenior) yearHigh school diplomaNC State transcriptProject-Based Learning and portfolio of artifactsPSAT, SAT, EXPLORE (9th grade), PLAN (10th grade), ACT (11th grade), and other standardized testingSocratic seminarStudent, teacher, community, and parent surveysSummative (classroom and state testing)

Student Achievement, 2011-12Remember the demographicsHonors level courses taught by master teachersState final exams in English and math: 100% ProficiencyTeacher-made final exams: > 89% As, Bs, and CsFinal course grades > 89% As, Bs, and Cs in all courses except Integrated Math I and II (76%)Met or exceeded growth on state exams: Algebra I = 97% and English I = 75%External SupportBusiness Advisory BoardNC State UniversityNC New Schools Project (provide coaching, staff development; also serve as one of their anchor schools for Energy and Sustainability school network, NC Race to the Top federal funding)Partner of the NC State Centennial Campus communityProfessional Engineers of North Carolina (PENC) has provided significant community supportFuture Challenges for the STEM ECHS and Beyond.Replicability of the model and specific challenges related to schools that are when rural vs. Urban, large vs. small student populations, lack a higher education partner, etc.Selection of Grand Challenges that relate to the strengths of local/regional/state/national/global economic environmentsIdentification of college readinessdefinition, curriculum, assessment, and remediation. Also differences between higher ed partners (community college, college, university)Mentor/Mentee ProgramNC State research studyethinicity, gender, and first-generation status on science motivation and identityNC State College of Engineering outreach to middle and elementary schoolsAppendicesFacilities and Administrative ServicesSTEM ECHS temporarily located on NC State University campus in 2011-13Instructional services (curriculum, staff development, and coaching) mostly provided by Wake County Schools and NC New Schools Project (www.newschoolsproject.org) in 9th and 10th grade. In grades 10-13, students accessing NC State courses on campusAdded 55 ninth-grade students, six new teachers, Career Development Coordinator, and College Liaison in 2012-13In 2013, move to NC States Centennial Campus and begin significant utilization of NC State services such as the First Year College counselling services, and use of computer lab and James B. Hunt library facilitiesSignificant Resources on the STEM ECHS website (http://stemec.wcpss.net) Grand Challenges taught by grade level and science course (9th through 12 grade science sequence (all honors level) is Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. Each science course has an attached engineering design elective course so students at the end of four years accumulate four science credits and four engineering design elective course credits.Five-Year Course of Studystill under development and will change for each individual student depending on their course of study they pursue as they take NC State course credits.Contact InformationRob MathesonPrincipal, Wake NC State University STEM Early College HS1220 Varsity DriveRaleigh, NC 27606919-515-2308 (office)919-515-2157 (fax)919-986-9390 (cell)rmatheson@wcpss.net