Exemplary STEM Learning: Lessons from Outstanding New York Schools & Teachers
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are approaches to help us to understand and improve our world. Therefore, as a country, we need to develop more STEM literate citizens through exemplary STEM learning in schools (Committee on STEM Education, 2018). Through a grant from 100kin10, we asked these four questions that we answered through five case studies.
What is exemplary STEM learning?
What conditions support exemplary STEM learning?
How does the collective leadership of teachers and administrators facilitate exemplary STEM learning?
What are the barriers to exemplary STEM learning?
After analyzing survey data, interviews, focus groups, and site visits to five schools, and working with an identified STEM fellow who was a teacher leader at each school to provide additional context and expertise at that school, we were surprised by what we found.
To summarize this report into one sentence:
Schools with strong STEM cultures are more likely to improve by innovating to meet the needs of their students and communities.
Research can be a powerful tool in education, but it's an even more powerful tool when that research is created, implemented, and reflected upon by the education experts themselves--classroom teachers.
That is why we felt that an important and necessary part of this project was to include those who know student learning and pedagogy the best. So we mobilized a cadre of STEM teacher leaders to help us unpack our overarching research question: How does the collective leadership of teachers and administrators facilitate exemplary STEM learning?
At the initial phase of our research, we extended an all-call across New York state to gather master STEM educators. Fifteen STEM teacher leaders were selected, forming our New York 100kin10 STEM Teacher Leader Fellowship.
This Fellowship helped us take this research to a granular level, understanding what best practices actually look like in schools, explained by actual practitioners. These expert educators met monthly for 18 months, examined their practices grounded in our overarching research question, and implemented their own research in their individual contexts. Included you will find two-page summaries of each Fellow’s action research, containing findings and links to more detailed explanations. We encourage you to read, share, and implement their ideas, helping you and your colleagues create your own ideal STEM learning system.
Read detailed reports from each Teacher Leader Fellow
Grades K-6
- Introducing STEM Instruction into Primary Classrooms Claire Gerken
- Creating a Vibrant STEM Community in an Elementary School Liesha Sherman
- Increasing Student Engagement Through the Use of Technology Molly McGarry
- Addressing Challenges to Building Effective STEM Programming in Elementary Grades Danielle Chiera
- Leading a Successful STEM Program within Your School With and Without Administrative Support Tonya Lackey
Grades 7-12
- Mayor and Superintendent Collaborate on Unique Opportunity to Create Authentic Learning Opportunities for High School Students John Herrington
- Overcoming Barriers to Demonstrating Excellence in STEM Education in STEM Education Through Looping Natalie Hurley
District-Wide
- Creating Unique Transdisciplinary Project-Based Learning Opportunities Jason Fahy
- Overcoming Barriers to STEM with Leadership, Increased Access, and Training Brandie Hayes
- Our Journey to Change: A District-Wide Shift to STEM Learning Cathy Schaefer
Teacher Leadership Journey