ST1.1 The STEM school/program supports non-traditional student participation through outreach to groups often underrepresented in STEM program areas.
Response:
The McNair STEM Academy has a powerful and strategic outreach plan to attract and retain often underrepresented students.
Our outreach activities are varied, proactive and are communicated in a variety of methods. We collect data and analyze the findings in an effort to continuously grow our program.
Our outreach activities are varied, proactive and are communicated in a variety of methods. We collect data and analyze the findings in an effort to continuously grow our program.
Narrative:
We began our STEM preparations three years ago. To begin our STEM student selection process, we created an application for grades K-2, and 3-5. The application was modified to be grade level appropriate. Our STEM students were selected based on their proficiency in math and/or science on standardized testing. For our fourth and fifth grade students, we utilized CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests) test scores.
Once all the information was compiled and reviewed by the STEM Committee, students were admitted to the STEM Academy. Selected students received an admissions letter and attended a STEM parent meeting. During the meeting, parents were presented an overview of STEM, and given parent and student expectations.
According to the dictionary, non-traditional is defined as "not bound by traditional ways or beliefs." Additionally, non-traditional includes "Women, Latinos, and African-Americans in engineering fields. Our program services a population of 99.9% non-traditional students. The majority of our students are African-American, with a small percentage of Caucasian and Latino students. Fifty-One percent of the students participating in the program are females.
The STEM team created a banner describing our curriculum and placed it in a strategic location in front of our school to recruit students by providing guided tours. We also recruited new students via our school web page, Facebook, and Twitter. In addition, we implored media outlets to communicate our story to the masses and increase our STEM student population.
Additionally, R. E. McNair is part of the DeKalb County School Choice program. The DeKalb County School District school choice program offers parents the autonomy to choose the best academic program for their child’s public school education.
Once all the information was compiled and reviewed by the STEM Committee, students were admitted to the STEM Academy. Selected students received an admissions letter and attended a STEM parent meeting. During the meeting, parents were presented an overview of STEM, and given parent and student expectations.
According to the dictionary, non-traditional is defined as "not bound by traditional ways or beliefs." Additionally, non-traditional includes "Women, Latinos, and African-Americans in engineering fields. Our program services a population of 99.9% non-traditional students. The majority of our students are African-American, with a small percentage of Caucasian and Latino students. Fifty-One percent of the students participating in the program are females.
The STEM team created a banner describing our curriculum and placed it in a strategic location in front of our school to recruit students by providing guided tours. We also recruited new students via our school web page, Facebook, and Twitter. In addition, we implored media outlets to communicate our story to the masses and increase our STEM student population.
Additionally, R. E. McNair is part of the DeKalb County School Choice program. The DeKalb County School District school choice program offers parents the autonomy to choose the best academic program for their child’s public school education.
Strengths:
The McNair STEM Academy has a significant strategic advantage in our school serves over 900 predominately African American students who all receive free or reduced lunch. In 2012, many of our advanced and high performing students were beginning to leave after third grade and attend other higher performing schools in the area as a result of the lack of rigor and challenge. We believed if we could bring an advanced and competitive program to McNair, our third through fifth grade students would remain and we could grow a powerful school of highly skilled students. As the result of our marketing plan which included but is not limited to; building tours, Facebook and Twitter posts, brochures, media stories, Remind101 text messages, online magazine, and school website, McNair STEM Academy now has a waiting list of students from across the DeKalb County School District who are eagerly applying for available seats for the 2016-2017 school year.
Weaknesses:
As we continue to grow and handle the explosive growth in our STEM Academy, more careful data collection will be needed to differentiate what marketing method have been responsible for the highest percentage of growth in our program. In addition, we must continue to align our outreach goals with student performance goals.
Evidence:
STEM Brochure
stem_brochure_edited_version_.pdf | |
File Size: | 814 kb |
File Type: |
STEM Banner
Newsletters to Parents
october_2014_newsletter.pdf | |
File Size: | 4201 kb |
File Type: |
november_2014_newsletter.pdf | |
File Size: | 9601 kb |
File Type: |
Electronic Newsletter
Articles About the STEM Academy at R. E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy