Here you'll find our archive of model programs. The featured programs come from a nation-wide search we conducted to find districts with innovative science, mathematics, or technology programs or with useful experience in addressing these issues. Each example includes background information, challenges met, and suggestions for other districts considering similar action.
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Programs (alphabetical by State)
Arkansas
A pilot program transforms school buses into mobile science and math classrooms using laptop computers and iPods.
California
A program offering an elective biotechnology course to juniors and seniors at Gunn High School, with a secondary focus on preparing students for careers in science and technology. Students can earn college credit for their work, and are also encouraged to take part in a science teacher assistant course after completing the biotechnology class.
District of Columbia
Founded on a curriculum based on areas of local economic growth and designed with input from parents and the community McKinley High School is inspiring students to achieve in the troubled DC Public School System.
Indiana
The Walker Career Center in Warren, Indiana was developed with help from Perdue University, and offers classes in a number of technical fields, including technology and engineering classes using a Project Lead the Way curriculum.
Iowa
A large, multi-district program to better prepare students in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids districts for future careers in SMT. The program includes summer courses, outreach to parents and the business community, and increased professional development for SMT faculty.
Maryland
A series of new high-school level technology courses, including new curricula and a “Technology Thursdays” program where students teach community members how to use technology.
An advisory committee of local "citizen scientists" formed to advise the district on SMT curriculum issues.
Massachusetts
An SMT-focused elementary school with a magnet program in a heavily Hispanic area of a Boston exurb. This program also has strong support from local businesses, which donated time and supplies to help with construction.
Minnesota
The Anoka-Henepin STEP (Secondary Techical Education Program) offers students with a strong interest in a career area to take classes for college credit from a high school located on the campus of Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minnesota.
The Austin Public Schools in southern Minnesota received two grants from the Hormel Foundation, one to update their science laboratories, and the other to provide ongoing training, leading to a Master’s from the University of Minnesota, for their mathematics and science teachers at all levels of instruction. While the grant for laboratory equipment was fairly similar to others given by Hormel and other organizations, the teaching fellowship is more unique, and has helped this district of less than 5,000 students develop a base of teachers with strong content and pedagogical knowledge.
The Statewide Minnesota Online College in the High School offers students the chance to tak general education courses, primarily in mathematics (college algebra), science (biology) and social science (psychology, geography and sociology), health sciences (anatomy and physiology, and medical terminology) and information technology (HTML) for college credit via the internet.
Oregon
The Math Project Team in the Beaverton school district handles questions related to the math curriculum, instructional practices and classroom materials. When a controvery errupted over a new math curriculum, the Project Team organized a series of highly succesfull community forums to address the issue.
South Carolina
After installing new science laboratories in all of its elementary schools as part of a five-year improvement plan, the Greenville County school district was faced with a shortage of qualified teachers to run them. To solve this problem, the district recruited retired science and engineering professionals to teach laboratory lessons in conjunction with a regular classroom teacher.
Tennessee
The Shelby Scholars Summer Institute is a summer program for motivated middle school students, focusing on an inquiry-based science, mathematics and technology curriculum.
Texas
- The Houston Independent School District
The Houston Independent School district has several innovative programs focusing on science education. Most recently, they have partnered with the Baylor School of Medicine to improve their elementary school science programs. They are also working with organizations like the Museum of Health and Medical Science and the Museum of Natural Science. Here are press releases about the Baylor partnership and the Museum partnership.