Project name: Shelby Scholars Summer Institute
District: Shelby County School District
State: Tennessee
Contact: Dr. Allison Clark for math, and Mrs. Thomasena Stuckett for science
Title: Math and Science Specialists
E-mails: aclark@scsk12.org or tstuckett@scsk12.org
Brief description:
The Shelby Scholars Summer Institute is a summer program for motivated middle school students, focusing on an inquiry-based science, mathematics and technology curriculum. Originally funded by Title II, this program was so succesful that local business rallied to support it when that funding expired.
Subject the program is most concerned with:
A combination of science, mathematics and technology.
Part of the school system (e.g. elementary school, middle school, high school, all levels, special math/science school, etc.) the project focuses on:
Summer extension program for middle school students.
Primary focus of the program (e.g. new curriculum, attracting or retaining teachers, classroom technology, community outreach, etc.):
The primary focus of the program is to:
- Ignite student interest in science, math, and technology professions
- Motivate students to take higher level math and science courses in their high school curriculum
- Improve students’ skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and inquiry.
The program also provides instructional staff with the opportunity to:
- Expand their current level of expertise
- Work in areas outside of their discipline
- Participate in cross-curricular collaboration with colleagues.
Role of the school board in implementing or supporting the program:
The school board chairman was a part of a diverse group of school district staff, including the superintendent, central office administrators, building level administrators, and math, science and technology teachers who attended a state roundtable discussion focusing on the need for more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals in the state of Tennessee. The forum also addressed the need for more rigorous coursework in the STEM areas in Tennessee schools.
A committee was formed after the visit to implement these ideas and goals in the Shelby County School district. All members of the visiting team participated in this effort through site visits of high performing schools, meetings with various stakeholders, and the development and implementation of programs that would support the objectives of rigor and readiness.
Community and business partners:
The institute has partnered with several local businesses including WREG-TV, a local news affiliate and Federal Express. In addition, the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation, a consortium of Mid-South businessmen and industry leaders, networked and garnered funding for the 2008 institute.
Funding and resources:
The first two years of the summer institute was supported through Title II federal funds for innovative programs. The upcoming institute will be supported through funding obtained through the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation.
Community response to the program:
District stakeholders were excited to have a program that provided students with an academically challenging summer experience, and one that supported the emerging biotechnology industry in the area. Many parents, aware of the significance of math and science education, were anxious to get their students enrolled. The 2007 institute had a waiting list, even with an additional site available.
Obstacles:
A major concern was financial support of the program after we could no longer use the federal Title II funds. Stakeholder belief in the merit of the program prompted the district’s education foundation to develop a campaign to solicit funding from local business and industries to support the program.
Duration of the program:
The program is going into its third year. The hope for the future is that those students who have matriculated through the program will choose higher-level science and math courses (e.g. Honors and AP) during their high school career. A number of institute scholars applied to and were accepted into the district’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.
Advice for other districts:
- Use an application process to select both teachers and students.
Teachers were interviewed and asked to develop and present an inquiry-based lesson to the panel. This gives an idea of how open a teacher is to new ideas, methods of instruction, and “outside of the box” thinking. Students are selected on the basis of grade point average, teacher recommendations, and interest in participating in the program.
- Provide instructors with incentives.
The summer institute instructors were paid a competitive stipend, provided with resources and materials for their classroom, and given some form of technology to implement in their classroom (e.g. Interwrite school pads)
- Do not exclude students who are not “A” students.
Many times, B-students are just as motivated to achieve if given the right environment and opportunities. If a student has a genuine interest in mathematics, science or technology, they should be considered as well; however, be sure that regardless of interest level, the student will be able to do the level of work required.
Advice for school boards:
School boards can support this kind of program by providing funding, supporting the development and implementation of the program through marketing and public relations, obtaining resources, and networking with area businesses, local government industry leaders, and promoting the program and its goals throughout the community.
Detailed description:
This program was one of many that supported the Shelby County School District’s superintendent’s goals to move the district forward in a world where science, math, and technology literacy was becoming the requirement for many of the present and emerging jobs in the global workplace. Inspired by the book, “The World is Flat”, the superintendent and members of newly formed STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) committee, recognized that in order to prepare students for this type of job market, they needed students to excel in these areas. Moreover, with a growing biotechnology industry in the Mid-South area, they wanted to ensure that students had the opportunity to become a part of the industry that would keep their expertise at home.
Research documents that students begin to lose interest in science and math in the middle grades. Student performance and achievement also begin to wane at this time. This prompted a focus on the 7th and 8th grades as a time when sustained interest could be ignited and where new and higher level knowledge skills could be introduced. The district wanted to ensure that students developed and maintained a curiosity about scientific and mathematic phenomena, coursework, and careers, and that they would choose AP and Honors coursework in their high school and post-secondary curriculum in order to make them competitive with local, national, and international applicants.
The program is designed to incorporate projects that mirrored real world problem-solving. In order to do so, projects last several days instead of what might normally be accomplished in a one hour class setting. Projects are inquiry-based, placing most of the work on the student; teachers act as facilitators. The program is also designed to give teachers with the desire to work “outside of the box” the opportunity to focus on subject matter that is of interest to them, as well as the opportunity to develop their own curriculum. This allows both students and instructors to make these projects their own, building an interest and momentum that may not be obtained through the usual classroom study.
The district is very pleased with the outcome of the institute. They had a waiting list last year for three sites throughout the district and parents begin to inquire about the program several months before the program dates. The program has received local, state, and national attention, having most recently appeared in T.H.E. Journal magazine as a demonstration of successful STEM programs. They plan to continue the program, expand student participation, and to keep developing projects that will make students not only acceptable math, science, and technology practitioners, but exceptional scholars in these disciplines.