Vanderbilt University and TSIN Release STEM School Designation Impact Report

Vanderbilt University’s Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach (CSEO) and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) hosted education leaders Tuesday to discuss research findings from a 2-year, longitudinal study on the impact of the Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) STEM and STE(A)M School Designation process on Tennessee students.

Reimaging School Culture: STEM School Designation Impact Report

This report is the first release of a 3-part series determining if the STEM and STE(A)M School Designation process does indeed give students opportunity for a bright future. Vanderbilt’s final report will be released later this spring.

The CSEO research team collected data addressing the below questions:

• Does the STEM/STE(A)M School Designation process prepare educators to teach in a more integrated way?
• Are students enrolled at these schools better prepared for the next step of their educational journey?
• Does the process rubric build a sense of community around STEM school-wide?

“From the evaluation findings, we can emphatically answer “Yes!” to all three of those questions. The requirements within the designation rubric support schools in establishing their STEM culture and community. This is a powerful process.” said Brandi Stroecker, Director for TSIN.

Key findings from the report:

• Teachers in grades K-12 reported an increase in confidence and self-efficacy in STEM learning
• Teacher collaboration, student engagement, and strong bonds within school communities increased
• Teacher retention was positively impacted through the supports systems in place

“The practices needed to build a sustainable school culture are present within this process including leadership engaging all staff in decision-making, a school-wide focus on STEM learning practices, community member support, and scaffolding to promote sustainability.” said CSEO Program Evaluator, Dr. Letimicia Fears.

What does this mean for Tennessee students?

Students from STEM and STE(A)M Designated Schools are ready for college and career.

For a student to be considered a Tennessee Ready Graduate, they must complete at least one of the following criteria: earn an ACT Composite Score of 21 or higher, complete four early postsecondary opportunities, or complete two early postsecondary opportunities and pass an industry credential¹.

Designated high schools have an average ready graduate score of 76% - that is 36% higher than the state average. It’s evident that this process requires schools to take significant steps to ensure their students will be successful after graduation. That is great news for Tennessee.

STEM or STE(A)M Designated Schools had the opportunity to elevate their local voices to reiterate how the current designation process has impacted their school community at the event. A list of those participating schools include:

School Name                                                             District   

John P Freeman Optional School                             Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Overall Creek Elementary School                              Murfreesboro City Schools                                               

Peabody High School                                                   Trenton Special School District

Prescott South Elementary School                           Putnam County Schools

Randolph Howell Elementary School                      Maury County Public Schools

A full list of Tennessee schools that have earned STEM or STE(A)M School Designation can be found here. Vanderbilt CSEO’s final impact report will be released in March of 2023. For questions, please contact tsin@battelle.org.



References:

¹Tennesseans for Student Success. (2021, August 25). A network supporting TN Students. Ready Graduate Indicator Report. Retrieved from https://tnsuccess.org/