science • technology • engineering •...

S C I E N C E • T E C H N O L O G Y • E N G I N E E R I N G • M A T H E M A T I C S

STEM Strategic ReportF O R A S T E M S T A T E O F M I N D I N O K L A H O M A

W W W . O K . G O V / S D E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

It is the policy of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability in its programs or employment practices as required by Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Civil rights compliance inquiries related to the OSDE may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer, Room 111, 2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105-4599, telephone number (405) 522-4930; or, the United States Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Inquires or concerns regarding compliance with Title IX by local school districts should be presented to the local school district Title IX coordinator.

This publication, printed by the State Department of Education Printing Services, is issued by the Oklahoma State Department of Education as authorized by 70 O.S. § 3-104. Two-hundred copies have been prepared using Title I, A, School Improvement funds at a cost of $.90 per copy. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. MAY 2013.

J A N E T B A R R E S IS T A T E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T O F P U B L I C I N S T R U C T I O N




OSDE STEM Team Jeff Downs, M.Ed.Executive Director of [email protected]

Derrel Fincher, M.S./M.A/CETLDirector of Learning [email protected]

Tiffany Neill, M.Ed.Director of Science [email protected]

Levi Patrick, M.Ed.Director of Secondary Mathematics [email protected]

Cathy Seward, M.Ed.Director of Advanced Placement and [email protected]

Sara Snodgrass, M.Ed.Director of Secondary Mathematics [email protected]

A Message From State Superintendent Janet Barresi

Introduction

1. Access to STEM Education Introduction to Goal 1 A. Innovative Instruction •CitizenshipStandardsforMathematics •STEMBlocks •AdvancedPlacement&AdvancedCoursework B.LearningEnvironment •BlendedLearning •OklahomaVirtualSTEMAcademy •ConnectedStudents

2. Highly Effective STEM Educators Introduction to Goal 2 A. Teacher Recruitment •STEMEducationRecruitmentPacket •BestPracticesReportforRecruitingandRetainingSTEMEducationinOklahoma B.TeacherExpertise •STEMMasterTeacherCorps •OklahomaElementaryMathSpecialist C.ProfessionalDevelopment •PDonYourPlan •#OKMath/SciLeadership D. Recognition •STEMDistinguishedScholars •STEMSchoolDesignation

3. Leverage Stakeholder Support Introduction to Goal 3 A.CommunityPartnerships •CASMEO B.Awareness •STEMMarketingCampaign

4. Appendix A5. Works Consulted

Contents

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A Message From StateSuperintendentJanet Barresi

Oklahomastandspoisedtoplayapivotalroleinthenation’sfutureeconomicturnaround,but only if we can provide a skilled workforce with the knowledge to perform highly technical jobs.

Our state already has a booming energy industry along with aerospace and defense, agriculture and biosciences. Information technology, financial services, transportation anddistributionroundouttherobust list.Yet, Ioftenhear fromemployersandcolleges that our high school graduates must have more science, technology, engineering or

math courseworkon their transcripts to succeed in these fields. I talkwithpotential employers oftenwho tellme they havehigh-paying, entry-level jobs for high schoolgraduates, but they require a strongbackgroundof STEM andacollegepreparatorycourseofstudyduringhighschool.

ProvidingqualitySTEMeducationtoallOklahomastudentsisacriticalcomponenttoOklahoma’sstrongeconomicfutureandoneofmyprimarygoalsasStateSuperintendentofPublicInstruction.ItfitswithmyoverallgoalofensuringthateverystudentgraduatingfromanOklahomahighschoolbytheyear2020iscollege,careerandcitizenready– C3Ready.ThisplanhasthepotentialtoputOklahomaattheforefrontofacademicexcellence. It ismadepossible by the vision of lawmakers in our state who have enacted a series of bold reforms. Now comes the hard work of implementation.

I have recruitedandhiredaqualitySTEM teamwith impressive credentials at theStateDepartmentofEducation to lead the implementation efforts in this area. They havewritten this strategic plan to ensure all students and parentsaremadeawareoftheimportanceoftheSTEMsubjectsandhaveaccesstohighqualitySTEMopportunities and instructors.

ThisstrategicplanisevidenceoftheSTEMteamworkingtogethertocreate innovativestrategiesthataddressthedeficiencies inmath and science education in our state. It is one ofmy priorities to ensure that STEMeducationis a focus of everyOklahoma school, beginning as early as the lower elementary grades.Another high priority is continuing work with Oklahoma’s growing CareerTech system and higher education to create a stronger STEM applicantpipeline.

Together, this teamhasput inplaceprogramssuchas roboticsgrantopportunities,K20ElementarySTEMgrants, Think Through Math, and other programs that are furthering the offerings of STEM education for all Oklahoma students.Iamcommittedtosustainingalloftheseeffortsanddevelopingmoreinthefuture.

In addition, the STEM team is working to revise standards in science and implement new standards in math to ensureour state’s studentsare competitivewith students fromother statesandaround theglobe.Whilewemust staytruetoourOklahomavalues, it is imperativethatourstudentsbeequippedfor jobs inthefuture.Ourgoal is to foster the optimal academic environment that will continue to bring high-paying jobs to Oklahoma for an Oklahoma-grownworkforce.

QualityK-12STEMEducation isakeycomponenttostrengtheningtheOklahomaworkforceandcreatingastrong localeconomyfor futuregenerations.Preparingourstudents forcareersof the future isultimatelypreparingthem for a life of success.

JanetC.BarresiStateSuperintendentofPublicInstructionOklahomaStateDepartmentofEducation

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 • S T E M S T R A T E G I C R E P O R T • O K L A H O M A S T A T E D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N10

*Detailsnotprovidedinthereport.

STEM Strategic ReportToensureOklahoma studentsbecome inspired learners andprepared leaderswho can solve the challengesof aworldof emerging STEM careers. TheOklahoma StateDepartment of Education STEMTeamwill provide leadership, support, andresources to allow for the design and implementation of effective STEM learning environments and prepare students to make informed decisions on STEM issues and careers.

Tothisend,theSTEMTeamhasdevelopedastrategicplanaroundthreegoals. (1)EnsureallstudentshaveaccesstoSTEMeducationopportunities; (2)EnsureallstudentshaveaccesstohighlyeffectiveSTEMeducators;and (3) LeveragethestakeholderresourcesandpartnershipstostrengthentheSTEMeducationeffortofeachschool.

These goals are tied to strategies that holistically address the need for a highly educated STEM workforce. Each strategy consistsofnumerousprojects,someofwhichhavebeeninplacepreviously,someofwhicharenew,andsomeofwhichare consideredtobeboldstepsinaneffortnotonlytomeetthegoalsoftheOSDESTEMTeam,butalsotoserveasanationalmodel for innovation in STEM education.

AppendixAoutlines recommendationsmadebyGovernorMaryFallin’sScienceandTechnologyAdvisoryCouncil’s 2012 Report,whichhasbeenreviewedandconsideredbytheSTEMTeam.

Toensureourvisionisrealized,indicatorsofsuccesswillbedevelopedtomeasure: •STEMReadinessofGraduates; •STEMAccessforallStudents;and •STEMTeacherRecruitment,Retention,andExpertise.

Report StructureInthisreport,wehaverespondedtotherecommendationsmadebyGovernorMaryFallin’sScienceandTechnologyCouncil(SeeAppendixA).ThreeGoalscreateaframeworkforthereport,seenbelowin(1)red,(2)orange,and(3)green.EachGoal issupportedbymultiplestrategieswhichareshownbelowthegoalsandlistedasA,B,etc.

AsthereportprogressesthrougheachGoal,thereisanintroductiontothegoalthathelpsclarifyitsnecessityandintroduces therelatedstrategies.Subsequently,eachstrategyisintroducedwithatitle,relatedprojectsandexpectedresults.RelatedprojectsarecategorizedasBold,New,andExisting.Only Bold projects are detailed in this report.

Muchresearchhasgoneintothedevelopmentofthisstrategicplanand,althougheachreport,book,orjournalarticleisnotalwaysreferencedinthedescriptionsprovided,aWorksConsultedsectionhasbeenprovidedattheconclusionofthereport.

1 Access to STEM Education 2 Highly Effective STEM Education 3 Leverage Stakeholder Support

A Innovative Instruction

B Learning Environment

A Teacher Recruitment

B Teacher Expertise

C Professional Development

D Recognition

A Community Partnerships

B STEM Awareness

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 • S T E M S T R A T E G I C R E P O R T • O K L A H O M A S T A T E D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N 11

*Detailsnotprovidedinthereport. *Detailsnotprovidedinthereport.

1 Access to STEM Education

Introduction to Goal 1It is well known that students who do not have access to rigorousandrelevantSTEMlearningopportunities,whetherintegrativeor inthetraditionalsense,arelesslikelytoseesuccess in entry-level coursework in a collegiate or work preparation scenario. Equitableopportunities for studentsacrossthestate,regardlessoftheirgeographiclocation,socio- economicstatus,structural,digital,orstaffinglimitations,isa priorityandtheOSDEseekstoensurethatallstudentsare taughtrigorouscontent,preparedtobeactiveandresponsible citizens,aresupportedwhentheyfallbehindorexcel,and experienceSTEMeducationinrelevantandengaginglessons. Tothisend,theOSDEhasdevelopedtwostrategies, (1.A)InnovativeInstructionand(1.B)LearningEnvironment.

A Innovative InstructionBOLD PROJECTS1.CitizenshipStandardsforMathematics2.STEMBlocks3. Advanced Coursework and Advanced Placement

NEW PROJECTS*

1.DevelopmentofNewOklahomaC3 Standards for Science 2.Pre-KOklahomaC3 Standards for Mathematics and Science 3. Innovative Remediation and Enrichment 4.ExemplarSTEMLessons5.Next-GenerationAssessmentItemBank6.DefiningtheTandEinSTEM

EXISTING PROJECTS*

1.OklahomaC3 Standards for Mathematics ★

RESULTS• Increased student designations as College and Career ReadyaccordingtoPARCCandACTWorkKeys.• Increased access to College and Career opportunities basedonincreasedACT/SATscores.• Adoption of new Pre-KindergartenMath Standards and OklahomaC3 Science Standards.•Greatervarietyofremediationservicesofferedbydistricts coupledwithadecreasedemandforremediation.• Increased available funding for STEM-related grants coupledwithincreasedusageofthegrants.• STEMBlocks are adopted statewide asmodel curricula for STEM courses.• Increase inproposals foralternativecoursestructures to meetmathematics and science competenciesbasedon Innovation Framework.• AdvancedCourseworkrubricusedforstatewideguidance.• Increased participation and performance in all STEM related AP courses.

Citizenship Standards for MathematicsIn 2010, the Oklahoma State School Board adopted Common Core State Standards as the newOklahoma C3 Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts. BasedonthevisionoftheOSDEtodevelopstudentswhoareCollege,Career, andCitizen (C3) Ready, theCommonCoreStateStandardsfitperfectlyas theywerespecificallydesignedtoincreasethefocus,coherence,andrigorofthemathematics standards to ensure that students would in fact be College and Career Ready. Noticeably missing is the inclusionof a clear vision forCitizenReadiness in coursesother than Social Studies.

TheOSDEseekstoremedythisandjoinalimitedselectionofstates(CEP,2011)thathaveadoptedtheadditional15%standards allowable by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.Infact,Oklahomamayleadthenationasthefirststatetoattempttocreatestandardsthatdonotjustfocuson the what (content standards) or thehow (mathematics practices),butalsoon thewhy. Such standards will create a lens through which mathematics instruction might be contextualized and utilized. Thismay include conceptualcategoriessuchas,butnot limitedto,SocialJustice,Busi-nessandIndustry;HealthandMedicine;andInnovationandExploration.DomainswithineachconceptualcategorywillbepresentedindialecticaltermssuchasPublicvs.Private;Individual vs. Society; Progression vs. Regression; Securityvs.Risk,andFormvs.Function.

STEM BlocksToincreaseSTEMopportunitiesforstudents,theOSDEwillcreatestatewidepartnershipstodevelopSTEMBlocks.TheOSDEwillworkwiththeOklahoma legislaturetopromoteaselectionofeightsemestercourses,calledSTEMBlocks. TheseintegratedandhighlycontextualizedcoursessuchasRobotics,EnvironmentalEngineering,EnergyandResources, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Biomedical Engineering,Architecture, and others, will align to key STEM conceptsthatpromote the skills that arenotonlybeneficial on theACTbut also in career and collegeentry. In addition, theOSDEwill create an InnovationFramework throughwhichanyschoolmightdeveloptheirownSTEMBlocks thatarealignedtothegoalsandstandardsoftheOklahomaSTEM Education initiative emphasizing rigor, authenticity and student engagement.

At the elementary and middle schools, students will alsobenefitfromSTEMBlocks.StructuresforSTEMcourseswillprovideschoolsforavisiontoreplacethetraditionalmath-ematicsandsciencestructureswithSTEMBlocks.ASTEMSpecial (elementary elective courses) will be available for

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schools who are Emerging STEM Schools while Achieving and Innovating STEM Schools will utilize the STEM BlockFrameworks to invigorate their mathematics and science coursesfromPre-Kindergartento8thgrade.

Advanced Placement and Advanced CourseworkInanefforttoexpandopportunitiesforadvanceplacementcoursework, the OSDE will partner with the (1) NationalMathematicsScienceInitiative(NMSI)andexplorea(2)DualCreditOverlayInitiative.TheNMSIprogramworkscollabor-atively with schools and business and industry to encourage students to participate in Advanced Placement courses. Additionally,theyassistschoolsinprovidinggreatersupporttostudentsenrolledinAdvancePlacementcoursesbypro-viding mentors and frameworks for study sessions outside ofschoolhours.Oklahoma initiallyhad twoschools in theNMSIprogramin2009-2010.Inthe2013-14schoolyear,fourmore schools will be added to the NMSI cohort.

Students have twooptions to receive college creditwhilein high school: dual credit and AP. At present, those twooptions aremutually exclusive.Wepropose introducing aDualCreditOverlaywherestudentswouldtakeAPclasses at their high school and receive credit at their local com-munity college. Students would be encouraged to also take theAPexamwhichwould,inturn,earnthemcreditatother colleges.Studentsthenhavetheoptionofstayingattheir local community college or taking their college credit earned by the AP exam to a 4-year college in- or out-of-state.

A focus will be placed on defining rigorous AdvancedCourseworkattheK-12levelsthroughthedevelopmentofadefiningrubric.OSDEwill leadtheeffortsofassemblingfocusgroupstocreateastatewidecleardefinitionofwhatqualifiesacourseinanysubjectareaasadvancedorhonors course. OSDE and district curriculum directors of each subject area will be called upon to work with their con-sortiums tohelpcreateauniversal rubric thatwillprovideschools and districts guidance and clarity in advanced coursework.

B Learning EnvironmentBOLD PROJECTS1.AuthenticBlendedLearning2. STEM Virtual Academy 3. Connected Students

NEW PROJECTS*

1. Fab Labs 2.OnlineSupplementalEducation

EXISTING PROJECTS*

1. Middle School Mathematics Labs2. Technology Enabled Communication

RESULTS• Increased number of students who have access to powerfultechnology24/7.• Increasing students choosing to participate in the OklahomaVirtualSTEMAcademy.• IncreasedstudentsparticipatinginonlineSTEMcourses.• PublicpresentationofstudentSTEMprojects• Students become STEM scholars through participation intheOklahomaVirtualSTEMAcademy.

Authentic Blended LearningBlendedLearningcombinesonlinelearningwithclassroomlearningandgivesstudentsameasureofcontrolovertime,place,pathandpace for that learning.Authentic learningrequiresstudentstofocusontasksandprojectsthatincor-porate real-worldcontexts,haveeffectsoutsideof school,andarepersonallymeaningfultostudents.Combiningthe content delivery and flexibility of time, place, and path aspects of blended learning with the wider real-world contexts of authentic learning results in an innovative approachofAuthenticBlendedLearning.

AnAuthenticBlendedLearning structurewouldbeginwithafoundationbuiltonflexibletime.Real-worldprojectstakedifferent amounts of time and how that time is divided in each project can change based on results in the earlierphaseoftheproject.Themainfocusofthisapproachistosubmerge students into this typeof environment thatwillsimulate what students will be experiencing in their postsecondaryexperiences.

Ratherthanafixedschedule,theschoolwouldhaveblocksof time set aside for teachers and their students to jointly createtime.Forexample,aportionofthetimecouldbeset aside for students to collaborate with each other or with remote partners, as well as to work with online portionsof the curriculum. Some of that time might be whole-class meetingswiththeteachershelpingstudentstounderstandadifficult concept.Or someof that timemightbe twoorthree groups of students sharing their project status andprovidingfeedbacktootherstudents.

Staffingneedsbecomeflexible, allowingdistricts tomakeeffectiveuseoftheircertifiedstaff.Ratherthanaoneteachertoagroupofstudentsratio,onestructurecouldbeateamof teachers fora largegroupof students. Someof thoseteachers would be master teachers mentoring students as wellasnewerteachers.Asstudentsjoinprojects,ateacher

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would have primary responsibility for one or two projectsandthestudentsinthem,butwouldworkwithallstudents on the subject in which the teacher is highly qualified. Creating a school that allows for this flexibility in staffing,scheduling,andteachingrequirespolicychanges.

AuthenticBlendedLearningisanewapproachtolearninginOklahomathatfirstneedstobedevelopedatthepolicylevel,involvingawiderangeofstakeholders.Thegoalistocreateanenvironmentwheredistrictscanexperimentwithchanges to thestructureof scheduleandstaff.TheOSDEwillworkwithstakeholderstocreatethepoliciesandprofes-sionaldevelopmentopportunitiesthatwillsupportschoolsin such an endeavor.

Oklahoma Virtual STEM AcademyBecause of size, many districts in Oklahoma, particularly ruraldistricts,canonlyofferafewcoursesotherthanthoserequired for graduation. Students who wish to explore subjects in depth either are unable to do so, have long commutestooneofOklahoma’sCareerTechnologyCenters, or must attend a residential program at the OklahomaSchoolof Science andMathematics. TheOklahomaVirtualSTEMAcademy(OVSA)willallowallOklahomastudentswhowish to receive an exceptional STEM-focused educationtodosointheircurrentschool.Asanacademy,theOVSA will designate sequences of STEM Blocks (see previous) as areas of focus, a concept similar to that of amajor in college. The STEM Blocks through the OVSA will be primarily virtual courses that students would take online during the regular school day in their own school.

OVSAwillbeapartnershipbetweenOSDEandCareerTech,whowilljointlydeveloptheAcademystructureandvirtual STEM block courses along with input from districts and otherstakeholders.Aslabworkwithspecializedequipment

isanessentialpartofmanySTEMsubjects,studentswouldoccasionally travel to a CareerTech center during an after-noon,evening,orweekendday,todotheessentiallabwork.OVSAwill alsoprovide theoversight and infrastructure tosupportindustry-developedcourses,suchasthehighschoolcoursessponsoredbyMicrosoftastheMicrosoftAcademyprogram,or the courses sponsoredbyCiscoas theCiscoNetworkingAcademyprogram.

Part of themission ofOVSAwill be to provide primarily virtual professional development opportunities for district STEM teachers. The professional development would help STEM teachers investigate and improve their ownclassroom practice, learn to create and teach blended learningcourses,orlearntheirownsubjectinmoredepth.

OVSAwillalsoprovideamechanismforcollaboratingwithCareerTechcentersandotherstatestodevelopSTEMOpenEducationalResources(OER)thatwillbeusedinOVSA,butare also available to all schools.

OVSAwillalsobe the incubator for teachingand learningusingemergingtechnologiesforuseinK-12environments.Suchexamplesnowwouldbeincorporatingwearabletech-nologies, working with augmented reality, and exploringgame-based learning. Rather than treating such emerging technologiesasgadgetsornovelties,astheytoofrequentlyare,theworkfromtheOVSAwouldshowhowsuchconceptscan be wisely integrated into teaching and learning.

ThesuccessthatOVSAhasinengagingstudentswillresultfromeffectiveincorporationofSTEMblocks.Studentlearn-ingwillimproveasstudentsinalldistrictswillhaveavailablea wide variety of STEM subjects that many districts currently cannotaffordtooffer.Districtsizeisnolongerafactor.

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) transforms STEM education by focusing on the most critical element in education – teaching• NMSI’steachertrainingprogramfortheexistingteachercorpsprovidescriticaltrainingandresourcesaligned withOklahomaC3 Standards leading to increased rigor for all students.

•NMSI’sAPprogramexpandsthenumberoftraditionallyunderrepresentedstudentsachievingathighlevels.

•NMSI’sfocusonmilitaryfamiliesincreasesAPofferingstohighschoolsinmilitarybasedistrictssuchasLawton andMid-Delresultingina112%increaseinAPMathandScienceParticipationand144%increaseinMathand ScienceQualifyingscoresinthefirstyearofimplementation.

•TheOSDEandNMSIarecurrentlyseekingpartnershipswithmoreOklahomabusinessestoincreasethe amount of students taking STEM Advanced Placement courses in high schools across the state.



Connected StudentsOur schools have a responsibility to assure that studentsgain skills in content and cognitive domains, as well as preparingthemtobecitizens inademocraticsocietyandleadinaglobalsociety.Thatsocietywillbefilledwithever-changingtechnologythathasopportunitiesandproblemsthat we cannot yet envision.This initiative will have four key parts. (1) To encouragetheuseofstudent-ownedtechnology, theOSDEwillwork with the districts to develop policies, procedures, and infrastructure that allow students to use their personal

technologydevicesinschool.(2)Toensureequitableaccesstopowerfultechnologydevices,theOSDEwillcollaboratewithstakeholderstodeveloppoliciesthat informstatutory alternatives and funding sources to provide devices for studentswho truly cannot afford them. (3) To address theeffectiveuseoftechnology,theOSDEwillcoordinateeffortsto provide professional learning opportunities for educa-tors.(4)Toaddresscriticalissueswithbroadbandaccessinandoutsideofschool,theOSDEwillworkwiththeOfficesofManagementandEnterpriseServices,educators,andthelegislature,todevelopsolutionsforaccess.

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Did you know?

OSDEawarded$100,000 in robotics grants to60schools/teamsaroundthestatethatcompetedinfourcategoriesofroboticscompetitions

betweentwoseparateorganizations.

TheOSDEandK20partnershipexpandedthispastyearbyawardingthefirst

K20 Elementary STEM grants totenelementaryschoolsinOklahoma.

Oklahomastudentsthatarebecomingmorealgebrareadywillhavecompleted

over 15 million online math problemsthroughtheOSDEpartnershipwith Think Through Math.

OSDEisdevelopingleaderswithinmathandscienceeducationbylaunching the first OKMath and OKSci Leadership cohorts during the

summer of 2013.

BecauseofthesupportforhigherqualityandeffectiveSTEMeducationin

Oklahomamoreandmore STEM opportunities are beginning to emergeforourstudents,educators,andparents.



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2 Highly Effective STEM Educators

Introduction to Goal 2Oneofthemostsignificantcontributingfactorstoastudent’s overall academic success is having access to highly effective teachers. To inspire and prepare students in STEM it is essential that students have access to highly effective STEM teachers. Currently there are not enough certified math-ematics and science teachers to fill existingpositions andthereareconcernsthatteachersmaynothavethesupporttheyneedtobeabletoprovideeffectiveinstructionaroundinitiatives like thenewOklahomaC3 Standards for Mathe-maticsandScience.TheOSDEseekstoaddressfactorsthatmay limit student access to highly effective STEM teachers throughthefollowingstrategies:(2.A)TeacherRecruitment,(2.B)TeacherExpertise,(2.C)ProfessionalDevelopment,and(2.D)Recognition.

A Teacher RecruitmentBOLD PROJECTS1. STEM Education Recruitment Packet 2.BestPracticesReportforRecruitingandRetainingSTEM EducatorsinOklahoma

NEW PROJECTS*

1.Performance-BasedBudgetingtoAllowforCompensation Packages

EXISTING PROJECTS*

1.MathematicsTeacherEducationPartnershipthroughthe ScienceandMathematicsTeacherImperative2. Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Incentive Pay ★

RESULTS•Clear statewide initiative to recruit and retain STEM educators.• Increaseduseof theTeacherLoanForgivenessProgram andtheTeacherShortageEmploymentIncentiveProgram.• Increased offerings of signing-bonuses and creative compensationpackages.

STEM Education Recruitment PacketToeffectivelyswayhighachievingstudentsintothefieldofSTEMEducation, theOSDEwill collaboratewithCollegesofEducationacrossthestatetodevelopaSTEMEducation Recruitment Packet. It will provide detailed comparativeanalyses designed to recruit majors, such as finance or engineering to pursue a STEM Certification. Each packet willhighlightvaryingstatisticsandanecdotestopiquetheinterestsofuniquetargetaudience.

Best Practices Report for Recruiting and Retaining STEM Education in OklahomaTheOSDEwillcollaboratewithresearchcentersandhigher education partners to develop a statewide report on thebest practices (see The New Teacher Project, 2012) for recruitingandretainingSTEMeducators,especiallyinlightof new Teacher Leader Effectiveness evaluations and other challenges that face STEM educators. Suchareportwilldetaildataandpolicyrecommendationsbasedon surveys responses fromOklahoma teachers andstudentsinpre-servicesprograms,andvariouspopulationsof individualswhomightconsiderteachingatsomepoint.School boards, district and state leaders, and colleges ofeducationwillbeable toutilize thefindingsas theybuildrecruitment strategies of their own.

B Teacher ExpertiseBOLD PROJECTS1.STEMMasterTeacherCorps

NEW PROJECTS*

1.OklahomaElementaryMathSpecialist

RESULTS• OklahomaisawardedfundingforSTEMCorps.• Increased completion rates at regional universities for OklahomaElementaryMathSpecialists.• Available incentives for educators with Elementary Mathematicscertification.

STEM Master Teacher CorpsThe OSDE will apply for the anticipated federal grant program,STEMMasterTeacherCorps.Thegrantprovidesfundingandstructuresforstate’storecruit,reward,andtrainSTEMMasterteacherswhoknowandaredeeplyinterested intheirsubject,careaboutimprovingtheircraft,andinspireboth their students and fellow teachers. Teachers involved in the STEMMaster TeacherCorpswillbe classroom-based educators who are highly effective in improving learning outcomes for their students. They willmodeloutstandingteaching,andsharetheirpracticesandstrategies with professional colleagues to lead and guideimprovementsinSTEMeducation. OklahomateachersparticipatingintheMasterTeacherCorpwill be able to collaborate with master teachers from other states and share resources and effective teaching strategies withteachersacrossOklahoma.TheSTEMMasterTeacherCorpwillserveasanotheravenuetorecognizeandrewardoutstandingSTEMteachersinOklahoma.

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Oklahoma Elementary Math SpecialistThe Oklahoma State Board of Education approved thecertification program for the Oklahoma Elementary MathSpecialistinFebruaryof2012.WorkingwiththeOklahomaHigherRegents,multipleuniversitiesacrossthestatehavebegunofferingcourses toelementary teachersas require-ments of the certificationprocesswith the first scheduledcertificationexamtotakeplaceinthefallof2013.

Common Core State Standards for mathematics have been adoptedby thestateofOklahomaandare in theprocessof implementation in districts, which will require deepercontent and conceptual knowledge and mathematicalpedagogy for elementary teachers. Students’ success inmathematicsisshapedintheelementarygrades.However, elementary teachers have typically been trained to be generalists. Professional development does not furnish indepth specialized knowledge required for teachingmath-ematics today.

The Oklahoma Elementary Math Specialist will provide assistance to staff ingradesPK-5 in interpretingdata anddesigning approaches to improve students’ achievementand instruction andhelpensure thatmathematics instruc-tionisalignedwithnational,stateandlocalcurricularframe-works.Theelementarymathspecialistwillalsoprovidedeepandbroadunderstandingofmathematicalcontent,includ-ing the specialized knowledge needed for teaching; solidknowledge of the elementary context; expertise in usingand helping others use effective instructional and assess-ment practices informed by knowledge of mathematicallearningtrajectories;knowledgeandskillsforworkingwitheducators;andleadershipskillsnecessarytoinfluenceandsupport educational efforts to improve the teaching andlearning of mathematics.

C Professional DevelopmentBOLD PROJECTS1.PDOnYourPlan2.#OKMath/SciLeadership3.#OKMathFellowship

NEW PROJECTS*

1. STEM Summer Academies

EXISTING PROJECTS*

1. Regional Meetings2.MathandSciencePartnershipsGrant3.K20STEMGrant✪

RESULTS•HighlyeffectiveSTEMeducatorsineverySTEMclassroom inOklahoma.•IncreasedopportunitiesforProfessionalDevelopment•IncreasedparticipationinProfessionalDevelopment•Increased capacity in local schools to provide in-house ProfessionalDevelopment.

PD on Your PlanPD on Your Plan will model authentic blended learningfor educators, providingmaterial for cooperative learningamongbothon-siteandvirtualprofessional learningcom-munities.PDonYourPlanwillbreakthemoldoftraditionalprofessionaldevelopmentovercomingsiteanddistrictbar-riers suchasgeography,communication,departmentsize,and available resources. As a large scale outreach focused on effective teaching and learning in STEM,PDon your Planwill provideeducatorswith an innovative professional development solution inresponse to the unique timing, pacing, and location con-straints of individual teachers. Technology-enhanced mod-uleswillredefineprofessionaldevelopment,modeleffectiveblended learning practices, and provide educators acrossthestatewithopportunitiestocontinuallyreflectandlearneffectiveteachingpractices.

#OKMath/Sci Leadership Recognizingtheextremeneedaroundrecruitingandretain-inghighlyeffectivemathematicsandscienceteachers,theOSDEseeks tocreateacadreofhighlymotivatedand in-novative educators who will actively contribute to the state-wideefforttoimprovemathematicsandscienceeducation.Recognizinglackofopportunitiesforleadership,innovation,

“Nowmorethanever,teachersneedsupport.Schoolsandschooldistrictsarebeginningtorecognizetheimportantroleofthemathematicsspecialist.”

–Fennel,et.al,

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and autonomy as key factors leading to the low retention ratesofourbesteducators, theOSDEwillbring together30mathand30scienceeducatorstobeempoweredlead-erswithinahighlycompetitiveandprestigiousprofessionallearning network called #OKMath Leadership and #OKSciLeadership.Eachclasswilllastforoneyear,consistofquar-terlymeetings,andculminatewithaClassProject.

Atthe2013Vision2020Conference,60educatorswill jointogetherasClass0, thepilotclassesof the#OKMathand#OKSci Leadership effort. It is imperative that members of this first class are highlymotivated, invested inmath-ematicsandscienceeducation,desiretorefinetheireduca-tional leadershipperspectiveandcapacity,andcommittedtohelpingshapethefuturestructureandvisionforleader-shipclassestocome.

D RecognitionBOLD PROJECTS1. STEM Distinguished Scholars 2. STEM School Designation

NEW PROJECTS*

3. STEM Lesson Rubric 4. STEM School Rubric 5. STEM Educator Circle of Excellence Award★

RESULTS• HighlyeffectiveSTEMeducators ineverySTEMclassroom inOklahoma.• Increased use of the STEM Lesson Rubric to guide developmentandevaluationofSTEMlessons.• Increased recognitionof schools achievingand innovating in STEM Education.•Excellent STEM educators and stakeholders are recognizedannually.

STEM Distinguished ScholarsThe STEM Distinguished Scholars program will provide acomprehensivemethod for identifyingstudentswhoexcelinSTEMareas.OSDEwillworkwithvariousstakeholderstodevelopa system for identifyingstudentsasSTEM-Ready,

recognizing those who meet the necessary requirementswithaspecialdiplomadesignationofSTEMScholar. Atanelementarylevel,studentswhoparticipateinvariousSTEM activities, in and outside of the formal school day,alongwith showingpotential in STEMaccording tomanyvariousmetricswillbedeterminedasSTEM-ready.Students,families and schools will be able to make adjustments to learningexperiencestoincreasestudentprogressasSTEM-ready. Through middle school, students will be providedwithmoremetrics,suchascompletingaSTEMShadowday,participation in STEMactivities and courses, and achieve-ment, among others. Again, STEM-ready determinationswillgivestudents, familiesandschools informationsothatinstructionalopportunitiescanbemodifiedtosupportthegoals of the student. Inhighschool,studentswhoactivelypursueSTEMactivities andcourses,especiallythosewhosuccessfullycomplete10 STEM credits during their four-year high school career will receive the designation as aDistinguished STEM Scholar, providing greater post-secondary opportunities for the student and ensuring colleges, university, and career- preparationprograms that the studentwill bemore likely to be successful. STEM School DesignationThe STEM School Designation will be awarded to schools thatmeetthequalificationsbaseduponadevelopedrubricby theOSDESTEM team andother focus groups efforts.This rubric will serve as the main source for districts to deter-mine if their schools can have a STEM designation.

Possiblemetrics thatwillbeconsideredarestaffqualifica-tions, leadership, stakeholder/industry involvement, typesofcourseworkoffered,studentenrollmentinSTEMcourses,etc. The rubric will also define stages of a school’s STEMdesignationsuchasdetermining ifaschool is in theearly, developing or established categories. This strategy hascanbeusedtohelpenhanceotherOSDEreformssuchas AthroughFandthenewlyadoptedTLEmodel.

3 Leverag

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“Researchshowsthattheprimarycontributortomakingeducatorseffectiveiscontinuous,

deeplearningthatbuildsuponpriorlearning.”

–Postholm

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3 Leverage Stakeholder Support

Introduction to Goal 3To increase understanding of the importance of STEM educationaswellasrecognizingitasapowerfuleconomicdriverinthestateofOklahoma,itisnecessarytocreateanenvironment where all stakeholders can engage in deep discussions wrapped around partnership in all STEM educational initiatives. These stakeholders will include respected educators from K-12, Career Tech, and Higher Education;topindustryprofessionalsfromthefiveidentified economic ecosystems; community members; and state government officials. The primary benefactor of a state widehighqualitySTEMeducationmovementwillbethatof industry.Itisimperativetohaveindustry’scloseinvolvement and participation in the very beginning stages in order tobesuccessfulintheseefforts.Thiswillbeaccomplished throughthefollowingstrategies: (3.A)CommunityPartner-shipsand(3.B)Awareness.

A Community PartnershipsBOLD PROJECTS1.CASMEO2. National Math and Science Initiative

NEW PROJECTS*

1.Pre-ServiceSTEMEducatorInternship

EXISTING PROJECTS*

1.STEMMaster’sDegree✪

RESULTS•EvidenceofstrongpartnershipsbetweenOSDEandthe STEM Industry.•DiverserepresentationonSTEMGuidingCoalition.•DevelopmentofPre-ServiceSTEMEducationInternshipprocess.•IncreasedparticipationinSTEMMaster’sDegreeprograms.

CASMEO Coalition for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education in OklahomaThis organization is in existence today. It contains stake- holdersincludingrepresentationofK-12,careertech,highereducation, business & industry, and local & state govern-mentofficials.Theintentionofthisstakeholdergroupistoworktocreate,promote,andsustainallSTEMinitiativesin Oklahoma.ThegoalofCASMEOwillbetocreateadecidingbody that fosters an environment of stakeholder collabora-tionaroundOklahomaSTEM initiatives.The followingfive subcommittees have been formed and will be focusing onaholisticapproachtoallSTEMinitiatives:(IAC)IndustryAdvisoryCommittee(PAL)Policy,Advancement,andLegis-

lationCommittee(GEO)Grant,Endowment,andOutreach Committee (SET) Science, Engineering, and TechnologyCommittee(MET)Mathematics,Engineering,andTechnology Committee.Eachsubcommitteehasdevelopedacharterto operatewithinCASMEO.Achair,vice-chair,andcommittee members will be assigned to each sub-committee.

In pursuit of a much healthier Oklahoma STEM pipeline,CASMEOwillworkcloselywiththeOklahomaDepartmentofCommercegeneratingdiscussionsaroundtheOklahomaComprehensiveEconomicDevelopmentInitiative.CASMEO willwork todevelop strategies for connectingK-12STEM educationtothefiveidentifiedeconomicdrivingecosystems.

B STEM AwarenessBOLD PROJECTS1.STEMMarketingCampaign

NEW PROJECTS*

1.STEMInternshipNetworkforStudentsandEducators✪

RESULTS•Students,parents,andcommunitieswillhaveanincreased understanding of STEM Education.•Students, parents, and communities will have higher expectationsforSTEMEducationintheirschools.• Increased number of pathways for STEM internships for students and teachers.• Increased participation in STEM internships by students and teachers.

STEM Marketing CampaignA strong emphasis on K-12 STEM education is a vital component to the success of the Oklahoma economy. As STEM-centered industries relocate to the state and offer numerous STEM employment opportunities to Oklahomans,thereisanurgentdemandtostrengthentheapplicant pipeline of qualified STEM personnel, leaders,and innovators.

The STEM marketing campaign will deliver the powerfulmessage of STEM awareness building on the cornerstone emphasis of capturing exactly what STEM really is, what experiences lend themselves to STEM, what courseworkencompasses rigorous STEM content, and what oppor-tunitiescanbefoundinthestatetopursueSTEMcareers.It will serve as a vehicle to communicate to students and parentstheincredibleSTEMopportunitiesthatareavailable to students in our K-12 system. All messaging that flowsthrough thecampaignwillbegin to lay the foundation forpost-secondary STEM experiences either in college or possiblyadeterminedSTEMcareerpathway,strengtheningtheSTEMapplicantpipelineintheprocess.

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4 Appendix A– One Oklahoma: A Strategic Plan for Science and Technology in Oklahoma

1. Improve STEM teachers’ skills and teaching methods a.RecruitmorehighlyqualifiedSTEMteachersincommoneducationandprovideincentives,resources, andassistancetothosealreadyteachingSTEMsubjectsby: i.Establishacareerpathforteachers. ii. Creating a system of sign-on bonuses for STEM teachers. iii.CreatingasystemofdifferentialpayforqualifiedSTEMgraduates. iv. Creating a system of summer academies for science teachers to learn how to conduct laboratories ofpracticaldemonstrationsintheclassroom. b.ModernizeSTEMteachingmethodsatcollegesanduniversitiestoreducetheattritionfromSTEMdegreeprograms.

2. Improve student performance in STEM subjects a.Establisha“STEM-ready”designationtoidentifythosestudentswhoachieveaminimum score on ACT examination. b.Createastatewide“distancelearning”capability.

3. Create a coordinator of STEM programs with the state superintendent’s office a.DevelopaSTEMstrategyatthestatelevel. b.CreateaSTEMEducationandIndustryAdvisoryGroup.

4. Promote STEM education in Oklahoma a.Establishasystemof“STEMcommunities”. b.TheGovernorshouldinitiateandleadastatewidemarketingcampaigntopromote “ASTEMStateofMind”.Excerpted from: Governor Mary Fallin’s Science and Technology Council. (2012). One Oklahoma: A Strategic Plan for Science and Technology in Oklahoma.

5 Works Consulted

ACT,Inc.(2007).RigorAtRisk:ReaffirmingQualityintheHighSchoolCoreCurriculum. www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/rigor_report.pdf

ACT,Inc.(2012).EnrollmentManagementTrendsReport:Asnapshotofthe2011ACT-testedhighschoolgraduates. http://www.act.org/emtrends/12/pdf/EMTrendsReport2012.pdf

Barab,S.A.,Squire,K.D.,&Dueber,W.(2000).Aco-evolutionarymodelforsupportingtheemergenceofauthenticity. EducationalTechnologyResearch&Development,48(2),37-62.doi:10.1007/BF02313400 CenteronEducationPolicy.(2011).States’ProgressandChallengesinImplementingCommonCoreStateStandards. Kober,N&Stark-Rentner,D.Retrievedfrom:http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=343

Fennel,F.(2006).WeNeedElementarySchoolMathematicsSpecialistsNOW.NCTMNewsBulletin.Retrievedfrom http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/About_NCTM/President/2006_11pres.pdf

Fletcher,G.,Schaffhauser,D.,&Levin,D.(2012).Outofprint:ReimaginingtheK-12textbookinadigitalage.Washington,DC: StateEducationalTechnologyDirectorsAssociation(SETDA).Retrievedfrom:Irvin,M.J.,etal.(2011).Relationshipof SchoolContexttoRuralYouth’sEducationalAchievementandAspirations.JournalofYouthandAdolescence,40,1225-1242. http://www.setda.org/web/guest/outofprintreport

Johnson,L.,Adams,S.,&Cummins,M.(2012).TheNMChorizonreport:2012K-12edition(pp.42).Austin, Texas:TheNewMediaConsortium.Retrievedfrom:http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf Schaffhauser,D.(2011).TheabcsofBYOL.T.H.E.Journal,38(1),22-24. Staker,H.,&Horn,M.B.(2012).ClassifyingK-12blendedlearning.Retrievedfrom: http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning2.pdf

TheNewTeacherProject.(2012).KeepingIrreplaceablesinD.C.PublicSchools:LessonsinSmartTeacherRetention. WebDocument.Retrievedfrom:http://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP_DCIrreplaceables_2012.pdf TheWhiteHouse,OfficeofScienceandTechnology.(2012).PresidentObamaAnnouncesNewPlantoCreateSTEMMaster TeachingCorps[PressRelease].Retrievedfrom: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/07/18/president-obama-announces-new-plan-create-stem-master-teaching-corps

Wang,J.,Weber,N.,Dyehouse,M.,&Strobel,J.(2013).Theroleofauthenticityindesign-basedlearningenvironments: Thecaseofengineeringeducation.Computers&Education64(1),143-152,doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.11.026

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