Executive Summary
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Provide a general description of the learning experiences in which the STEM students were most successful. Additionally, generally describe the learning experiences that need improvement for greater student success.
The Carrollton City School System takes great pride in the efforts and initiatives designed to provide a robust STEM educational experience at Carrollton High School. Much like the National STEM standards suggestion, the school’s vision for STEM instruction is to provide students with opportunities to “apply principles of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, interpersonal communication, and teamwork to the solutions of technological problems." |
STEM instruction focuses on project-based learning, requiring students to utilize technological tools, demonstrate skills, solve problems, think logically, and articulate one’s learning. With regard to the areas where Carrollton High School students have experienced success, there are many from which to choose. Areas of greatest success center upon the application of learning. One such area is the CHS ROV Team. Over the last five consecutive years, CHS students have placed in the top 10 internationally, including one third place finish in the world. Clearly, success of this nature cannot be obtained without the in-depth, supportive instruction provided by CHS STEM teachers.
In addition to the ROV competitions, CHS students have had great success through internships. Carrollton High School’s largest internship program was created via a partnership with Southwire, which is the nation’s largest manufacturer of copper wire. Students engaging in the Southwire internship work in teams to address existing challenges faced by the company. One such challenge centered around spools of remnant copper wire. Not being able to accurately calculate the remaining wire on the spool, the company’s clients were having to discard unused spools of wire. However, as one might imagine, the company recognized the waste occurring and asked a team of student interns to tackle the issue. Using the skills learned in their science, mathematics, and engineering courses, a team of Carrollton High School student interns developed an iPhone app, which focused on field techs inputting data about each spool of wire, such as the type of spool, type of wire, information about the coating of the wire, dimensions of the wire, etc. The student-created application then used all of the data to identify the approximate amount of wire remaining. Through this work, students solved a problem for the company, which has resulted in millions of dollars in savings for Southwire clients, and challenges such as these continue to drive the STEM internships.
In addition to these successes, CHS students have excelled in numerous STEM experiences. Carrollton High School has two co-curricular STEM Teams – TSA VEX Robotics and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Approximately 40-50 students annually participate in these competitive teams. The following list represents awards and recognition CHS students have received:
1. 2012-Mitch Scott and Nathan Trippe: 1st place 11-12th grade Robotics
2. Elizabeth Curvino and James Whitney: 1st place 9-10th grade 3D Modeling
3. Carter Smith and Kelcy Newton: 1st place 11-12th grade Spreadsheet Design
4. Taylor Strickland: 1st place 9-10th grade Multimedia Presentation
5. Abbey Greene: 1st place 9-10th grade Programming
6. Zach Howard and Josh Grover: 1st place in 11-12th grade Programming
7. Justin Trippe and John Hurkmans: 1st place in 11-12th grade Animated Design
8. Elizabeth Robinson: 1st place 11-12th grade Photography
9. Brendan Whitaker and Wesley Ivester: 2nd place 9-10th grade Robotics
10. Kat Burger and Joseph Hendricks: 2nd place in Graphic Design
11. Sam Jarrell and Andrew Silva: 2nd place 11-12th grade 3D Modeling
12. Justin Trippe and John Hurkmans placed first in the State Competition and were awarded a scholarship of $500
* 3 first-place winners
* 2 second-place winners
* 1 third-place winner
* 4 have qualified to compete at the State Competition.
*The Carrollton High School team received the award for Most Professional Team
*4th consecutive year to receive 1st place in this event.
* Judges award
* Design award.
*Aditya Patel and Carlos Aguleria qualified to go to the national tournament in Anaheim, CA
* 4 second place finishers.
Exceptional Genius Award
Inspiring Excellence Award
Student Award for Geo-science Excellence
*She also finished:
1st Place in Category
Best in Category (Plant Sciences)
Top 10 overall
Top 4 overall
*By being one of the top 4 projects overall, Caroline qualified for a free trip to the national science fair competition in Pittsburgh.
Committed to continuous improvement, Carrollton High School recognizes there are always opportunities to grow. To that end, faculty and staff acknowledge that more needs to occur with regard to working collaboratively and across content areas to ensure inter-disciplinary, application-based instruction occurs. Initially, CHS teachers had little-if any-common planning time, and trying to plan across disciplines was nearly impossible. However, as a result of the sacrifice of personal time during the school year and the summer, and with the implementation of Google’s apps for education, our teachers are excited and adapting to the 21st century way of collaborating online. We are extremely pleased with the improvements in collaboration that are being made.
Provide examples of how the STEM educators and facilitators implement and sustain the core tenets of an effective and age-appropriate STEM curriculum.
Our system and community place a strong focus on the Three A’s: Academics, Arts, and Athletics. We have a diverse population of students with a wide range of interests and activities. We are not a magnet school, and we do not have a STEM Academy. Therefore, Carrollton High School does not select a certain number of students that will follow a predetermined schedule, but teachers and school leadership instead believe that every student who wants the opportunity to participate in STEM courses should be allowed to do so. Furthermore, STEM exposure will be beneficial in whatever career choices CHS students make. The exact number of CHS graduates impacted by STEM is a difficult thing to define. Yet, many will gain and have gained from the benefits of a STEM education through rigorous and relevant science and math classes. The goal at CHS is to get as many students as possible to “take a bite of the STEM apple.” Invariably, many students will become hooked once exposed to the opportunities available, and it is the job of CHS educators to provide them access.
CHS currently has 199 students enrolled in the Engineering program--the flagship program for STEM--and 168 students in Architectural Drawing and Design. As the concept of STEM has grown, CHS has infused the use of the engineering design cycle and real-world, problem-based activities throughout the curriculum. Currently, Carrollton High School has 151 students enrolled in the Healthcare Science pathway, 80 students in AP Statistics, 54 in AP Calculus, 60 in Honors Pre Calculus, 132 in PreAP and AP Chemistry, 33 in Physics and AP Physics, 133 in Forensics, 14 in IB Math, and 167 in the Computer Science pathway--the newest STEM learning experience. Carrollton High School’s STEM committee is comprised of the science, math, and CTAE staff who teach these courses. As previously noted, CHS educators now collaborate using Google Apps for Education and through one-on-one or group meetings when necessary. Quarterly meetings also occur to discuss and design long term STEM opportunities. Each member of the school’s STEM Planning Team serves as a coach, and their classroom and units serve as models for other teachers needing assistance in incorporating STEM into their instruction.
Since the implementation of STEM, CHS students have experienced gains in achievement. Some examples of these gains include: an increase in the graduation rate, an increase in EOC scores (we are expecting great improvement in this area after a decline in certain subjects), and an increase in our AP scores in science. But more important, CHS has experienced an excitement and new focus from our students as they can see the relevance in their education due to STEM instruction and the real-world applications afforded to them. Additionally, CHS has many students who have chosen to pursue post-secondary education and STEM-related careers. There are also many students who will not go on to a post-secondary education opportunity but will immediately join the workforce, being trained and ready due to their experiences in STEM at CHS.
Providing our students with the best opportunity to be successful as they enter their post-secondary journey is what educators strive for at CHS. Teachers and leaders want CHS students to have a world-class education, which will allow them to impact our community as they become the next generation of leaders.
Carrollton High School educators work to remain on the cutting edge of new technology and innovations in the field. However, it takes intentional, focused efforts to remain progressive and not be left behind. To do so, CHS works to develop and foster meaningful business partners who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with teachers and students alike. One such example is with the Carrollton IT Coordinator, Jared Price. Mr. Price continuously provides our teachers with professional development opportunities to ensure that we are up to date on the latest best practices in 21st century classrooms. He plans professional development activities and surveys our staff to determine the needs of our teachers.
CHS also works closely with West Georgia RESA. This staff offers opportunities for professional development in a variety of STEM-related topics. West Georgia RESA staff members offer these opportunities for individuals from different schools at their site, but also deliver professional learning at our school sites.
CHS is committed to professional development surrounding STEM instruction. Several examples of the specific trainings are as follows:
As evidenced through the business partnerships, professional development opportunities, and commitment to STEM internships, CHS remains focused on providing a relevant, effective, and age-appropriate STEM education.
In addition to the ROV competitions, CHS students have had great success through internships. Carrollton High School’s largest internship program was created via a partnership with Southwire, which is the nation’s largest manufacturer of copper wire. Students engaging in the Southwire internship work in teams to address existing challenges faced by the company. One such challenge centered around spools of remnant copper wire. Not being able to accurately calculate the remaining wire on the spool, the company’s clients were having to discard unused spools of wire. However, as one might imagine, the company recognized the waste occurring and asked a team of student interns to tackle the issue. Using the skills learned in their science, mathematics, and engineering courses, a team of Carrollton High School student interns developed an iPhone app, which focused on field techs inputting data about each spool of wire, such as the type of spool, type of wire, information about the coating of the wire, dimensions of the wire, etc. The student-created application then used all of the data to identify the approximate amount of wire remaining. Through this work, students solved a problem for the company, which has resulted in millions of dollars in savings for Southwire clients, and challenges such as these continue to drive the STEM internships.
In addition to these successes, CHS students have excelled in numerous STEM experiences. Carrollton High School has two co-curricular STEM Teams – TSA VEX Robotics and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Approximately 40-50 students annually participate in these competitive teams. The following list represents awards and recognition CHS students have received:
- VEX Robotic Competition
- VEX Robotic Qualifier (Forsyth County)
- Georgia TSA Vex Qualifier (Athens, GA)
- VEX Qualifier (Savannah, GA)
- Grey’s Reef Southeast Regional ROV Competition (Savannah, GA)
- VEX World (Orlando, Florida)
- International MATE ROV competition/NASA (Houston, Texas)
- West Georgia Technology Fair
1. 2012-Mitch Scott and Nathan Trippe: 1st place 11-12th grade Robotics
2. Elizabeth Curvino and James Whitney: 1st place 9-10th grade 3D Modeling
3. Carter Smith and Kelcy Newton: 1st place 11-12th grade Spreadsheet Design
4. Taylor Strickland: 1st place 9-10th grade Multimedia Presentation
5. Abbey Greene: 1st place 9-10th grade Programming
6. Zach Howard and Josh Grover: 1st place in 11-12th grade Programming
7. Justin Trippe and John Hurkmans: 1st place in 11-12th grade Animated Design
8. Elizabeth Robinson: 1st place 11-12th grade Photography
9. Brendan Whitaker and Wesley Ivester: 2nd place 9-10th grade Robotics
10. Kat Burger and Joseph Hendricks: 2nd place in Graphic Design
11. Sam Jarrell and Andrew Silva: 2nd place 11-12th grade 3D Modeling
12. Justin Trippe and John Hurkmans placed first in the State Competition and were awarded a scholarship of $500
- Regional Skills USA competitions
- Region Science Fair
* 3 first-place winners
* 2 second-place winners
* 1 third-place winner
* 4 have qualified to compete at the State Competition.
- MATE Southeast Regional Competition (April 2012)
*The Carrollton High School team received the award for Most Professional Team
*4th consecutive year to receive 1st place in this event.
- (2013-14) The CHS VEX robotics team competed in 5 competitions this year.
* Judges award
* Design award.
*Aditya Patel and Carlos Aguleria qualified to go to the national tournament in Anaheim, CA
- 2014 West Georgia Technology Fair
* 4 second place finishers.
- (2014-15) The CHS ROV placed 9th with a score of 420 out of 550 points in the MATE International ROV Competition in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada the week of June 24 - 26. Daniel Kuntz won the presentation MVP award for judge's room two. The competition scores were a composite of three separate product demonstrations where the ROV had to complete specific tasks, poster display, technical paper, and engineering presentation.
- (2014-15) One student qualified for the Georgia Science and Engineering fair, Caroline Hendricks.
Exceptional Genius Award
Inspiring Excellence Award
Student Award for Geo-science Excellence
*She also finished:
1st Place in Category
Best in Category (Plant Sciences)
Top 10 overall
Top 4 overall
*By being one of the top 4 projects overall, Caroline qualified for a free trip to the national science fair competition in Pittsburgh.
- On June 18, 2011, the Carrollton High School ROV team was recognized and received a commendation by Nathan Deal, Governor of the State of Georgia.
- Carrollton High School has 17 members Academic Bowl Team which competes across the state. The Academic Bowl Team finished 2nd in our RESA district and was featured on High Q where they advanced to round 8.
Committed to continuous improvement, Carrollton High School recognizes there are always opportunities to grow. To that end, faculty and staff acknowledge that more needs to occur with regard to working collaboratively and across content areas to ensure inter-disciplinary, application-based instruction occurs. Initially, CHS teachers had little-if any-common planning time, and trying to plan across disciplines was nearly impossible. However, as a result of the sacrifice of personal time during the school year and the summer, and with the implementation of Google’s apps for education, our teachers are excited and adapting to the 21st century way of collaborating online. We are extremely pleased with the improvements in collaboration that are being made.
Provide examples of how the STEM educators and facilitators implement and sustain the core tenets of an effective and age-appropriate STEM curriculum.
Our system and community place a strong focus on the Three A’s: Academics, Arts, and Athletics. We have a diverse population of students with a wide range of interests and activities. We are not a magnet school, and we do not have a STEM Academy. Therefore, Carrollton High School does not select a certain number of students that will follow a predetermined schedule, but teachers and school leadership instead believe that every student who wants the opportunity to participate in STEM courses should be allowed to do so. Furthermore, STEM exposure will be beneficial in whatever career choices CHS students make. The exact number of CHS graduates impacted by STEM is a difficult thing to define. Yet, many will gain and have gained from the benefits of a STEM education through rigorous and relevant science and math classes. The goal at CHS is to get as many students as possible to “take a bite of the STEM apple.” Invariably, many students will become hooked once exposed to the opportunities available, and it is the job of CHS educators to provide them access.
CHS currently has 199 students enrolled in the Engineering program--the flagship program for STEM--and 168 students in Architectural Drawing and Design. As the concept of STEM has grown, CHS has infused the use of the engineering design cycle and real-world, problem-based activities throughout the curriculum. Currently, Carrollton High School has 151 students enrolled in the Healthcare Science pathway, 80 students in AP Statistics, 54 in AP Calculus, 60 in Honors Pre Calculus, 132 in PreAP and AP Chemistry, 33 in Physics and AP Physics, 133 in Forensics, 14 in IB Math, and 167 in the Computer Science pathway--the newest STEM learning experience. Carrollton High School’s STEM committee is comprised of the science, math, and CTAE staff who teach these courses. As previously noted, CHS educators now collaborate using Google Apps for Education and through one-on-one or group meetings when necessary. Quarterly meetings also occur to discuss and design long term STEM opportunities. Each member of the school’s STEM Planning Team serves as a coach, and their classroom and units serve as models for other teachers needing assistance in incorporating STEM into their instruction.
Since the implementation of STEM, CHS students have experienced gains in achievement. Some examples of these gains include: an increase in the graduation rate, an increase in EOC scores (we are expecting great improvement in this area after a decline in certain subjects), and an increase in our AP scores in science. But more important, CHS has experienced an excitement and new focus from our students as they can see the relevance in their education due to STEM instruction and the real-world applications afforded to them. Additionally, CHS has many students who have chosen to pursue post-secondary education and STEM-related careers. There are also many students who will not go on to a post-secondary education opportunity but will immediately join the workforce, being trained and ready due to their experiences in STEM at CHS.
Providing our students with the best opportunity to be successful as they enter their post-secondary journey is what educators strive for at CHS. Teachers and leaders want CHS students to have a world-class education, which will allow them to impact our community as they become the next generation of leaders.
Carrollton High School educators work to remain on the cutting edge of new technology and innovations in the field. However, it takes intentional, focused efforts to remain progressive and not be left behind. To do so, CHS works to develop and foster meaningful business partners who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with teachers and students alike. One such example is with the Carrollton IT Coordinator, Jared Price. Mr. Price continuously provides our teachers with professional development opportunities to ensure that we are up to date on the latest best practices in 21st century classrooms. He plans professional development activities and surveys our staff to determine the needs of our teachers.
CHS also works closely with West Georgia RESA. This staff offers opportunities for professional development in a variety of STEM-related topics. West Georgia RESA staff members offer these opportunities for individuals from different schools at their site, but also deliver professional learning at our school sites.
CHS is committed to professional development surrounding STEM instruction. Several examples of the specific trainings are as follows:
- Teacher Technology Training
- Georgia Association of Career Technical Education Conference
- West GA RESA Two-Day STEM Mini Conference
- West GA RESA Technology Conference
- Georgia ETC conference
- GADOE Exemplar SLO Training
- Intelitek: CNC Mill and Scorbot Robotic Arm
- Project Lead the Way National Summit
- Association of Career Technical Education National Conference
- ITEEA National Conference
- ACSD National Conference
- Active Inspire training
- Active Inspire Intermediate
- Microsoft 2007 update
- Active Expression Training
- Safari Montage Training
- Cybersaftey and Digital Citizenship
- Intelitek: LearnMate Management System
- National STEM Symposium
- Intelitek: CNC Mill and Scorbot Robotic Arm
- Autodesk University
As evidenced through the business partnerships, professional development opportunities, and commitment to STEM internships, CHS remains focused on providing a relevant, effective, and age-appropriate STEM education.