Standard Narrative
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Reflect upon your responses to each of the indicators and performance levels by considering and responding to the following questions to complete this narrative response. Use language from the performance level descriptions to guide your writing.
What were the areas of strength noted in the Self-Assessment? What were areas in need of improvement? What actions are being implemented to sustain the areas of strength? What plans are being made to improve the areas of need? Our Rating: Overall Standard Score = 3.36
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Note: Since we completed the AdvancED certification process, the Indicator structure has has been rearranged into the STEM Learners, Educators, and Experiences domains. Our documentation has been reorganized to reflect the new organizational structure; however, our Standard Narrative remains organized using the structure we needed during certification.
Working collaboratively to review the STEM Standards, Carrollton High School teachers, administrators, and district leadership met in April 2015 to engage in a self-assessment in relation to the AdvancED STEM Indicators. To that end, the team worked to develop a consensus regarding the school’s self-assessment for each indicator. As a result, several areas of strength and opportunities for improvement have emerged.
On Indicator 6.2, “The interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum focuses on deeper learning with real world applications,” the team believes Carrollton High School is worthy of a Level 4 score. To that end, most science and mathematics units integrate the ISTE standards, and all of the engineering courses’ instructional units are designed with engineering standards, which integrate key concepts in science, mathematics, and technology.
Instructional units in mathematics and science are created through collaboration and with a STEM focus. Likewise, CTAE teachers regularly seek out science and mathematics teachers for guidance on where key concepts from their respective content areas can be infused into daily lesson planning.
Additionally, all students are provided the opportunity to participate in courses with an engineering focus. Such courses include the Engineering Pathway , Computer Science Pathway, Healthcare Science Pathway, Graphic Communications Pathway, Audio-Video Technology & Film Pathway, Architectural Drawing and Design, PreAP and AP Chemistry, Physics and AP Physics, Forensics, IB and AP Biology, AP Calculus and Honors Pre Calculus, and AP Statistics. With each area of study, students are provided a sequence of courses to take, and with many of them include internship opportunities that provide individuals with experience to engage in authentic, problem-based learning experiences that bridge foundational concepts developed during their classes.
To sustain this area of strength, CHS is continuing to improve inter-departmental online collaboration that allows our teachers to communicate when planning periods do not allow face to face meetings. With grant funding from the district’s charter status , each teacher was issued a new chromebook to assist in promoting, encouraging, and providing means for online collaboration. Our teachers have expressed great excitement and sense of manageability with the new technologies offered them. Training opportunities are offered through our system IT department and our media specialist. She also offers one on one training at any time to support our teachers. The CHS Computer Science interns are currently producing self help videos for teachers covering the many Google education apps that are used in our system. Indicator 6.4 also emerged as an area of strength with a Level 4 ranking. Through Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education offerings, students choose an area of interest from various clusters offered at CHS. Through this model, students take classes tailored to their area of emphasis, which help them navigate their way to greater success – whether they decide to move forward in a career or transition into college.
Additionally, the aim of the program is to show students the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom and afford them with opportunities to broaden their knowledge regarding real-world, relevant problems, which can be solved via a strategically-focused approach. Systemic work to create a shared vision of appropriate, challenging STEM instructional design has been a major focus for the past five years and has proven to yield tremendous gains with regard to student interest in STEM content and in opportunities to facilitate increased partnerships between the school system and local industry. In terms of classroom instruction, it has been transformed from a traditional model, where students were merely experiencing instruction through a “sit-n-get” mode, to an integrated approach, where collaborative groups of students work on real-world challenges using newly-acquired content knowledge to explore, design, test, modify, and solve problems that simulate those one might experience outside of the classroom environment.
The basic or beginning STEM projects require students to apply knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work, in new and unpredictable situations. As students progress through the curriculum, they are required to analyze and solve problems and create unique solutions. Finally, students must think in complex ways to create solutions and take actions that further develop their skills and knowledge. Students completing the Carrollton High School Engineering pathway have the opportunity to work within teams of students to design and build products utilizing industry-grade machinery to produce architectural drawings, competition robots, 3-D models, and much more. This work is further strengthened by our partnership with Southwire, a leading cable, wire, and cord manufacturer. Through this opportunity students work as interns with Southwire engineers to address existing challenges within the company and arrive at creative solutions, which they present to a panel of Southwire engineers on a bi-monthly basis. The work completed via this internship has resulted in the development of several iPhone apps, improving time down on the assembly line, streamlining information throughout the plant, and many more examples. As evidenced by the examples above, the Carrollton City School System is a firm believer in providing students with learning experiences that provide rigor and relevance through inquiry based activities. With a solid foothold in the Understanding by Design model, we craft learning experiences that provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and apply it to new situations. Students must be able to take what they have learned and solve new and different problems, instead of merely restating information for a test. To determine if students truly understand the course content, we must assess whether or not students can take what they have learned and transfer to challenges that mirror those found in the real world. And when students can successfully master challenges such as these, we can trust that our students have been prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century.
In an effort to sustain this area of strength, CHS is continuing to work with Southwire to maintain the standard of excellence in the rigor and quality of the projects that students work on while in the engineering academy. Carrollton High School is also pursuing and implementing new internships with other business partners that are willing to model their partnership after the one between CHS and Southwire. Each partnership is different, but also emphasizes the importance of inquiry based learning with rigor and relevance to the students’ real world experiences. STEM teachers at Carrollton High School are in continuous search for cutting edge ideas and best practices for implementing performance and project based task assignments into their classrooms. Peer coaching and professional development in these practices are focus areas of Carrollton High School leadership.
The stakeholder team also identified Indicators 6.5, 6.7, and 6.9 as areas of strength, each earning a Level 4 ranking. When reviewing the common threads among these indicators, there is a clear focus upon students working in a student-led environment, where facilitators, mentors, and community partners support the work occurring while also allowing students to problem-solve, analyze, revise, and refine their work in order to arrive at a viable solution.
Indicator 6.5 focuses on students personalizing and self-directing their learning experiences. Examples of this can be found in students that are selected to be a part of the Southwire Engineering Academy. These students attend school in the morning and the equivalent of two blocks at Southwire's headquarters in the afternoon. There, they are organized into teams and assigned to a Southwire project engineer and lead project engineer. These engineers serve as supervisors for the duration of the semester, setting expectations and deadlines, monitoring progress and leading the teams' daily work around manufacturing and product development tasks.
Whether applying root-cause analysis to improve production line efficiencies or identifying the correct mathematical formula to help utilities reduce waste by calculating how much wire is left on a partial reel, the teams gain hands-on experience, while learning to work quickly, efficiently and accurately to solve today's top business challenges.
The junior engineer's grade is determined by both academic and on-the-job performance. At the beginning of the semester, teams are given an overview of their tasks, along with specific goals and deadlines. Twice per semester, each student is required to give a walkthrough presentation to his or her project engineer, Southwire's management team, school officials and other teams. These include reviews of performance against projected goals, key project findings and next steps, all of which are used to determine the overall grade for each student.
At Carrollton High School, we encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. Self-directed learning incorporates the basic fundamentals of learning that we all employee as young children just discovering our world. Our teachers are encouraged to do away with the old institutionalized version of teaching and teach “outside the box.” It is important to provide activities for students that interest them and provides them a bridge for connecting their school subject matter to real-world experiences. We must prepare our students for the 21st Century by taking what we have learned from the experiences of our engineering academy and apply them throughout our school.
In terms of Indicator 6.7, the focus is upon students learning via performance-based assessments while being able to clearly elaborate upon their thought processes and the logic behind the solutions they have developed. One essential artifact, which demonstrates these opportunities, is the Engineering Notebook. Through the Engineering program and Southwire Engineering Academy Internship project-based learning, students are provided opportunities to solve real world problems through CCGPS-embedded assignments requiring them to utilize technological tools, demonstrate skills, solve problems, think logically, and articulate one’s learning.
All assignments are project-based and integrate the principles of engineering, technology, math, and science. That is, students have the opportunity to “apply principles of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, interpersonal communication and teamwork to the solutions of technological problems” (ENGR-STEM4).
Mentorships, apprenticeships, and internships are well-developed to support students in making adult-world connections. Carrollton City Schools has enjoyed strong partnerships over the years in other programs, and as expected, the local industrial base readily supported a STEM collaboration as well. The initial goal was to develop an engineering internship program that would not only challenge and support our STEM efforts at school but serve as a contribution to our community as we give back to those who have supported us. Carrollton City Schools entered into such an agreement with Southwire, North America’s leading manufacturer of wire and cable used in the distribution and transmission of electricity. Each semester, Carrollton High School places STEM interns at Southwire every other day for two blocks. The first year, we were able to send 20 students to Southwire. Presently, we are sending 26 students to Southwire to be a part of the Engineering Academy. During this internship, the STEM students work directly with Southwire engineers to solve problems, think logically, and articulate their learning as they work to find viable solutions to industry/real world- related projects. The engineers aid the student interns in project innovation and creative pursuits.
Southwire is not the only business partner that has stepped up in a big way for Carrollton High School students. Recently, CHS has secured additional community partnerships with Greenway Medical Technologies and Tanner Medical Center. Greenway’s mission is to enhance the delivery of ambulatory patient care by providing innovative software and service solutions that allow healthcare providers and their practices to function at their highest level of efficiency. Greenway’s expertise is providing solutions and on-demand services for physician practices, hospitals, IDNs (Integrated Delivery Networks), RECs (Regional Extension Centers), HIEs (Health Information Exchanges), and IPAs (Independent Physician Associations). Greenway also enables the strategies of ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations) and PCMHs (Patient Centered Medical Homes) for tomorrow. Greenway is providing students with the opportunity to be a member of the company’s research and development team. The partnership will assure a future skilled workforce for Greenway who values employing individuals from within the community, as well as, the expertise that these students-with their tech savvy skills-bring to the research and development team.
Tanner Medical Center’s mission is to provide a continuum of quality healthcare services within their resource capabilities. Tanner serves as a leader in a collaborative effort with the community to provide health education, support services, and care for all our citizens. Through the caring and dedication of its team of employees and physicians, Tanner Health System will be recognized as the provider of choice for quality, accessible healthcare for its patients and community. Tanner’s expertise and its ability to deliver quality medical service with the best technology available while reducing one’s medical visit or hospital stay make it one of the top 100 rated hospitals in America. Tanner opportunities include traditional fields such as nursing, surgical, MRI, and CT, while also offering opportunities with state-of-the-art surgical equipment such as a robotics program. In addition to the more traditional fields, Tanner offers opportunities for CHS students to participate in a variety of skills and tasks throughout the medical center. It provides opportunities for our students to see a variety of opportunities that are available for them after high school.
CHS strives to sustain and improve efforts surrounding STEM instruction. We use competition as a means of hooking our students, and we start this at a young age. Carrollton High School currently has two co-curricular STEM Teams: TSA VEX Robotics and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). We have approximately 40-50 students participating in these competitive teams. We also compete in the Moody’s Mega Math Challenge, Regional and State Technology Fair, Regional and State Science Fair, and the Academic Bowl.
CHS continues to pursue other partnerships that will allow students to participate in meaningful internship opportunities. At Carrollton, we also provide meaningful and relevant real-world opportunities through our internship opportunities such as our Computer Science/IT interns, our jumbotron crew, the NFHS play-on sports crew, Engineering interns, Media Specialists interns, and Graphics Communications interns. We are continuously expanding opportunities at CHS as new ideas and needs arise.
While CHS is proud of the hard work surrounding the many STEM initiatives, there are areas in which improvements can be made. The team identified Indicator 6.3 as an area where gains can be made. With the focus of this indicator centering on educators collaborating as an interdisciplinary team, stakeholders recognized some of the inherit challenges surrounding the school’s master schedule and the ability to coordinate planning opportunities. However, to combat this challenge, Carrollton High School has immersed itself in implementing Google Apps for Education as the platform for bridging our departments across the school. During the first year of implementation, the high school Engineering course was co-taught by CTAE, math, and science teachers. Due to budgetary restraints, this practice was discontinued; however, the STEM team continues to collaborate during planning and after school when possible. All teachers that actively infuse STEM into their classrooms continue to be actively involved in the STEM program and serve as sponsors for the STEM co-curricular teams. In addition, stipends have been budgeted for STEM curriculum work during non-contractual days. Documentation of STEM collaborations have been streamlined since the implementation of Google classrooms into the high school. Teachers now document collaboration activities through a live document shared through Google Drive. STEM resources are shared as they are discovered. Professional development opportunities allow for cross-curricular STEM collaborations discussions and planning. Our Engineering instructor meets with our science and math departments in both group settings and one on one collaboration meetings.
Similar to Indicator 6.3, the team identified Indicator 6.11 as an area where improvements can be made. Focusing upon a continuous program of STEM-specific professional learning, administration is frequently asked to allow CHS STEM teachers opportunities to present both locally and across the state. With STEM teachers often being solicited to present to others, it does impact the degree to which they are able to attend conferences for their own professional growth and learning. While presenting is always an honor and further develops one’s craft, it does create a challenge. Yet, in working to identify a solution, CHS leadership has dedicated itself to using local, state, and federal funds to provide its teachers with opportunities to participate in professional growth opportunities and to ensure that 21st-century instructional resources are available to all students in all classrooms. This meant that each classroom was equipped with an interactive whiteboard, document camera, student response system, and other digital resources to ensure students had the opportunity to become masters of these 21st-century tools. On-demand technology is essential for it to be truly infused into instruction and learning. Since all of our teachers and administrators have various levels of competency skills with technology, it was essential to have on-going, individualized professional development for staff and administrators. Carrollton City Schools hired a technology coach to provide the professional development that included awareness, demonstration, practice, feedback, and coaching activities. The Technology Coach provided the professional development in the school setting in an effort to support creative and multiple scheduling options and included face-to-face and online job embedded professional learning. In addition, state, federal, and local funds were combined to provide STEM professional development opportunities during the school year and during the summer.
In summary, Carrollton High School has not obtained its status as a leader in Georgia’s efforts to promote STEM education without committing time, effort, and resources toward this work. CHS has developed dynamic, state-of-the-art engineering lab, complete with fully-operational STEM engineering lab equipped with the following items: Intellitek Rec. Program, Vex Robotic components, AutoDesk Design Academy Software, LearnMate Learning Management System, high performance computers, CNC Mill technology, Lifesize HD video conferencing equipment, four Interactive whiteboards, four digital projectors, student/teacher sound system, student response system, document camera, DVD recorder, blue tooth slate, SCORBOT package, laser drill press, delta band saw, delta dust collector, material testing with buster, large/wide format printer, Vexnet Adapter Key , Omni Directional wheel, Turntable bearing kit, CNC router, Dimension Rapid Protoyping Machine, and LearnMate Lab laser pro-engraver.
The high school STEM lab is approximately 2700 square feet and has three basic sections:
1) Competition Area: A large 20'x30' flexible area that can be set up for different competitions. This space includes a view window from the hall. Also doubles as a place to display student work.
2) Computer Lab: This area houses 32 high performance computers and video conferencing equipment. Computers are loaded with 4G Ram, 64 bit processor and can run Autodesk Suite (Inventor, CAD, Revit), Easy C programming, Master CAM X5, Robo Cell, and Microsoft Office.
3) Fabrication Lab: Safety Zone! Student may not enter this room without passing the safety course given by the instructor. This room is closed off from other parts of the lab and houses band saw, drill press, mill, router, 3D printer, robotic arm and materials buster.
In addition to the lab, Carrollton High School has worked to promote STEM learning through competitive clubs and activities. Students are also provided with opportunities to showcase their learning through the Vex Robotics Competition Table, which is located beside the lunchroom, (not sure if that is the correct terminology) allowing all students to have glimpses of STEM opportunities in which they can become involved.
With regard to developing partnerships, CHS has community partners that understand and whole-heartedly support the STEM initiative of Carrollton High School. Our partners are enthusiastic about providing resources, internship opportunities, and sharing their employees to serve as role models for our students. They are dedicated to continued support and value the education that we are providing because our students today are their employees tomorrow. In addition to partnerships, Carrollton High School has a STEM Advisory Team, which meets twice a year to review existing STEM initiatives and to provide guidance for the future.
Evidenced through these actions, Carrollton High School is well ahead of the curve in providing students with opportunities to engage in diverse, relevant, and meaningful STEM learning experiences. As a result of the positive impact from the CHS STEM programs, teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community stakeholders are anxious and excited about improving and expanding STEM learning opportunities, believing education in this area is truly a difference maker for the Carrollton City children and their future.
On Indicator 6.2, “The interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum focuses on deeper learning with real world applications,” the team believes Carrollton High School is worthy of a Level 4 score. To that end, most science and mathematics units integrate the ISTE standards, and all of the engineering courses’ instructional units are designed with engineering standards, which integrate key concepts in science, mathematics, and technology.
Instructional units in mathematics and science are created through collaboration and with a STEM focus. Likewise, CTAE teachers regularly seek out science and mathematics teachers for guidance on where key concepts from their respective content areas can be infused into daily lesson planning.
Additionally, all students are provided the opportunity to participate in courses with an engineering focus. Such courses include the Engineering Pathway , Computer Science Pathway, Healthcare Science Pathway, Graphic Communications Pathway, Audio-Video Technology & Film Pathway, Architectural Drawing and Design, PreAP and AP Chemistry, Physics and AP Physics, Forensics, IB and AP Biology, AP Calculus and Honors Pre Calculus, and AP Statistics. With each area of study, students are provided a sequence of courses to take, and with many of them include internship opportunities that provide individuals with experience to engage in authentic, problem-based learning experiences that bridge foundational concepts developed during their classes.
To sustain this area of strength, CHS is continuing to improve inter-departmental online collaboration that allows our teachers to communicate when planning periods do not allow face to face meetings. With grant funding from the district’s charter status , each teacher was issued a new chromebook to assist in promoting, encouraging, and providing means for online collaboration. Our teachers have expressed great excitement and sense of manageability with the new technologies offered them. Training opportunities are offered through our system IT department and our media specialist. She also offers one on one training at any time to support our teachers. The CHS Computer Science interns are currently producing self help videos for teachers covering the many Google education apps that are used in our system. Indicator 6.4 also emerged as an area of strength with a Level 4 ranking. Through Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education offerings, students choose an area of interest from various clusters offered at CHS. Through this model, students take classes tailored to their area of emphasis, which help them navigate their way to greater success – whether they decide to move forward in a career or transition into college.
Additionally, the aim of the program is to show students the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom and afford them with opportunities to broaden their knowledge regarding real-world, relevant problems, which can be solved via a strategically-focused approach. Systemic work to create a shared vision of appropriate, challenging STEM instructional design has been a major focus for the past five years and has proven to yield tremendous gains with regard to student interest in STEM content and in opportunities to facilitate increased partnerships between the school system and local industry. In terms of classroom instruction, it has been transformed from a traditional model, where students were merely experiencing instruction through a “sit-n-get” mode, to an integrated approach, where collaborative groups of students work on real-world challenges using newly-acquired content knowledge to explore, design, test, modify, and solve problems that simulate those one might experience outside of the classroom environment.
The basic or beginning STEM projects require students to apply knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work, in new and unpredictable situations. As students progress through the curriculum, they are required to analyze and solve problems and create unique solutions. Finally, students must think in complex ways to create solutions and take actions that further develop their skills and knowledge. Students completing the Carrollton High School Engineering pathway have the opportunity to work within teams of students to design and build products utilizing industry-grade machinery to produce architectural drawings, competition robots, 3-D models, and much more. This work is further strengthened by our partnership with Southwire, a leading cable, wire, and cord manufacturer. Through this opportunity students work as interns with Southwire engineers to address existing challenges within the company and arrive at creative solutions, which they present to a panel of Southwire engineers on a bi-monthly basis. The work completed via this internship has resulted in the development of several iPhone apps, improving time down on the assembly line, streamlining information throughout the plant, and many more examples. As evidenced by the examples above, the Carrollton City School System is a firm believer in providing students with learning experiences that provide rigor and relevance through inquiry based activities. With a solid foothold in the Understanding by Design model, we craft learning experiences that provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and apply it to new situations. Students must be able to take what they have learned and solve new and different problems, instead of merely restating information for a test. To determine if students truly understand the course content, we must assess whether or not students can take what they have learned and transfer to challenges that mirror those found in the real world. And when students can successfully master challenges such as these, we can trust that our students have been prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century.
In an effort to sustain this area of strength, CHS is continuing to work with Southwire to maintain the standard of excellence in the rigor and quality of the projects that students work on while in the engineering academy. Carrollton High School is also pursuing and implementing new internships with other business partners that are willing to model their partnership after the one between CHS and Southwire. Each partnership is different, but also emphasizes the importance of inquiry based learning with rigor and relevance to the students’ real world experiences. STEM teachers at Carrollton High School are in continuous search for cutting edge ideas and best practices for implementing performance and project based task assignments into their classrooms. Peer coaching and professional development in these practices are focus areas of Carrollton High School leadership.
The stakeholder team also identified Indicators 6.5, 6.7, and 6.9 as areas of strength, each earning a Level 4 ranking. When reviewing the common threads among these indicators, there is a clear focus upon students working in a student-led environment, where facilitators, mentors, and community partners support the work occurring while also allowing students to problem-solve, analyze, revise, and refine their work in order to arrive at a viable solution.
Indicator 6.5 focuses on students personalizing and self-directing their learning experiences. Examples of this can be found in students that are selected to be a part of the Southwire Engineering Academy. These students attend school in the morning and the equivalent of two blocks at Southwire's headquarters in the afternoon. There, they are organized into teams and assigned to a Southwire project engineer and lead project engineer. These engineers serve as supervisors for the duration of the semester, setting expectations and deadlines, monitoring progress and leading the teams' daily work around manufacturing and product development tasks.
Whether applying root-cause analysis to improve production line efficiencies or identifying the correct mathematical formula to help utilities reduce waste by calculating how much wire is left on a partial reel, the teams gain hands-on experience, while learning to work quickly, efficiently and accurately to solve today's top business challenges.
The junior engineer's grade is determined by both academic and on-the-job performance. At the beginning of the semester, teams are given an overview of their tasks, along with specific goals and deadlines. Twice per semester, each student is required to give a walkthrough presentation to his or her project engineer, Southwire's management team, school officials and other teams. These include reviews of performance against projected goals, key project findings and next steps, all of which are used to determine the overall grade for each student.
At Carrollton High School, we encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. Self-directed learning incorporates the basic fundamentals of learning that we all employee as young children just discovering our world. Our teachers are encouraged to do away with the old institutionalized version of teaching and teach “outside the box.” It is important to provide activities for students that interest them and provides them a bridge for connecting their school subject matter to real-world experiences. We must prepare our students for the 21st Century by taking what we have learned from the experiences of our engineering academy and apply them throughout our school.
In terms of Indicator 6.7, the focus is upon students learning via performance-based assessments while being able to clearly elaborate upon their thought processes and the logic behind the solutions they have developed. One essential artifact, which demonstrates these opportunities, is the Engineering Notebook. Through the Engineering program and Southwire Engineering Academy Internship project-based learning, students are provided opportunities to solve real world problems through CCGPS-embedded assignments requiring them to utilize technological tools, demonstrate skills, solve problems, think logically, and articulate one’s learning.
All assignments are project-based and integrate the principles of engineering, technology, math, and science. That is, students have the opportunity to “apply principles of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, interpersonal communication and teamwork to the solutions of technological problems” (ENGR-STEM4).
Mentorships, apprenticeships, and internships are well-developed to support students in making adult-world connections. Carrollton City Schools has enjoyed strong partnerships over the years in other programs, and as expected, the local industrial base readily supported a STEM collaboration as well. The initial goal was to develop an engineering internship program that would not only challenge and support our STEM efforts at school but serve as a contribution to our community as we give back to those who have supported us. Carrollton City Schools entered into such an agreement with Southwire, North America’s leading manufacturer of wire and cable used in the distribution and transmission of electricity. Each semester, Carrollton High School places STEM interns at Southwire every other day for two blocks. The first year, we were able to send 20 students to Southwire. Presently, we are sending 26 students to Southwire to be a part of the Engineering Academy. During this internship, the STEM students work directly with Southwire engineers to solve problems, think logically, and articulate their learning as they work to find viable solutions to industry/real world- related projects. The engineers aid the student interns in project innovation and creative pursuits.
Southwire is not the only business partner that has stepped up in a big way for Carrollton High School students. Recently, CHS has secured additional community partnerships with Greenway Medical Technologies and Tanner Medical Center. Greenway’s mission is to enhance the delivery of ambulatory patient care by providing innovative software and service solutions that allow healthcare providers and their practices to function at their highest level of efficiency. Greenway’s expertise is providing solutions and on-demand services for physician practices, hospitals, IDNs (Integrated Delivery Networks), RECs (Regional Extension Centers), HIEs (Health Information Exchanges), and IPAs (Independent Physician Associations). Greenway also enables the strategies of ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations) and PCMHs (Patient Centered Medical Homes) for tomorrow. Greenway is providing students with the opportunity to be a member of the company’s research and development team. The partnership will assure a future skilled workforce for Greenway who values employing individuals from within the community, as well as, the expertise that these students-with their tech savvy skills-bring to the research and development team.
Tanner Medical Center’s mission is to provide a continuum of quality healthcare services within their resource capabilities. Tanner serves as a leader in a collaborative effort with the community to provide health education, support services, and care for all our citizens. Through the caring and dedication of its team of employees and physicians, Tanner Health System will be recognized as the provider of choice for quality, accessible healthcare for its patients and community. Tanner’s expertise and its ability to deliver quality medical service with the best technology available while reducing one’s medical visit or hospital stay make it one of the top 100 rated hospitals in America. Tanner opportunities include traditional fields such as nursing, surgical, MRI, and CT, while also offering opportunities with state-of-the-art surgical equipment such as a robotics program. In addition to the more traditional fields, Tanner offers opportunities for CHS students to participate in a variety of skills and tasks throughout the medical center. It provides opportunities for our students to see a variety of opportunities that are available for them after high school.
CHS strives to sustain and improve efforts surrounding STEM instruction. We use competition as a means of hooking our students, and we start this at a young age. Carrollton High School currently has two co-curricular STEM Teams: TSA VEX Robotics and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). We have approximately 40-50 students participating in these competitive teams. We also compete in the Moody’s Mega Math Challenge, Regional and State Technology Fair, Regional and State Science Fair, and the Academic Bowl.
CHS continues to pursue other partnerships that will allow students to participate in meaningful internship opportunities. At Carrollton, we also provide meaningful and relevant real-world opportunities through our internship opportunities such as our Computer Science/IT interns, our jumbotron crew, the NFHS play-on sports crew, Engineering interns, Media Specialists interns, and Graphics Communications interns. We are continuously expanding opportunities at CHS as new ideas and needs arise.
While CHS is proud of the hard work surrounding the many STEM initiatives, there are areas in which improvements can be made. The team identified Indicator 6.3 as an area where gains can be made. With the focus of this indicator centering on educators collaborating as an interdisciplinary team, stakeholders recognized some of the inherit challenges surrounding the school’s master schedule and the ability to coordinate planning opportunities. However, to combat this challenge, Carrollton High School has immersed itself in implementing Google Apps for Education as the platform for bridging our departments across the school. During the first year of implementation, the high school Engineering course was co-taught by CTAE, math, and science teachers. Due to budgetary restraints, this practice was discontinued; however, the STEM team continues to collaborate during planning and after school when possible. All teachers that actively infuse STEM into their classrooms continue to be actively involved in the STEM program and serve as sponsors for the STEM co-curricular teams. In addition, stipends have been budgeted for STEM curriculum work during non-contractual days. Documentation of STEM collaborations have been streamlined since the implementation of Google classrooms into the high school. Teachers now document collaboration activities through a live document shared through Google Drive. STEM resources are shared as they are discovered. Professional development opportunities allow for cross-curricular STEM collaborations discussions and planning. Our Engineering instructor meets with our science and math departments in both group settings and one on one collaboration meetings.
Similar to Indicator 6.3, the team identified Indicator 6.11 as an area where improvements can be made. Focusing upon a continuous program of STEM-specific professional learning, administration is frequently asked to allow CHS STEM teachers opportunities to present both locally and across the state. With STEM teachers often being solicited to present to others, it does impact the degree to which they are able to attend conferences for their own professional growth and learning. While presenting is always an honor and further develops one’s craft, it does create a challenge. Yet, in working to identify a solution, CHS leadership has dedicated itself to using local, state, and federal funds to provide its teachers with opportunities to participate in professional growth opportunities and to ensure that 21st-century instructional resources are available to all students in all classrooms. This meant that each classroom was equipped with an interactive whiteboard, document camera, student response system, and other digital resources to ensure students had the opportunity to become masters of these 21st-century tools. On-demand technology is essential for it to be truly infused into instruction and learning. Since all of our teachers and administrators have various levels of competency skills with technology, it was essential to have on-going, individualized professional development for staff and administrators. Carrollton City Schools hired a technology coach to provide the professional development that included awareness, demonstration, practice, feedback, and coaching activities. The Technology Coach provided the professional development in the school setting in an effort to support creative and multiple scheduling options and included face-to-face and online job embedded professional learning. In addition, state, federal, and local funds were combined to provide STEM professional development opportunities during the school year and during the summer.
In summary, Carrollton High School has not obtained its status as a leader in Georgia’s efforts to promote STEM education without committing time, effort, and resources toward this work. CHS has developed dynamic, state-of-the-art engineering lab, complete with fully-operational STEM engineering lab equipped with the following items: Intellitek Rec. Program, Vex Robotic components, AutoDesk Design Academy Software, LearnMate Learning Management System, high performance computers, CNC Mill technology, Lifesize HD video conferencing equipment, four Interactive whiteboards, four digital projectors, student/teacher sound system, student response system, document camera, DVD recorder, blue tooth slate, SCORBOT package, laser drill press, delta band saw, delta dust collector, material testing with buster, large/wide format printer, Vexnet Adapter Key , Omni Directional wheel, Turntable bearing kit, CNC router, Dimension Rapid Protoyping Machine, and LearnMate Lab laser pro-engraver.
The high school STEM lab is approximately 2700 square feet and has three basic sections:
1) Competition Area: A large 20'x30' flexible area that can be set up for different competitions. This space includes a view window from the hall. Also doubles as a place to display student work.
2) Computer Lab: This area houses 32 high performance computers and video conferencing equipment. Computers are loaded with 4G Ram, 64 bit processor and can run Autodesk Suite (Inventor, CAD, Revit), Easy C programming, Master CAM X5, Robo Cell, and Microsoft Office.
3) Fabrication Lab: Safety Zone! Student may not enter this room without passing the safety course given by the instructor. This room is closed off from other parts of the lab and houses band saw, drill press, mill, router, 3D printer, robotic arm and materials buster.
In addition to the lab, Carrollton High School has worked to promote STEM learning through competitive clubs and activities. Students are also provided with opportunities to showcase their learning through the Vex Robotics Competition Table, which is located beside the lunchroom, (not sure if that is the correct terminology) allowing all students to have glimpses of STEM opportunities in which they can become involved.
With regard to developing partnerships, CHS has community partners that understand and whole-heartedly support the STEM initiative of Carrollton High School. Our partners are enthusiastic about providing resources, internship opportunities, and sharing their employees to serve as role models for our students. They are dedicated to continued support and value the education that we are providing because our students today are their employees tomorrow. In addition to partnerships, Carrollton High School has a STEM Advisory Team, which meets twice a year to review existing STEM initiatives and to provide guidance for the future.
Evidenced through these actions, Carrollton High School is well ahead of the curve in providing students with opportunities to engage in diverse, relevant, and meaningful STEM learning experiences. As a result of the positive impact from the CHS STEM programs, teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community stakeholders are anxious and excited about improving and expanding STEM learning opportunities, believing education in this area is truly a difference maker for the Carrollton City children and their future.