October 2018 Monthly News ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

IN THIS ISSUE Thirteen new partners join STEM BEST ® Program Iowa students, teachers benefit from STEM Computer Science is Elementary Application Details Available STEM Teacher Spotlight: Jacquie Drey

UPCOMING EVENTS November 8, 2018 - 2:00 p.m. MakerSpace Festival More information November 8, 2018 - 4:00 p.m. Cedar Valley Family STEM Festival More information November 9, 2018 - 12:00 p.m. North Central Regional STEM Advisory Board Meeting More information November 29, 2018 - 4:00 p.m. Washington County STEM Festival More information

Thirteen new partners join STEM BEST ® Program

Students from the Ankeny School District use equipment that was made possible through a STEM BEST ® Program award.

The STEM Council Executive Committee voted unanimously to award 13 of 23 proposed new or expanded STEM BEST® ( Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers ) Program partnerships. These newly added partners bring the total to 50 partnerships in Iowa since the inception of the program in 2014.   The STEM BEST® Program fosters a learning environment where students are able to participate in collaborative, real workplace projects designed by business professionals along with educators that apply K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics to skills, knowledge and behaviors needed for STEM careers.   The 13 new partners were awarded up to $25,000 each. Employer partners and program awardees contribute a dollar-for-dollar match or, in some instances, well beyond a 50 percent cost-sharing commitment for equipping collaborative workspaces, educator training and development in workplace-classroom integration, and curriculum development and coordination. The 2018 STEM BEST® Program awardees are:   Allamakee Community School District in the Northeast STEM Region Belle Plaine Community School District in the Southeast STEM Region CAM Community School District in the Southwest STEM Region Cedar Falls Community School District in the Northeast STEM Region Central Community School District in the Northeast STEM Region Des Moines Independent Community School District in the South Central STEM Region Keokuk Community School District in the Southeast STEM Region Okoboji, Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School Districts in the Northwest STEM Region Ottumwa Community School District in the South Central STEM Region Sioux City Community School District in the Northwest STEM Region St. Mary School (Humboldt) in the North Central STEM Region St. Theresa School (Des Moines) in the South Central STEM Region Woodbine Community School District in the Southwest STEM Region   Each STEM BEST® Program awardee submitted an in-depth proposal, which described factors like education driven by industry need, rigorous, relevant and dynamic STEM curriculum, authentic partnerships and connection to post-secondary education or training. Each awardee will serve as a model to share unique perspectives, strengths, demographics and program focus with others schools across the state.   To learn more about the STEM BEST® Program and all 50 partners, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov/STEMBEST .

Iowa students, teachers benefit from STEM In 2017-2018 STEM Scale-Up Program participants scored an average of 2 points higher in National Percentile Rank in mathematics and reading and 3 points higher in science. The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council recently released the 2017-2018 Iowa STEM Evaluation Report. This independent evaluation measures the STEM Council’s progress toward increasing student interest and achievement in STEM education and workforce development in Iowa.   Highlights of the report include:   In 2017, 96 percent of Iowans said STEM education should be a priority in their local school district. Students who participated in the STEM Scale-Up Programs, a menu of exemplary STEM programs available to teachers and students in Iowa, scored an average of 2 points higher in National Percentile Rank on the Iowa Assessments in mathematics and reading and 3 points higher in science. Among educators taking part in the STEM Scale-Up Programs, 91 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they now have more confidence to teach STEM topics and have increased their STEM knowledge. The percent of students who said they were very interested in someday working in Iowa was 45 percent of STEM Scale-Up Program participants compared to 36 percent of students statewide. From 2012-2013 to 2016-2017, STEM post-secondary credentials (including certificates, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees and other awards) have increased 26 percent at Iowa’s four-year public universities, 20 percent at Iowa’s four-year private colleges and universities, and 2 percent at Iowa’s two-year community colleges. Individuals in STEM occupations earned $27.58 in average hourly wages in 2016 and $57,357 in mean salaries, compared to all occupations overall earning $20.12 in average hourly wages and $41,843 in mean salaries. More than half of all Iowans (59 percent) had heard of the STEM acronym in 2017. This is an increase of 10 percent compared to 2016 and more than double compared to 2012.   The Iowa STEM Evaluation Report is conducted by an inter-university consortium of Iowa State University's Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE), the University of Iowa's Iowa Testing Programs and the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Social and Behavioral Research (CSBR).   To view the entire report, please visit http://IowaSTEM.gov/iowa-stem-evaluation. 

Computer Science is Elementary Application Details Available

Students learn computational thinking and other skills from the Loess Hills Computer Programming School in Sioux City, which is the inspiration for the Computer Science is Elementary project.

Application details are now available for the Computer Science is Elementary project. The intent of this project is to transform six high-poverty elementary schools across Iowa into models of innovative computer science instruction by the 2020-2021 school year. A growing number of jobs require computer science skills. This program will help prepare students for success in computer science and future career opportunities.   School districts and non-public school systems with an elementary building of at least 40 percent of students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch are eligible to apply. Six awardees will be selected to receive a $50,000 planning award through a competitive award application process. One Computer Science is Elementary School will be located in each of the six STEM regions established by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.   The application period will open in January 2019, and awards will be announced in the summer of 2019. The 2019-2020 school year will be used as a planning year for schools to weave computational thinking and other elements of computer science into their broader curriculum. After the Computer Science is Elementary Schools launch in August 2020, the schools will serve as a statewide resource for Iowa educators by sharing their curriculum and community engagement strategies.   The application template and additional information about the Computer Science is Elementary project can be found at www.IowaSTEM.gov/CSElementary . 

STEM Teacher Spotlight: Jacquie Drey Jacquie Drey, a 4th grade teacher at Storm Lake Elementary School, received the Northwest STEM Region’s 2018 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award sponsored by Kemin Industries. The Northwest STEM Region’s 2018 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award honoree is Jacquie Drey, a 4th grade teacher at Storm Lake Elementary School. Drey believes that science is more than a school subject. She has integrated STEM learning into her classroom and paved the way for creating a lifelong interest in STEM fields. She has put together several in-school and after-school STEM events at Storm Lake Elementary, including the Science Olympiad Family Fun Night (culminating from her work with Every Learner Inquires with the Iowa Department of Education), a 4 th Grade Science Olympiad Day and another 4 th Grade Science Olympiad Day NASA Style.   Drey was a participant in the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, along with ten other Iowan teachers, at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL in February of 2017. The purpose of this experience was to connect schools to learning opportunities that move the NASA mission forward and increase the awareness of STEM careers.   Through social media feeds and pages, Drey connects with the parents of her students and continues her students’ STEM learning at home. She has also brought in science leaders to her school, regularly attended professional learning events regarding new Iowa Science Standards and served as an elementary representative to the Storm Lake Community School District science leadership group.   This award, sponsored by Kemin Industries, recognizes and celebrates one teacher from each of the six STEM regions who goes above and beyond to increase his/her student’s interest in STEM. Each recipient is recognized for his/her dedication in representing Iowa, as well as the I.O.W.A. acronym by being I nnovative in his/her methods, O utstanding in his/her passion for education, W orldly in the way he/she helps students see that STEM is all around them and A cademic through engaging students in the classroom to prepare these youth for higher education and high-demand careers.   For more information about the award and all current and previous recipients, please visit https://iowastem.gov/teacheraward . 

Contact the Iowa STEM Operations Center by phone at (319) 273-2959 or by email at info@IowaSTEM.gov.