CASE STUDY: WHEELING HIGH SCHOOL

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CASE STUDY:

WHEELING HIGH SCHOOL


About The Case Study

This case study is one of a series of case studies produced for

The STEM Schools Project. The purpose of the STEM

Schools Project is to document promising practices in high

schools and middle schools that are providing students a

STEM-rich experience, drawing upon a high quality

implementation of Project Lead The Way's Pathway To

Engineering and/or Biomedical Sciences programs.

The Meeder Consulting Group conducted the site visits, wrote

the case studies and final report, and is managing all aspects

of The STEM Schools Project. The project is funded through

generous support from the Kern Family Foundation based in

Waukesha, Wisconsin (www.kffdn.org).

From information collected during each of the nine site visits,

the authors prepared detailed, reader-friendly reports

describing the schools’ accomplishments, approach to STEM

learning, and school improvement strategies. The case

studies organize material into three overarching themes

related to how schools use PLTW to spur STEM-related

learning emerged:

� Create an Exceptional PLTW Implementation,

� Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and

� Implement Related School Improvement

Strategies.

In addition to the case studies, a Final Report will be released

that synthesizes key findings from all the case studies and

places them in the larger context of STEM education reform.

For more information about the STEM Schools Project, visit

www.meederconsulting.com


Part i. introduction and overview Summary The leadership team and instructional faculty at Wheeling High School (WHS) in

Wheeling, Illinois, strive to equip all students, regardless of their education level or

area of study, with a solid foundation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics) knowledge. To support this STEM–for-All approach, learning

activities at WHS are driven by the school-wide goal of “preparing students to

think critically and solve complex problems, adapt to new technologies, and

communicate effectively to a variety of audiences – all skills required to succeed in

a global 21st century economy.” Using an inquiry-based approach to instruction,

teachers help students learn how to solve problems through investigation and

how to purposefully link their learning across multiple disciplines. They teach and

reinforce STEM-related skills, such as problem solving, teamwork, technology, and

communication, in a broader context in all classes.

School Profile Established in 1964, Wheeling High School (WHS) is a STEM-focused,

comprehensive public high school located in Wheeling, Illinois. Wheeling is a

suburban community located 28 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and has

approximately 40,000 residents. WHS offers a full academic curriculum to students

from the Township High School District 214 (SD 214), and as of the 2011–2012

school year, approximately 1,900 students attended grades nine through 12 at

WHS. The leadership team includes a principal, two assistant principals, and two

associate principals. There are also two deans of students, five division heads, and

140 instructors at WHS.

SD 214 oversees curriculum approval and instruction across high schools in the

district. The school district, a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award1

recipient, serves 12,236 secondary students and includes five other high schools in

addition to WHS.

The student population at WHS is ethnically diverse. Approximately 40 percent of

students are white, 49 percent are Hispanic, 2.5 percent are black, six percent are

Asian, and 2.5 percent are American Indian or Pacific Islander. Approximately 38

percent of the students are identified as economically disadvantaged, and 16

percent of the students receive special education services.

Synopsis of Project Lead the Way Implementation In the summer of 2004, with the support of Bradley University and the Kern Family

Foundation, the first career technical education (CTE) instructor from Wheeling


High School received Project Lead the Way (PLTW) training for the Pathway To

Engineering (PTE) program. That fall, WHS introduced its first PLTW course,

Introduction to Engineering Design (IED).

With rapidly increasing enrollment, PLTW is one of WHS’s most successful

programs. In all four courses in the PLTW sequence, WHS students are offered the

unique blend of an engineering education and real-world application.

With the arrival of Principal Dr. Lazaro Lopez in 2007, the WHS leadership and

faculty began exploring how to create a STEM culture that would intentionally

impact all students.

This push toward STEM began in 2007 after Dr. Lopez conducted interviews with

each teacher and building administrator in the school, trying to identify the

school’s strengths. After observing the school’s strong math and technology

programs, school leadership determined the school should be built around a

STEM philosophy.

In the fall of 2010, the school leadership officially unveiled its philosophy of STEM

instruction and adopted the moniker of a STEM school. This coincided with WHS

being identified as a national STEM partner school by the National Consortium for

Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology

(NCSSSMST). NCSSSMST has the goal of fostering, supporting, and advancing

the efforts of specialized schools whose primary purpose is to attract and

academically prepare students for leadership in mathematics, science, and

technology and currently partners with only 100 schools across the nation. This

recognition as an Institutional Member validated the work at WHS and encouraged

the leadership to continue in their efforts to ensure the STEM philosophy reaches

all students.

Also in 2010, WHS introduced a school-wide inquiry model framework to drive

instruction and teach students how to approach a problem and work through it.

Internally created by a WHS leadership team of teachers and administrators, this

model was named “QUEST.”

According to the leadership team, students trained in STEM literacy and skills are

better equipped to succeed in the real world. Dr. Lopez further noted, “Every

student has a future. Our overarching philosophy is helping each student identify

an interest and reach his or her full potential, prepared for success in the 21st

century.”

The table below provides enrollment information for PLTW at Wheeling High

School.


Project Lead the Way Enrollment

PLTW Courses Offered Number of Students Enrolled

2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

Introduction to

Engineering Design 33 91 67 66

Computer Integrated

Manufacturing 11 18 32 19

Civil Engineering and

Architecture 0 20 25 21

Principles of Engineering 2 14 17 17

Aerospace Engineering 3 0 0 0

Source: Wheeling High School, May 2012.

The STEM Continuum Model The working theory of the STEM Schools Project is that there is a natural

continuum of integration and connection of STEM education occurring in schools

that use Project Lead the Way’s Gateway to Technology (middle schools) or PTE

and/or Biomedical Sciences (BMS) programs (high schools). In some schools, PTE

and BMS are offered as sequences of courses that offer an excellent learning

experience to students, but the courses stand alone and do not connect to other

courses that fall under the STEM umbrella. In some schools, teachers—on a case-

by-case basis and through individual initiative—inculcate some of the project-

based and inquiry-based approaches of PLTW courses into the math and science

courses that they teach. Alternatively, they may informally collaborate with

colleagues in other content areas to create a smattering of integrated or linked

curriculum units. Further along the continuum are schools that are actively and

intentionally creating integrated and connected learning between STEM courses,

and in some cases with other courses such as English Language Arts and the

Social Sciences. In these schools, teachers are actively and consistently

collaborating with the support of administrative team members.


The STEM continuum includes the following groupings of strategies:

• Create an Exceptional PLTW Implementation,

• Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and

• Implement Related School Improvement Strategies.

The remainder of this case study is organized around these groupings, although

not every strategy in the continuum will be observed in every case study. If the

strategy was not observed during the site visit or subsequent interviews, this fact

is noted but should not be construed to reflect negatively on the school that is

profiled.

Part ii. Strategies

1. create an exceptional PLTW

implementation In the fall of 2011, the SME Education Foundation (an institution committed to

changing the future of manufacturing education and addressing the shortage of

manufacturing and technical talent in the United States) recognized WHS as a

PRIME School for its PLTW program. This prestigious award includes $15,000 for

program improvement and scholarship and mentorship opportunities for

outstanding students. Several factors contributing to this high level of PLTW

recognition are explored below.

1.1 Building Readiness and Support for PLTW Implementation In 2003, SD 214 leadership evaluated what its six high schools offered in terms of

STEM education. After identifying a lack of cohesive STEM programming, SD 214

leadership decided to implement the PLTW Pathway to Engineering (PTE) program

at four of its high schools.

At that time, Illinois was not a PLTW state, and no schools in the state offered

PLTW, so SD 214 leadership and WHS instructors visited schools in Indiana to

observe and learn about the engineering program. Later in the 2004–2005 school

year, Illinois became a PLTW state with the University of Illinois as the lead

postsecondary institution. That same year, WHS introduced its first PLTW course,

Introduction to Engineering Design (IED).

After introducing IED, WHS implemented Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA)

and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) in the fall of 2005 and Principles of


Engineering (POE) in 2006. Typically, POE follows IED in the recommended

sequence of courses and is taken during the sophomore year. However, WHS

instructors determined students would perform better taking POE during their

junior or senior year because the math and science taught in other upper-level

academic courses closely match the principles taught in POE. Currently, students

in POE are performing better than other students in their upper-level academic

courses as well as excelling in their POE studies.

Although these efforts were readily approved by SD 214, there was no district-

wide implementation plan guiding the process. Rather, WHS leadership developed

its own three-year implementation and fundraising plan. With help from the Kern

Family Foundation to cover the cost of teacher training for PLTW and provide

additional funds to support equipment purchases, WHS leadership phased in the

PLTW program over a three-year period. While doing this, the foundation did not

stipulate a timeframe or the number of PLTW courses to be rolled out, instead

allowing the school to follow its plan.

Planning also includes a careful attention to the physical facility supporting the

program. In 2009, WHS renovated its technology wing. With input from the

Tooling and Manufacturing Association and manufacturing partners, technology

instructors designed a state-of-the-art prototyping fabrication lab to provide

students with a competitive edge in postsecondary work or degree programs. This

lab provides training with a computer numerical control (CNC) machine

(commonly used in machining), a prototype rapid printer, a robotic workstation, a

surface grinder, a plasma cutter, and a welding booth. Students also receive

training on precision machining technology and advanced architecture software.

1.2 Select and Support a Strong PLTW Instructional Team At WHS, both CTE and academic content area instructors teach the PLTW courses.

1.3 Set Goals for Program Enrollment Although WHS does not offer the full spectrum of PTE courses (as of 2011, it offers

four courses), it does house the largest PLTW program in the district and

enrollment is increasing each year. From 2008 to 2011, enrollment in IED doubled

from 33 to 66 students with overall enrollment in PLTW at 150 students—not

including the 100 students enrolled in the Gateway to Technology (GTT) middle

school program. This program is particularly notable because SD 214 has no

control over the middle school that sends students to WHS to participate in GTT.

Thus, WHS leadership funds this program out of the school’s budget.


Student participation in other PLTW courses is also rapidly increasing. Instructors

and faculty largely attribute the rapid growth to the fact PLTW courses offer

contextual, hands-on learning that is often not available in traditional math and

science courses.

Despite a lack of formal goals regarding PLTW enrollment and offered courses,

WHS focuses on exposing every student to the program so they can access the

program if interested. The principal says he would like to see overall participation

in the sixth to 12th grade program grow from the current 300 students to an

enrollment of 500.

Ultimately, WHS does not focus on targets for enrollment in specific STEM

programs. Rather, the focus lies primarily on ensuring STEM-related instruction

happens in every single course at WHS. As Dr. Lopez noted, “Whether it is PLTW,

nursing, or graphic arts, I just want every student to participate in a career

pathway, to get them engaged with their future and excited about their school

experience. Our goal is they won’t be able to avoid developing STEM skills

regardless their course selection. Every student will be exposed to these 21st

century skills no matter what pathway they are on.”

1.4 Reach Out to Prospective PLTW Students

Informal Student-to-Student Marketing

WHS does some light marketing within the school, but the faculty finds that

current PLTW students provide the best marketing when they share their positive

learning experiences and excitement for projects with non-PLTW students.

WHS Offering of Gateway to Technology in an After-School Format

More formalized and targeted recruitment for PLTW grew significantly in the last

five years. Dr. Lopez indicated that the intent is to “take what was then a couple of

classes and make it into a full program of study.”

To do this, the WHS team adopted the PLTW GTT program to provide pre-

engineering courses for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. This after-

school program, taught at WHS in three 12-week sessions, uses WHS funds to

provide up to 125 junior high students, including those with special needs, access

to an early STEM education. In 2010, the program consisted of 75 percent boys

and 25 percent girls.

Summer STEM Camp

WHS leadership strives to create an avenue for all students—especially those who

are considered “at risk”—to pursue STEM studies as early as possible. STEM

recruitment and education for area school-aged children begins as early as first

grade with the STEM Summer Camp at WHS. During the week-long camp,


students in first through eighth grades experience the fun and excitement of STEM

through a variety of hands-on experiences such as “Grossology,” “Sportistics”,

Fun with Food, and Crave the Wave.

1.5 Reach Out to Local Businesses to Gain and Sustain Support In 2004, Wheeling PLTW coordinators formed an advisory committee in response

to the requirements of the PLTW certification process. Made up of approximately

ten members from area manufacturing and machining companies and

postsecondary institutions, the advisory committee informs WHS and its PLTW

instructors about what skills and education students need to be successful in

STEM-related jobs upon graduation. Additionally, nearly all companies

represented on the committee offer students the opportunity to shadow or intern

at their facility.

The PLTW faculty describes the advisory committee’s role as “transformative.”

Knowing that students needed to have some hands-on machining experience in

the classroom, the committee successfully recommended and advocated for

establishing an advanced manufacturing/machining program to complement

PLTW.

In addition to engaging the PLTW advisory committee, the WHS leadership team

regularly opens the school’s doors to members from the community and

surrounding schools to exhibit its PLTW and STEM programs. In November 2009,

with sponsorship from the Kern Family Foundation, WHS hosted its first PLTW

Showcase. Administrators, teachers, and counselors from 31 area high schools

spent the day at WHS to tour its PLTW facilities, meet with current faculty and

students, and learn about the PLTW PTE program.

Later, in February 2010, WHS hosted 20 area manufacturers for a tour of its new

prototyping fabrication lab. Visitors received an overview of the school’s PTE,

architecture, and advanced manufacturing programs. As a result of the meeting,

the Wheeling Industrial Network was formed to support the expansion and

development of high-tech manufacturing and partner with secondary education in

preparation of students choosing a career pathway in high-skilled manufacturing.

In addition to providing guidance to and advising the WHS faculty and teachers on

how to best offer students a current and progressive STEM education, many

businesses throughout the community offer STEM students the opportunity to

intern with their company. In fact, because of the advanced level of technology

education students receive at WHS, area companies regularly seek out current

students and graduates for internships and jobs. According to a member from the

PLTW Advisory Board, “These kids are equipped with the technology needed to hit

the ground running. A precision mindset is required for the new kind of


engineering and manufacturing and these [WHS] students have that.” To further

connect students with their studies, administrators team up with local STEM

industry partners to offer internship opportunities to PLTW students.

For example, Northrop Grumman selects two students each year to work

alongside project engineers, conduct product design, and present findings to

company engineers and executives. These students also receive a $5,000 college

scholarship if they choose to pursue STEM studies. Other area manufacturing

companies, Swiss Precision, Iverson & Company, and Numerical Precision, also

host several WHS interns each year. These companies often seek WHS students

for postsecondary employment immediately after graduation because these

students exhibit the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

As one industry partner observed, “These [WHS] students have hard, transferrable

skills. The curriculum at WHS seems to match the needs of what companies are

searching for. When students enter these internships, they are able to work pretty

quickly—they don’t require tons of training. This is the best kind of employee and

this is why we want to hire them.”

2. develop a school-wide STEM

culture 2.1 Establish Shared Guiding Principles for STEM Learning Under this strategy of establishing shared guiding principles for STEM Learning

are three related, but distinct sub-strategies: Define STEM Education, Define

STEM Literacy, and Develop District-Wide Vision for STEM Learning.

2.1.1 Define STEM Education Dr. Lopez arrived at WHS in 2007, three years after the PLTW implementation.

Although he recognized the great potential of PLTW, he was immediately struck by

the increasing need to provide STEM-focused learning to all students, not just

gifted or “techie” kids. Prior to Dr. Lopez’s arrival, WHS offered a few STEM-

related courses but lacked an embedded STEM philosophy and culture. The

previous course offerings did not include the inquiry-based approach WHS

leadership was working to establish. Despite a lack of cohesive STEM

programming, as mentioned earlier, Dr. Lopez determined that some of the great

strengths at WHS lay in math and technology. As a result, the WHS team began to

redesign the school’s culture and create what they call a “STEM-for-All”

atmosphere.


To bring this atmosphere to life, the teachers evaluated how STEM skills were

being integrated into each course offered within the walls of WHS. On the basis of

the skills outlined by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), teachers aligned

STEM-related skills content within their courses and highlighted reading materials

with related STEM content. The P21 skills framework provided teachers with a tool

to use in adapting these STEM skills to, and aligning them with, their curriculum.

Because becoming a STEM school was a new concept at WHS, the leadership

team works to provide consistent and varying types of professional development

to the teachers. The school administration operates under the belief that equipping

and familiarizing all teachers—not just teachers in math, science, and technology—

with STEM skills is crucial to the school’s mission to provide an integrated STEM-

for-All approach.

The school leadership team also developed a teaching framework, called QUEST

(see header 3.2.2 “Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning

Strategies” for details), to access and drive critical thinking through student

inquiry by engaging all students in authentic research, regardless of the content

area. Implemented in 2010, the QUEST framework is used by teachers all over the

school as a scalable model for how to drive inquiry-based learning. The WHS goal

is for every student to receive STEM-related content no matter what they choose

to study. Regardless of whether a student participates in a traditional STEM course

or a non-traditional STEM course, the STEM-skill set is embedded and relevant to

the student’s individual school experience.

The WHS team stresses that the STEM-for-All approach is not an effort to create a

CTE program for students who will not attend a four-year college but rather that it

is meant to expose students to the skill set STEM has to offer in all content areas,

regardless of a student’s postsecondary path. While still dependent on a student’s

ability and interest level, the initiative equips all students to pursue a variety of

options ranging from college-credit–bearing courses to entry-level certifications.

The initiative also supports continued professional development on the part of

staff.

Exerting Leadership in STEM

In addition to developing a STEM culture within Wheeling, the school’s leaders are

providing leadership to regional and national conversations about STEM

education. In August 2010, WHS hosted a STEM-for-All Conference during which

discussions centered on preparing students at all ability levels for 21st-century

postsecondary opportunities. Conference highlights include keynote addresses by


the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council Executive Director and an MIT

Robotics Engineer on rebuilding the middle class through high-tech

manufacturing. Over 350 educators, local leaders, and community members

attended the conference.

In February 2012, Wheeling High School was selected as the model school by

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to provide the keynote presentation for the launching

of the state’s STEM Pathways Initiative. This new state initiative is designed to

support college and career readiness for all students through local programs that

empower students to explore academic and career interests and the development

of learning exchanges that bridge public–private partnerships.

2.1.2 Define STEM Literacy Through its “STEM-for-All” approach, the WHS faculty emphasizes that regardless

of a student’s educational focus, he or she should receive an embedded STEM-

related skill set that is taught and reinforced in all courses throughout the school.

WHS teachers are expected to pursue the school-wide goal of “preparing students

to think critically and solve complex problems, adapt to new technologies, and

communicate effectively to a variety of audiences – all skills required to succeed in

a global 21st century economy.” Instructors teach and reinforce skills related to

STEM, such as problem solving, teamwork, technology, and communication, in a

broader context in all classes.

In accordance with the skills outlined by P21, every student is expected to develop

the following STEM skills:

• Problem Solving,

• Teamwork,

• Technology, and

• Communication.

To accomplish this, WHS incorporates all subject areas in an interdisciplinary

approach, training students to transfer and apply knowledge and skills across the

curricular spectrum rather than isolating each subject area. The STEM skills such

as problem solving, teamwork, technology, and communication are purposely

taught and reinforced throughout curricula, allowing students to practice these

STEM skills within a broader context.

Teachers also consistently reinforce STEM literacy by embedding the QUEST

model in their classrooms. The WHS leadership team challenges teachers to

provide students with an inquiry-based experience in their course, regardless of

the topic. To meet this challenge, teachers regularly collaborate with their

professional learning team (PLT – a group of teachers in the same subject area) to


brainstorm how an authentic research experience can occur. School leadership

also regularly meets with the heads of each PLT to further explore how to cultivate

STEM literacy across all disciplines.

Increased Science and Math Requirements

WHS leadership increased its course offerings and student requirements for math

and science. School leadership created this new policy in an effort to strengthen

students’ STEM studies. Before the focus on STEM, not every student took three

years of science because SD 214 only mandates that students take two years of the

subject. As of 2008, WHS leadership began to counsel students and sequence

courses with the expectation that all would enroll in three years of science.

2.1.3 Develop District-wide Vision for STEM Learning Although DS 214 readily supports the holistic approach to STEM at WHS, a district-

level mission for PLTW and STEM learning is not currently in place at all school

campuses. However, there is interest in sharing the QUEST model at other district

high schools. Dr. Lopez noted that although district-level support has been

consistent and strong throughout WHS’s transition to becoming a STEM school,

the STEM-for-All–related initiatives originated from within the WHS team.

2.2 Implement Innovative STEM Curriculum and Instruction Under this strategy of implementing innovative STEM curriculum and instruction,

there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Integrate STEM-Rich Instruction,

and Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies.

2.2.1 Integrate STEM-rich Instruction across Math, Science, and Other

Applied STEM Programs At the time of the site visit, there was not an active level of integration across

math, science, and PLTW courses. The school leadership team acknowledged this

fact but indicated that it intends to begin creating integrated learning experiences

in the near future.

However, the leadership team indicated that, beginning with the 2010–2011 school

year, the math and science department embarked on a thorough review and

renewal of their respective curricula; this review will serve a necessary prerequisite

to effective cross-curricular integration.

Science Curriculum Renewal

During this time of transition, the science department faculty worked intensively to

connect its curriculum from one year to the next, to focus on skills that span across

the curriculum, and to build a project-based instructional approach throughout the

department.


One change the instructors made was to alter the science courses to follow a

“biology–chemistry–physics” sequence. Prior to this change, a number of students

avoided chemistry and physics courses because they were considered more

appropriate for “science” kids. As a result of this modification, all students now

must take these courses to fulfill their required science course load—taking just

biology and physical science no longer suffices. Although there is only a two-year

graduation requirement, the vast majority of students at WHS take three years of

science.

In order to engage all students—even those without an apparent aptitude for

science—the science department faculty applies the QUEST inquiry-based model

in all lessons. Teachers at WHS find that using inquiry-based instruction allows

students with varying capabilities to effectively learn the information.

Math Curriculum Renewal

Beginning in 2010, the math instructors began planning a new approach to math

curriculum and instruction that would focus on identifying a unified set of math

skills that cut across all the specific courses in the math department. The skills are

derived from college readiness standards tied to ACT assessments. The school

chooses to primarily use the college readiness standards, which are closely tied to

the Common Core standards, because they are directly tied to college entrance

exams.

This focus on skills represents a subtle but critical shift away from teaching

isolated math content to teaching a unified set of math skills that are connected

from one course to the next. By having teachers use benchmark skill assessments

developed by ACT, school leadership hopes to enhance the structural delivery of

math by pinpointing exactly how students perform at various levels of study.

This concentration works to ensure all students meet appropriate performance

levels as they progress in their studies while reducing the need for remediation.

Instructors frequently assess students and use test data to drive their instruction,

improving and modifying lessons as necessary. Instructors also look for ways to

integrate math skills into different areas of study.

Math Course-taking and Relevance

Also beginning in 2010, while there remains only a three-year requirement, the

vast majority of students remain enrolled all four years. This increased

participation is largely due to encouragement from guidance counselors and math

teachers. The math department at WHS intentionally determined to make math

more relevant to each student. According to one math instructor, “Relating math

to real-world experiences can be challenging. This is a subject that often

overwhelms a student and can result in that student falling behind.”


To support this goal of more relevance, math teachers regularly invite speakers

from other academic departments to come into math classrooms and connect

what the students are learning with a real-life example. For example, when math

students learn about geometry, an architecture instructor might bring in blueprints

from a house to demonstrate the role geometry plays in construction.

Beginning in 2010, WHS brought additional relevance to the math classroom by

partnering with Harper College to offer a dual-credit Math 101 course and allowing

students to graduate high school with a college math credit. This partnership also

resulted in offering an intensive review math course at WHS in an effort to

eliminate the need for a remedial math course for incoming freshmen at the

college level.

STEM Capstone Project

In 2009, instructors from science, math, and engineering piloted a STEM Capstone

Project with 30 students who researched, designed, and built a wind turbine from

scratch. This project-based venture led instructors to develop other types of

scalable experiences for students. Collaboration is underway for the next STEM

project from this group.

Extracurricular STEM Activities

WHS also offers a wide spectrum of engaging, STEM-related extracurricular

activities including VEX Robotics, Battle Bots, YOUSTEM (a partnership with

Northwestern University that engages students in STEM fields through low-

barrier, hands-on exploratory challenges), a STEM Technology Club, and a

summer STEM Camp for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

2.2.2 Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies In 2010, WHS introduced a school-wide inquiry model framework to drive

instruction and teach students how to approach a problem and work through it.

Internally created by the WHS leadership team, this model (named QUEST) builds

upon traditional problem-based learning by guiding students toward investigating

each and every element within a problem. QUEST comprises five elements:

• Question – Identify the purpose of the audience;

• Understand – Use available resources to plan an appropriate course of

action;

• Evidence – Collect and organize data from credible sources or experiments;

• Synthesize – Analyze results to draw conclusions and assess validity; and

• Tell – Develop product to effectively communicate research and results to

the identified audience.


By using QUEST, instructors across all classrooms in which the model is

implemented use a common framework and vocabulary and help develop

common skills among students. And whereas inquiry-based learning is often left

to the science departments, the WHS leadership team is building capacity for all

instructors to talk about it, teach it, and embed it in the culture so students become

comfortable solving problems.

To further internalize this concept, all WHS students put the framework into

practice by conducting original research based on a course-developed topic

chosen by the team of teachers. This research goes beyond a traditional research

paper and involves examining an issue from multiple angles. A past project

consisted of students conducting a real-life inquiry project with a local Japanese

grocer about the safety of food coming from Japan after the 2010 tsunami. In the

2011 school year, student teams examined issues and problems associated with

obesity.

2.3 Engage Math, Science, and PLTW Teachers in Collaborative

Planning and Instruction Collaborative planning among math, science, and PLTW instructors is teacher

driven and occurs formally during time set aside for Professional Learning

Communities and informally when a project idea arises. Some of the PLTW

teachers also teach in the core academic areas as well and, as a result,

collaboration occurs more by circumstance and less by formal planning.

2.4 Related STEM Enhancements and Reforms

Enhancing Science Facilities

In 2005, a large science addition was built. The addition has 12 classrooms and

laboratories designed to provide students with opportunities to apply their

knowledge in laboratories, which have separate areas for instruction. Instructors

note that by separating the instructional area from the lab, students remain

focused during lectures and are more readily prepared to use what they have

learned in the lab.

Technology is also the backbone of the Health Sciences pathway, which offers the

first paperless classroom at WHS and provides students in this program with a

free laptop to support their studies.

Integration of Technology

WHS leadership asserts that using multiple types of technology is one more way

to promote STEM literacy while keeping school and learning relevant to students.

To support this, WHS teachers integrate technology into every class and provide

disadvantaged students with access to the technological tools necessary to

succeed. The school has 15 computer labs, more than 450 computers, laptop


loaners, smart boards, wireless access, and media projectors in each classroom.

WHS actively prevents students from falling through the cracks regardless of their

means or access to technology. For those students without access to a computer

at home, WHS offers them a free retired desktop for permanent use.

All students are also required to have and use a TI-84+ graphing calculator. If a

student cannot purchase one, the school provides one to the student free of

charge. These calculators are changing how students learn mathematical

information as well as how instructors teach. A majority of the math courses now

use the TI Navigator System, which allows the instructor to instantly capture data

from student calculators. The system sends immediate student feedback to the

instructor, enabling them to guide instruction and monitor student problem

solving.

3. implement related school

improvement strategies 3.1 Provide Academic Support and Intervention to Enhance Student

Learning

Support ELL Students

Because WHS has a high concentration of English Language Learning (ELL)

students, WHS leadership emphasizes intensive ELL instruction so students can

improve English fluency and access the full curriculum as soon as possible (almost

all ELL students complete ELL classes by the end of 10th grade). Spanish-speaking

students entering WHS move through a series of courses that address skill

deficiencies in formal reading and writing and culminate in a capstone experience

of AP Spanish Language or AP Spanish Literature.

In 2008, WHS leadership introduced another program designed to help students

achieve beyond their own perceived ability. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual

Determination) program places underperforming freshmen in rigorous coursework

and intense tutoring to help them gain acceptance into, and be prepared for, a

four-year college. First-generation college-bound students are selected on the

basis of teacher recommendations and personal interviews. Enrollment currently

allows up to 100 students to participate, but new freshmen sections are added

each year. Participating students must enroll in AP courses by their junior year. As

an incentive, participating students receive an iPad, which is theirs to keep upon

program graduation.


Engage Minority Populations

Because WHS has a Hispanic student population of 49 percent, engaging

traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM fields remains a top priority for

school counselors. In working with this diverse population, WHS created several

initiatives to support and connect with these students. In addition to having a

bilingual counselor on staff to meet with students and parents one-on-one, school

counselors translate career pathway materials into Spanish, and WHS hosts Latino

Family Nights and career fairs.

WHS sends career fair invitations directly to the homes of its Latino families (as

opposed to sending an announcement or flyer home with students); families that

do not RSVP receive an automated Spanish-recorded phone call to remind them

about the event. WHS sends reminder postcards as well. This outreach effort is

deliberate and intended to touch parents who are not familiar with how to

navigate the school system for their children. Career fairs are important because

they provide parents with information on how to equip their students for success

and also help them feel more comfortable reaching out to the school. In 2008, the

WHS Latino Career Fair hosted more than 150 participants.

In 2009, the WHS leadership team and counselors designed another initiative to

engage the Latino population—Latino Family Literacy Nights. Parents who attend

these events receive instruction in Spanish General Education Development (GED)

and English as a second language (ESL). However, to participate in the program,

parents must bring their children in the eighth grade or lower. In age-appropriate

groupings, parents and children receive family literacy education. The WHS

leadership team and faculty believe this initiative can both educate Latino families

and reduce English language remediation for future WHS students. In the first

year, close to 200 participants registered and attended the 12-week fall and spring

sessions.

Support Students Who Receive Special Education Services

WHS offers a unique, cross-curricular course CAD/Geometry Integrated program

that serves as a pathway for special education and at-risk students to access the

PLTW IED program. Geometry is taught in the context of a traditional AutoCAD

course, making the content relevant through this applied perspective.

Flexible Block Scheduling to Accommodate Student Goals

Despite increased math and science requirements, the WHS leadership team

provides students with a flexible schedule that can be adapted to meet their

specific educational needs. If necessary, WHS’s block schedule (students take both

90-minute and 45-minute courses throughout the day) will allow students to take


two years of math in one year (two semesters of 90-minute math courses). This

option provides students with the opportunity to either advance more quickly in

their studies or receive additional instruction if they are struggling to stay on pace.

3.2 Prepare Students for Postsecondary and Career Success Under this strategy of preparing students for postsecondary and career success,

there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Offer Career Development and

College Planning, and Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit.

3.2.1 Offer Career Development and College Planning

Recognizing the Value of School Counselors

The WHS administration recognizes and values its school counselors as key

stakeholders in equipping students to succeed both in their high school studies

and beyond. In 2011, WHS received the Recognized American School Counselor

Association (ASCA) Model Program (RAMP) designation for its “data driven school

counseling program.” The RAMP designation, awarded to schools that align with

the criteria set in the ASCA National Model, recognizes schools that are committed

to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an

exemplary educational environment.

In 2006, the WHS guidance and counseling department evaluated their current

services and offerings and identified a need to fully integrate a more complete

guidance program for all students. At the time, school counselors were only

reaching about 75 percent of students, a percentage the department deemed

unsatisfactory, especially in a school with a high population of English language

learners and economically disadvantaged students.

At the time, WHS’s unique four-by-four block schedule hindered the way

counselors delivered student services. Students were largely unavailable because

of class time or the need to schedule counseling time well in advance to gain an

appointment. To address these challenges, counselors established a different

structure for delivering their services.

Emphasizing Career Exploration

In order to reach each student entering WHS, school leadership and the counseling

department created a mandatory freshmen integration seminar offered one

morning a week beginning in the fall of 2007. These seminars, led by counselors

and administrators during the class period when WHS instructors are attending

professional learning community (PLC) meetings, focus on the successful

transition to high school, utilizing senior mentors, and exposing students to and

educating students about the connection between their career interests and

programs of study. The imperative is clear, according to Dr. Lopez, “To engage

students we can’t ask them to wait till they graduate high school to begin the rest


of their lives. It begins the moment they enter our doors.” WHS counselors believe

that career exploration is often overlooked in schools with lower-income, high-risk

student populations and are working to fill this void at WHS. To build on their

seminar experience, each freshman also meets one-on-one with a counselor and

identifies two careers to explore at a deeper level. These meetings serve a dual

purpose in that they help students identify potential postsecondary opportunities

and also provide them with emotional guidance. According to one counselor,

“Students are less likely to fall through the cracks if we can check in with them on

a regular basis.”

WHS counselors promote the idea that they are teaching, too. One counselor

remarked, “We are not sitting in our offices just doing our own thing. We are

educating these students about their future!” As part of the STEM-for-All initiative,

counselors transitioned their mantra from “helping students graduate” to “helping

students succeed beyond high school.” The school counselors adopted the

Nebraska Career Education Model (career exploration through career pathways),

which focuses on exposing students to potential careers. Counselors introduce

Career Cruising and utilize its online inventories (designed to help ninth graders

explore a broad range of options for their future) during the freshmen seminar to

help students investigate career options and relate them to coursework.

From the moment students enter the freshmen seminar, they are made aware of

career options and the expectations of the real world necessary to succeed.” The

counselors repeatedly stress that high school is not the end, but a means to the

end. WHS leadership encourage this emphasis on careers because, as stated

before, according to the Illinois Education Research Council, “students who self

identify with a specific career in mind before leaving high school are 80 percent

more likely than their counterparts to earn a certification or degree six years post

high school.”

Customized Student Schedules

Building on career exploration and education and supporting a STEM-focused

school culture led WHS counselors away from creating only four-year education

plans solely designed to meet graduation requirements. Now, beginning in the

freshman year, education plans of study consist of a pathway to postsecondary

opportunities. Counselors tailor fit each student’s educational experience on the

basis of his or her career plans. The block schedule allows all students to have a

customized schedule no matter where they are in their education. The flexible

schedule enables underperforming students to supplement their course load with


additional instructional time. For instance, a student struggling in English can take

a 90-minute English course for the entire year instead of a traditional 45-minute

course. This flexibility allows students to progress at a modified pace but

ultimately stay on track with their peers.

Student Portfolios

Counselors also help students manage Naviance, a school and career planning

software that allows students to build an electronic portfolio of everything they

have done in school as well as to manage postsecondary opportunities. Students

begin their portfolio during the sophomore year and continue to build the contents

during their junior and senior years. In their sophomore year, students use

Naviance to focus them on careers that match their interests, aptitude, and

capabilities. Students then use the information to guide career exploration and to

choose appropriate courses when planning their course schedule.

In an effort to promote career exploration and planning at home, school leadership

allows parents access to Naviance as well. WHS leadership states that parental

access encourages parents to become involved in career guidance. WHS staff

allows its alumni access to Naviance to build resumes, research postsecondary

institutions, and monitor postsecondary institution applications. The selection of

Naviance as a postsecondary tool was, in part, for the purpose of keeping with the

counselors’ mission to reach all students because Naviance is anticipated to offer a

Spanish language program in December 2012.

Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum

WHS leadership stresses the message to students that their future success directly

relates to factors such as their course selection and their commitment to academic

excellence. To equip students to succeed in these areas, WHS leadership provides

each student with opportunities to engage in a rigorous curriculum as well as the

expectation that they will participate in at least one extracurricular program. Dr.

Lopez remarked, “Experiences in a co-curricular program provide a unique

relevance to life after high school through teamwork, goal setting and a sense of

accomplishment.”

Career Pathways

WHS is continually introducing career pathways that it makes available to its

students including: Architecture & Construction, Engineering (PLTW),

Manufacturing, Health Sciences, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Business

& Finance, Communication, and Fine Arts. From as early as eighth grade, all

students are counseled to engage in a pathway and selected related coursework

toward a career goal. According to Dr. Lopez, “We want every kid that walks into

Wheeling to discover a pathway they want to follow. Even if they change their

mind later, the goal is for every student to identify a plan. According to the Illinois


Research Counsel, students who identify a career area of interest are 80% more

likely to complete a postsecondary program.” To reinforce this, rather than

completing a course selection plan based on graduation requirements, each

student now completes a program of study that has been developed for them by a

counselor.

Programs of Study

In 2008, the school introduced a “community college approach” to education with

programs of study (POS). The program is an important piece of the school’s goal

of creating an engaging and relevant educational experience for all students.

These POS, mainly in the STEM areas, consist of three components: a

postsecondary sequence of courses, an external experience, and the earning of an

industry-recognized certification or a college credit. The WHS administration

asserts that linking education to opportunities beyond high school engages

students and makes them more competitive in the job market after graduation.

Health Careers Pathway

In 2009, WHS leadership introduced the Health Careers pathway program, which is

available to students interested in pursuing studies in the health field. With access

to paperless classrooms and a state-of-the-art simulated hospital room, students

receive a first-rate education that equips them to become a Certified Nursing

Assistant and obtain an Emergency Medical Responder certification before leaving

the doors of WHS. The PLTW Biomedical sequence of courses is in the process of

being integrated into the program for the fall of 2013.

3.2.2 Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit Since 2007, WHS has increased its Advanced Placement (AP) program from 12 to

24 courses. Students have access to the full gamut of STEM-related AP courses in

math and science, and one in three students participates in the program. In 2010,

WHS reported an 85 percent AP exam pass rate, nearly double the national

average.

WHS partners with Haper College to offer dual-credit opportunities in health

careers, accounting, and math, and future plans include nanotechnology and

manufacturing.

3.3 Focus on Professional Development, Growth, and Collaboration To address the challenge of moving WHS to a STEM-for-All philosophy, the school

is currently engaged in several important initiatives. Each of these initiatives

requires a high level of professional performance and is supported by strong

professional development (PD).


QUEST Teacher Support

Scaling a model like QUEST required a paradigm shift among instructors, and

according to Dr. Lopez, this initially created a challenge for departments such as

social studies and fine arts, whose curricula do not typically include an inquiry

model. However, instructors have embraced the challenge and are gaining

experience with and becoming comfortable with integrating the inquiry-based

elements into their current curricula. By using QUEST in every classroom, WHS

ensures that students are receiving the entire P21 skill set.

However, because QUEST is new and teachers are still learning to understand and

implement it, school leadership places a large priority on providing teachers and

faculty with both consistent and regularly offered PD. At the beginning of each

year, school leadership outlines the PD opportunities for everyone from teachers

to counselors to librarians. This PD, which focuses largely on STEM-related

activities, takes place both externally at conferences and internally at WHS. All

faculty members are required to participate in PD and learn how to integrate the

STEM philosophy into their particular discipline.

In 2011–2012, school leadership also began focusing on ways to increase efforts

around QUEST to bring those efforts back to all content areas, especially writing,

reading, and critical thinking. To support this growing focus, an assistant principal

meets every Monday with a PLT department head to discuss ways to improve and

overlap this initiative with current department initiatives and goals. School

leadership also hosts a data retreat for PLT department heads during which they

look at student achievement and restructure curricula based on needs/data. Even

at these retreats, the primary focus is on how to improve student performance

through improved skills instruction.

Special Project Collaboration

PLTW teachers regularly seek out, usually in a relatively informal manner,

opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines within the school. A PLTW

instructor remarked that “by seeking out collaboration with other subjects and

tying in multiple areas of study into what my students are learning only increases

their knowledge and understanding.” Collaborative examples include students in

the Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA) course proposing a design for the

WHS’s new Health Careers classroom and a design for a football field renovation

complete with a concession stand. WHS staff used both designs and, in turn,

provided those students with a real-life application of knowledge.

In another course, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), students

manufactured and designed the drains for the indoor pool at WHS. In the past,


industry members have even asked students to manufacture design prototypes.

Instructors noted that these experiences excite the students more than traditional

school projects because the students are actually able to see their work in action.

3.4 Use Data to Make Instructional Decisions Because WHS is the most diverse school in DS 214 with multiple subgroups to

track for school improvement, WHS leadership uses data to drive all school

initiatives and programs that serve its student population. To accomplish this, the

school employs an Assessment Coordinator, a full-time staff person in charge of

school data and assessment. This staff person focuses solely on school-based

research and needs that evolve from the data. To support this effort and provide

additional context and data, DS 214 generates 40 to 50 research reports yearly.

Based on data from DS 214’s six schools, DS 214 reports are written using a

school-wide, multi-year approach but break down information to the departmental

level.

Data are managed not only at the district and administrative levels but also in

classrooms. Instructors use a tracking system, Mastery Manager, that provides

immediate and actionable student performance data. By using this system,

instructors can design and deliver immediate student intervention programs as

they monitor student test performance and monitor grades and trends. They also

receive the formative data to do their own applied research and identify areas in

need of improvement. Performance data also guide instructor collaboration in PLC

leadership meetings.

In 2007, DS 214 and WHS expanded their focus beyond Adequate Yearly Progress2

(AYP) data because they were considered too variable and impractical to drive

school improvement. DS 214 also discovered AYP data miss 50 percent of at-risk

students because AYP data track only low-income and minority students and

students with special education needs. In order to pinpoint areas in need of school

improvement, DS 214 and WHS turned their focus to tracking and using data from

the Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS), which encompasses the

ACT, standardized formative assessments, and Advanced Placement (AP)

assessments.

WHS faculty maintain that the ACT and AP assessments, which are used by the

school to drive instruction and improvement, align with the school’s philosophy to

make school relevant to students. Dr. Lopez noted, “We use ACT and AP data

because it has value to our community and our students as it relates to college

acceptance. There is a tie to these assessments and their real world.”


Compared with other SD 214 schools, the annual incoming student population at

WHS includes a larger number of at-risk students. However, because the school

uses data to drive instruction, WHS student ACT math scores rank at the top of the

district, even though the demographics of the incoming student population

indicate that scores would be far lower. To encourage a continued increase in ACT

scores and AP participation, WHS leadership requires every freshman to take the

ACT EXPLORE test. The school leadership uses these test results to predict future

student performance and to identify areas of potential weaknesses. If a student

performs below grade level in a particular area, then that student’s course

schedule will include additional class time to address that weakness and that

student will have access to a myriad of Academic Support Centers.

Ultimately, WHS faculty uses the EXPLORE test to evaluate and, if necessary,

attempt to redirect, the trajectory of future student performance—and this practice

seems to be working. Nationally, on average, ACT test scores increase 4 points

from the EXPLORE test to the ACT test. At WHS, with all students testing, the

growth rate is 6 points from the EXPLORE test to the ACT test. In 2009, WHS

students averaged an ACT score of 21.8, but in 2011, the average score rose to

22.3.

Similarly, AP participation and performance have increased significantly over the

last five years. In 2007, WHS issued 302 AP exams to 201 students, but in 2011,

participation grew to 648 exams for 432 students. In 2011, the AP exam pass rate

was 81.9 percent with a mean score of 3.56.

According to a SD 214 associate superintendent, “WHS is seeing significant results

because Laz [Dr. Lopez] and his staff don’t just count numbers. They try to figure

out what is going to make this work better. We focus on the real measures that

identify and can help with student improvement. If the measures aren’t good, they

can’t guide the students and improve instruction.”

WHS leadership ensures its data are fully representative of how students are

performing. As a result, administrators decided to exclude students not enrolled at

WHS for three consecutive years from the ACT data analysis. Dr. Lopez noted,

“There are no freebies—we just get a full representation of what the school is

doing.”

Data are also used to track at-risk students and reduce the number of D and F

grades. If a student earns a D or an F, there are as many as 30 structured and

targeted interventions running at all times in which the student can participate. As

Dr. Lopez explained, “The school finds its role is to disallow a student to choose to

fail without significant intervention.”


Part iii. data and next steps Performance Data The charts below show the average score of students on the ACT in math, English

and science, as well as the average composite scores. The last chart shows the

graduation rate from 2008 to 2010. (All data was provided by Wheeling High

School.)

Average Score of Wheeling High School Students on Math ACT

23.1 22.8 23.6

0

10

20

30

2009 2010 2011

Year

Sco

re

Average Score

Average Score of Wheeling High School Students on English ACT

21.3 20.8 22

0

10

20

30

2009 2010 2011

Year

Sco

re

Average Score


Average Score of Wheeling High School Students on Science ACT

21.3 21.2 21.6

0

10

20

30

2009 2010 2011

Year

Sco

re

Average Score

Average Score of Wheeling High School Students on ACT Composite

21.8 21.6 22.3

0

10

20

30

2009 2010 2011

Year

Sco

re

Average Score

Wheeling High School Graduation Rate, 2008 - 2010

94 94 93

0

20

40

60

80

100

2008 2009 2010Year

Per

centa

ge

of S

tuden

ts

Gra

duat

ing


Wheeling’s Next Steps The leadership team cites several goals for the faculty and students of WHS as

they continue to build on the successful foundation of providing a STEM-for-All

education. These goals include offering students additional industry-recognized

credentials, growing student awareness of and participation in programs of study,

increasing access to Advanced Placement classes, and increasing college

readiness. As these current and future efforts continue, Dr. Lopez and his team

hope to establish the groundwork for more extensive collaboration across

disciplines so that STEM-related skills are seamlessly integrated for the benefit of

all students and career pathways provide real opportunities for their futures.

Dr. Lopez also stated that he plans to integrate staff from core academic areas into

the PLTW courses as opposed to using only traditional CTE teachers. In doing this,

he hopes to expose more students to the relevance of the program and increase

interdisciplinary experiences while providing another “feeder” method to increase

program participation.

The WHS team is looking for additional STEM-related programs to implement. In

the winter of 2011, three science teachers attended a three-day conference, hosted

by the NanoProfessor Nanoscience Education Program, to determine how a

nanotechnology pathway could be applied in the high school setting, with the

ultimate goal of providing students with knowledge and experience in

nanotechnology starting their freshman year. Beginning in the fall of 2012,

nanotechnology will be integrated into the core biology, chemistry, and physics

curriculum so that all students will have a foundation of knowledge. Plans are

currently being developed for the first high school nanotechnology pathway in the

country as well as a dual-credit Introduction to Nanotechnology lab course that

will be available to upperclassmen. School leadership hopes to have a full

pathway in place within the next few years.

By 2014, WHS leadership team hopes to expand dual-enrollment offerings with

Harper College to include engineering, manufacturing, biotechnology, and

nanotechnology.

# # #


The site visit was conducted on October 5–6, 2011. This case study was written by

Hans Meeder and Nichole Jackson of the Meeder Consulting Group. Site visit

coordination and follow up was provided by Dr. Lazaro Lopez, principal of

Wheeling High School.

Published June 2012. All case studies and affiliated reports for the STEM Schools

Project can be found at http://www.meederconsulting.com. © 2012, Meeder

Consulting Group, LLC.

ENDNOTES 1 The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and nonpublic elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve at very high levels and/or where the achievement gap in narrowing. The Program sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. 2 Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the federal No Child Left

Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public

school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on

standardized tests.

Documents

CASE STUDY: WHEELING HIGH SCHOOL