Welcome to the State of the STEM School Address National Inventor’s Hall of Fame ® School Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Welcome to the State of the STEM School Address

National Inventor’s Hall of Fame® SchoolCenter for Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) Learning

February 23, 2012

Melanie LaForce, PhD and Sarah Rand, MA

NIHF-STEM Student and Teacher FindingsOSLN Study

Year 1

Background Information• The purpose of the study is to better

understand the STEM “Platform Schools” within the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN)• To understand the ways that teachers,

students, school leaders, and school partners implement STEM school models

• To learn about ways that innovative STEM practices are spread between schools and regions and sustained over time

Understanding Implementation at STEM schools

We define innovation models by essential components.

• What makes your school your school?• How is your school enacting these components?• What factors (context, disposition) contribute to or

inhibit implementation?

Sources of Data• The Instructional Questionnaire asked questions about the

instructional structures and practices used at NIHF-STEM• The Factor Questionnaire asked questions about factors that

may influence the implementation of practices in STEM schools

• The Student Questionnaire asked questions about student feelings about the school, attitudes about STEM, and motivation and confidence in STEM and learning.

NIHF-STEMAll Other

OSLN SchoolsTeacher Instructional Questionnaire 20 54

Teacher Factor Questionnaire 21 68

Student Questionnaire 211 429

Participating STEM Schools

• Dayton Regional STEM School, Dayton, OH

• Metro Early College High School, Columbus, OH

• National Inventors Hall of Fame School, Akron, OH

• MC2STEM High School, Cleveland, OH

• Hughes STEM High School, Cincinnati, OH

Number of Districts Served

Akron Metro MC2 STEM

Hughes STEM

Dayton0

5

10

15

20

25

30


NIHF-STEM

Metro MC2 STEM

Hughes STEM

Dayton STEM

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

UnclassifiedMultiracialNative AmericanHispanicAsianAfrican AmericanWhite non-Hispanic


Percent Free/Reduced Lunch Percent Special Education

NIHF-STEM

Metro MC2 STEM

Hughes STEM

Dayton STEM

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

43%

23%

100%

87%

22%

NIHF-STEM

Metro MC2 STEM

Hughes STEM

Dayton STEM

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

13%

7%

11%

21%

10%

Student Questionnaires

NIHF-STEM (n=211) All other OSLN (n=547)

Male 60% 52%

Female 40% 48%

Grade 5 41% 0%

Grade 6 51% 0%

Grade 7 35% 0%

Grade 8 0% 5%

Grade 9 and above 0% 95%

Topics of Key Findings• Student• Attitudes toward STEM and school• Reports of their own behavior• Teacher • Perceptions about staff• Perceptions about their school/district

Considerations• There are unique factors about NIHF-STEM (and

all schools in our sample) that may influence data.• NIHF-STEM -younger student population, somewhat

more experienced teacher population

• Data are presented here in a format for school benefit. In our analysis work, we use data in a different way. • Our questionnaire and other instruments are

always being improved.

Student Findings

Reasons for Attending NIHF-STEM

My friends go to school here.

A parent/guardian made me.

I'm interested in science/technology/engineering/math.

Many of the kids from my old school go to this school.

I wanted to get away from another school.

A teacher/adult recommended it.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

18%

31%

58%

12%

24%

27%

18%

21%

73%

12%

18%

31%

NIHF-STEMAll Other OSLN Schools

Student Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Efficacy

Intrinsic Motivation – GeneralI want to do well in school.I want to succeed in the world outside of school.I want to learn as much as I can.

Intrinsic Motivation – STEMI am interested in (science, math, engineering, technology)I enjoy learning about (science, math, engineering, technology)

Self-Efficacy – GeneralI have the skills and ability to do my schoolwork.I will be able to achieve most of the goals I have set for myselfWhen facing difficult tasks, I know I will accomplish them.

Self-Efficacy – STEMI am good at (science, math, engineering, technology)I have the skills and ability to learn (science, math, engineering,

technology)

* Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree scale

Intrinsic Motivation

Math

Engineering/Technology

Science

General

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

4.38

4.58

4.5

4.65

4.69

4.94

5.05

5.59


Note: 1= Strongly Disagree – 6= Strongly Agree

Self-Efficacy

Math

Engineering/Technology

Science

General

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

4.7

4.84

4.79

5.21

4.97

5.14

5.2

5.17


Note: 1= Strongly Disagree – 6= Strongly Agree

Attitudes about School

If I could choose a school right now, I would choose to go to this same school again.

I am an important part of my school community.

This school makes me feel confident about who I am.

I am challenged academically by my coursework.

Adults in this school want me to succeed.

I care about this school.

Overall, I feel good about being in this school.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

56%

52%

55%

70%

76%

59%

64%

81%

66%

67%

77%

84%

83%

83%

NIHF-STEMAll other OSLN Schools

% Indicating “Agree” or “Strongly Agree”

Students are engaged in cognitively demanding work• Students responded to a series of items measuring the extent

to which they participate in assignments, tasks, and work that is cognitively demanding.

• Items measuring student cognitive demand include: • I make hypotheses. • I analyze (organize, process, manipulate, re-evaluate) data. • I support my conclusions with evidence.• I explain my reasoning. • I consider alternative explanations/arguments.• I analyze subject-specific text (e.g. section from a textbook or an

article, paragraph from an autobiography, a mathematical algorithm, opening from play, etc.)

• NIHF-STEM students reported high levels of cognitive demand

Students are engaged in cognitively demanding workTable 2: Student engagement in cognitively demanding work

Teacher Findings

Staff treat one another with trust and respect

• Items measuring the extent to which staff respect and trust one another include:• Staff at my school treat one another with respect. • Staff at my school trust one another.

• NIHF-STEM teachers report high levels of trust and respect amongst staff.

Staff treat one another with trust and respectFigure 6. Staff at my school trust one another.

Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

4%

17%

49%

30%

5%

20%

75%

NIHF

All Other OSLN STEM Schools

Staff spread practices

• Staff share practices they enact in their classrooms and schools with others. • Items include:• Staff at my school share practices with others outside of my

school. • My school is a source of information and learning for other

schools. • NIHF-STEM teachers show high rates of reporting staff spread

practices.

Staff spread practicesFigure 7. Staff at my school share practices with others outside of my school.

Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

10%

20%

70%

26%

34%

40%

NIHF


School Innovativeness• Innovativeness: the extent to which an individual or

organization seeks out, creates, and/or enacts new ways of doing things.• Items measuring school innovativeness include:• My school experiments with new practices.• My school reflects on or questions existing ways of doing things.• My school is not afraid to make mistakes. • My school looks for alternative ways of doing things.• My school is among the first to try new things.

• NIHF-STEM teachers report very high levels of school innovativeness. OSLN schools overall reported more variability in “My school is not afraid to make mistakes.”

School InnovativenessFigure 31. My school experiments with new practices.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Somewhat Disagree

Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

1% 1% 1% 3%

24%

69%

0.0476190476190476

0.952380952380952

NIHF


School Innovativeness Figure 34. My school is not afraid to make mistakes.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Somewhat Disagree

Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

1% 1% 3%

13%

29%

51%

0.0476190476190476

0.19047619047619

0.285714285714286

0.476190476190476

NIHF


School Effectiveness

• School effectiveness items measure evidence (can be empirical or informal) that an innovation accomplishes desired outcomes. • Items measuring school effectiveness include:• My school accomplishes its goals about student

learning.• My school accomplishes its goals in terms of

developing student interest in STEM.• Evidence from other schools suggests that the

approaches my school uses are effective.• NIHF-STEM teachers report very high ratings of

school effectiveness.

School EffectivenessFigure 39. My school accomplishes its goals in terms of developing student interest in STEM.

Disagree Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

4%

21%

57%

17%

0.55

0.45

NIHF


Resource Sufficiency

• Resource sufficiency: the extent to which users feel they have enough resources to implement the innovation.• Items measuring resource sufficiency include:• I have all the materials I need to teach

effectively.• This school has sufficient resources that allow

me to do my job effectively. • NIHF-STEM teachers report very high levels of

resource sufficiency as compared to other OSLN schools.

Resource Sufficiency

STEM Hub ParticipationFigure 46. Do you participate in your regional STEM hub?

Yes No%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

76%

24%

42%

58%

NIHF All Other OSLN STEM Schools

Teacher Response

Opportunities for Learning

• The extent to which sources of growth and development for implementers of an innovation are present.

• Items measuring opportunities for learning include:• My school provides me with sources of growth and

development. • My district provides me with sources of growth and

development. • The regional STEM hub provides me with sources of

growth and development. • I am provided with sufficient opportunities for growth and

development to be an effective teacher at my school. • NIHF-STEM teachers report high levels of professional

development opportunities

Opportunities for LearningFigure 47. My school provides me with sources of growth and development.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Somewhat Disagree

Somewhat Agree

Agree Strongly Agree%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0.04761904761904760.0952380952380952

0.19047619047619

0.666666666666667

1%

3% 3%

19%

38% 35%

NIHF


Opportunities for LearningFigure 48. My district provides me with sources of growth and development.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Somewhat Disagree

Somewhat Agree Agree Strongly Agree%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0.0476190476190476 0.0476190476190476

0.19047619047619

0.428571428571429

0.285714285714286

13%

9% 9%

34%

26%

9%

NIHF


Next StepsSite Visit- This week!• Teacher Interviews • School Leader Interviews• Observations• Student Focus Groups

Spring Questionnaires• Teacher & School Leader Instructional Questionnaire: Spring

2012 • Teacher & School Leader Factor Questionnaire: Spring 2012• Student Questionnaire: Spring 2012

Data Visualizations

STEM Community Group

Melanie LaForce, [email protected]

Sarah Rand, [email protected]

www.cemse.uchicago.edu www.researcherswithoutborders.org

To access this presentation and reports, please visit www.researcherswithoutborders.org/NIHF

Documents

Welcome to the State of the STEM School Address National Inventor’s Hall of Fame ® School Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)