Carbon School District Press Release
Creekview Elementary has been known as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) school in the area for some time. Now the state has recognized the school as officially being a Gold STEM School.
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) approved eight public schools for the Utah STEM School Designation in early may. This is the second group of schools to be selected since the program began last year.
USBE, in partnership with the Utah STEM Action Center, developed the Utah STEM Schools Designation program to better define and standardize the elements that create a comprehensive STEM learning environment for Utah students. The program furthers schools’ opportunities to engage in STEM-related discussions with faculty and community partners and develop strong instruction for students to prepare them for college and careers. The designation also serves as an indicator for members of the public who are looking for quality STEM school experiences in Utah K-12 education.
“We applaud the effort these schools – their teachers, students, parents and community partners – have put into STEM education,” said Dr. Sydnee Dickson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “There are nearly 9 million STEM jobs in the nation now and 93 out of 100 of them pay above-average wages. Utah students who commit themselves to succeeding in STEM in school stand a better chance of economic success.”
The full application and review process occurred during the 2015-16 school year. The eight schools completed comprehensive digital portfolios that demonstrated their excellence in STEM education, including student project-based learning, community partnerships and support for teacher professional learning. Utah stakeholders including current teachers, principals, district leaders and community council members evaluated each portfolio and visited the schools that were awarded gold and platinum levels of school designation. STEM school designations last for five years. Schools are placed into different designations based on their programs. The highest level is platinum, with gold being the next level. The other levels are silver and bronze.
“The STEM Action Center is committed to supporting students in their education and career efforts,” said Dr. Tamara Goetz, executive director of the Utah STEM Action Center. “This program helps create an engaging learning environment, in partnership with teachers, principals and a school’s community. It provides students with greater choices and opportunities and helps address the talent needs of Utah’s growing science, engineering and technology companies. We are so grateful for the hard work and commitment of the teachers and administrators and their willingness to work with the STEM Action Center.”
The Utah STEM Schools Designation program was developed to define the criteria and elements necessary for a school to create a comprehensive STEM learning environment for their students. The STEM schools designation program allows schools to engage in discussions with faculty and community partners around STEM education as a lens for strong instruction for students to prepare them for college and career readiness. The designation also serves as an indicator for members of the public who are looking for STEM school experiences in Utah K-12 education. Schools that have identified a passion for STEM education will benefit from the opportunity for both reflection and recognition through this program.
“We are excited about this designation,” said Creekview Principal John Thomas. “We have worked hard and it has been a long process to get to this level.”
The school held a celebration two weeks ago about the new designation where the announcement was made to the school’s studentbody and faculty concerning the honor. The official award will take place on June 20 at the Utah STEM Best Practices Conference on June 20 in Salt Lake City.