Texas High School Project and the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (T-STEM) Initiative Texas Regional Collaboration March 6, 2007

What Is the THSP The Texas High School Project is a public-private partnership dedicated to improving graduation and college-readiness rates.  Texas Education Agency  Governor’s Office and the Texas Legislature  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  Michael and Susan Dell Foundation  Communities Foundation of Texas

3 Vision and Guiding Principles Vision All Texas students will graduate high school ready for college and career success and prepared to be contributing members of the community. Guiding Principles  To challenge students with rigorous coursework  To make coursework relevant to their lives  To ensure students are taught by committed educators who develop relationships with them

Our Focus  Urban areas and Texas-Mexico border  First-generation college students  Hispanic and African-American students  Economically disadvantaged students

Texas Science Technology Engineering and Math (T-STEM) Initiative $71M in public/private funding initiative to pilot innovative ways to improve student achievement in math and science and increase the number of students who enter STEM career fields

Why T-STEM Was Created – School Performance Two of the most common reasons campuses were Academically Unacceptable under the state accountability system were failure to meet the TAKS math standards and failure to meet the TAKS science standards. Math performance was one of the top reasons that campuses failed to meet federal AYP standards.

Why T-STEM Was Created – College Readiness Texas has lower percentages of students taking Advanced Placement exams in Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics than the nation and lower percentages of students scoring a 3 or higher. The number of Hispanic and African American students in Texas who score a 3 or higher on the Chemistry and Physics AP exams is fewer than 500.

8 Why T-STEM Was Created – Economic Development and Competitiveness Of the 20 fastest-growing occupations projected through 2010, 15 of them require substantial mathematics or science preparation. On the TIMSS, U.S. 8 th graders were out performed by 7 of the 13 other countries in mathematics and 5 of the 13 other countries in science.

Why T-STEM Was Created – Social Equity Students with higher level mathematics skills earn up to double the amount earned by others Students of all income levels who take rigorous mathematics and science courses in high school are more likely to go to college.

 Create 35 T-STEM Academies  Establish 6-9 T-STEM Centers throughout Texas  Develop statewide best practices Network  Increase pool of highly qualified STEM teachers and school leaders T-STEM Goals

STEM Education Teaching and learning strategies that challenge students to innovate and invent Model real world contexts for learning and work Integration of math, science, and technology with other subject areas The design process driving student engagement How do we help children make sense of the world and solve new and novel problems?

T-STEM Academies Design Mix of charter schools, traditional public schools, and schools created in partnership with an institute of higher education (IHE). Stand alone campuses or school-within-a-school Approximately 100 students per grade Grades 6 – 12 (or 9 – 12 and actively work with feeder middle schools) Serve a population with a majority representation of high-need students Open enrollment, non-selective, admission by lottery

13 T-STEM Center Goals Support schools and districts in the improvement of student performance in math and science Disseminate promising practices and research-based strategies in STEM education

14 T-STEM Center Design Create regional partnerships between IHEs, ESCs, high need LEAs, nonprofits, and businesses to improve STEM education Identify and develop innovative instructional materials that integrate math and science concepts with the practical, problem-solving elements Deliver professional development to teachers in STEM fields based on national best practices Train administrators and principals in effective leadership strategies for supporting innovative math and science instruction Provide technical assistance, training, and coaching to the T-STEM Academies and other schools

T-STEM Network Goals Serve as a conduit for sharing best practices and lessons learned from the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Academies and Centers with all Texas middle and high schools. Provide access to relevant professional development, rigorous math and science curriculum, lessons plans infused with real-world activities in math and science, and expert and peer advice. Move as many schools and districts as possible toward the implementation of practices that have been proven to better serve students in science and math

16 T-STEM Key Priorities Support development and implementation of quality programs in Academy and Center grantees 2.Announce up to 2 new Centers and 60 Network Acceleration grantees 3.Launch T-STEM Network Digital Portal (spring 2007) 4.Identify up to 10 new Academy grantees, TEA RFA to be posted in March 5.Launch THSP Exemplar program (spring 2007)