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“Celebrating our STEM Journey: Reflections of a Continuous Improvement Process”
For Consideration of Publication in the Fall 2015 “Celebrations” Issue of Palmetto Administrator
Submitted on June 30, 2015
Co-Authors
Jeannie Pressley, Trevor Ivey, Jenaii Edwards,
Stephanie Barrineau, Cherlyn Anderson, & Lori Smith
Jeannie Pressley, Principal
Alice Drive Middle School
40 Miller Road; Sumter, SC 29150
803-840-5754 / jeannie.pressley@sumterschools.net
Jeannie Pressley has taught elementary and middle level ELA and math. She previously
served as the principal of Cherryvale Elementary, a Palmetto Silver School.
Trevor Ivey, NBCT, Assistant Principal
Alice Drive Middle School
40 Miller Road; Sumter, SC 29150
803-316-7849 / trevor.ivey@sumterschools.net
Trevor Ivey has taught elementary and middle level science. He has won numerous
teaching awards, including state finalist for Teacher of the Year in 2013.
Jenaii Edwards, Assistant Principal
Alice Drive Middle School
40 Miller Road; Sumter, SC 29150
803-236-8688 / jenaii.edwards@sumterschools.net
Jenaii Edwards previously served as the Lead Special Education Teacher at Chestnut
Oaks Middle School, where she was named Teacher of the Year.
Cherlyn Anderson, Education Specialist
S2
TEM Centers SC
1041 George Rogers Blvd., Columbia, SC 29201
803-917-7062 / cherlynanderson@gmail.com
Cherlyn Anderson has taught middle level science and ELA. She has won numerous
awards including the Milken National Educator and an Albert Einstein Fellowship.
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Lori%Smith,%NBCT,%Science,%Fine%Arts,%&%STEM%Coordinator!
Sumter School District
1345 Wilson Hall Road; Sumter, SC 29150
803-469-6900 / lori.smith@sumterschools.net
Lori Smith serves as the Science, Fine Arts, STEM/AVID Coordinator for Sumter
School District and also on the SC Coalition for Mathematics and Science Board.
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Stephanie%Barrineau,%Curriculum%Coordinator!
Alice Drive Middle School
40 Miller Road
Sumter, SC 29150
803-775-0821 / Stephanie.barrineau@sumterschools.net
A National Board Certified Teacher, Stephanie Barrineau serves as the ADM
Curriculum Coordinator. !
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“Celebrating our STEM Journey:
Reflections of a Continuous Improvement Process”
Abstract: Alice Drive Middle seeks to provide a quality STEM education to all students. Located
in Sumter, this choice school recently earned national AdvancED STEM certification.
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Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking
we used when we created them.”
With the complex demands placed upon us in this ever-changing world, this sage advice
from Einstein is something that we in public education have seemed to forget. While reform
initiatives have been a constant, the overarching goal has been to improve the trajectory of
student outcomes; preparing students to become productive citizens. More recently, the national
public education narrative has sought to improve our academic reputation on the global stage
through the implementation of many initiatives driven by STEM (science, technology
engineering, and math) as a vehicle for improving student outcomes. A team of dedicated and
forward thinking educators are transforming education in Sumter, South Carolina. Educators at
Alice Drive Middle (ADM), a choice school in Sumter School District (SSD) are making STEM
learning a reality for all of its students in order to give them the competitive edge in the local,
national, and global workforce.
ADM began the process of becoming a STEM school in 2012 through a partnership with
South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science and S2
TEM Centers SC. Throughout
the three year partnership, a focused plan for transforming Alice Drive Middle into a STEM
school was developed and implemented. With the assistance of a S2
TEM Centers SC Education
Specialist, the school created a vision, developed short and long term goals, took actions to
implement strategies, while documenting their progress along the way. S2
TEM Centers SC
Specialist, Cherlyn Anderson credits the focus of the STEM Leadership Team and the
collaborative and innovative culture of the faculty and staff at ADM for the rapid progress of the
school towards its goal. “The leadership and faculty have been a phenomenal group to work
with. They have been dedicated to infusing quality STEM opportunities for all students into

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their curriculum.” Through a transdisciplinary focus, the STEM program impacts all four core
subjects (math, science, language arts, and history) as well as the related arts areas (art, band,
strings, music/chorus, gym, and technology education). A unique characteristic of ADM’s STEM
focus is that the STEM program is all-inclusive, serving all 850 students in grades 6-8.
Implementing a STEM Focus
The belief at ADM is that it is vital to prepare students for an increasingly global
economy. We acknowledge that science and engineering jobs are growing at a rate exceeding
any other occupation. A recent McKinsey Report states that, “By 2018, 1 in 20 global jobs will
be STEM related—an estimated 2.8 million jobs in total with over 90% of these opportunities
requiring secondary degrees and two-thirds requiring a bachelor’s degree.” Due to technological
advances, Americans will compete with others from all over the world for the high-tech, high-
wage jobs of the 21st
century. We expect our students to approach the world’s problems and
acquire the necessary tool kit to solve these problems. This expectation is meaningful for
everyone involved: students, families, public and private institutions of higher education, and the
businesses and industries our students could potentially work for and develop. Having a program
intentionally designed to ensure college and career readiness will positively impact our students.
As STEM education research continues nationwide (NAP 2012) many agree to the importance of
a focus on innovation through science, technology, engineering, and math now. But many ask,
how do you build a STEM school? What does it look like?
Our Philosophy of Successful STEM Learning Experiences in Action
Strategic Planning: As school leaders, it has been an overarching goal to strengthen the
overall cohesiveness of our STEM program through a collaborative focus on strategic planning.
Our school renewal plan is reviewed each year by a variety of stakeholder groups and is referred

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to when making programmatic decisions on activities, field studies, and projects both in and out
of the classroom. Revisions to our school renewal plan over the past few years have helped to
recognize the interdependence of various aspects of the school as outlined in the Harvard
developed PELP Coherence Framework—culture, systems and structures, resources, stakeholder
relationships, and environment—and its collective impact on student achievement (2003). With
the following theory of action governing our school renewal plan, the work of strategic planning
has become more easily navigated with greater buy-in among all stakeholder groups: If we fully
coordinate and align our school’s policies, practices and partners to increase student interest,
participation and achievement in STEM, expand student access to effective instruction, reduce
our gap in STEM access and build community awareness and support for STEM, then we will
increase the quality of STEM talent development for our community, state, and nation. Our plan
is unique in that it contains a vision and mission statement, a supporting philosophy, and clearly
defined STEM core competencies and school-wide goals.
INSERT PICTURE 1: ADMS STRATEGIC PLANNING POSTER
Curriculum: The STEM curriculum is delivered to students through the form of an
alternate A/B type of flexible scheduling. Students are scheduled to have eight classes, taking
four classes each day, with each class lasting 90 minutes in length. Students take the core courses
of history, science, language arts, and math for the entire year, in which the student coursework
is focused on STEM. Yet, students also have the opportunity to take STEM-based electives
throughout their three years at ADM, including art, digital literacy, band, strings, foreign
language, enrichment, and/or remediation classes to meet the individual learning needs of
students. Students also take physical education and health for one semester. The flexible
schedule has allowed students to see the interconnectedness of all areas of study as they relate to

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an essential question. In some classes where teachers have fully embraced problem-based
learning, students are creating projects that have ties to the community, which helps to solidify
the importance of STEM as a powerful educational experience.
Problem-Based Learning as the Vehicle for STEM Learning: Based on self-assessments
conducted by administrators, faculty, and stakeholders utilizing the S2
TEM Centers SC
Innovation Configuration Maps (Total Instructional Focus), the South Carolina STEM
Continuum, and Indicator 6.2 of the AdvancED STEM rubric, ADM is in the
emerging/practicing stage of implementing problem-based learning across the building. Through
the school renewal planning process, and supporting professional development, the faculty and
staff have agreed to the following norms in a STEM-based classroom:
• The project or problem is central rather than peripheral to the curriculum.
• The project or problem is broken down into measurable pieces.
• The project or problem has real-world relevant connections.
• The project or problem could conclude with a product or a performance.
• Digital technologies support and enhance student learning.
• World-class skills are integral (Profile of the South Carolina Graduate).
• Instructional strategies are varied and support multiple learning styles.
• Projects involve ongoing and multiple types of assessments.
Core Tenets of an Effective STEM Curriculum: Faculty and staff have agreed that students
should master certain core competencies to truly become college and career ready:
1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
2. Communication
3. Collaboration and Teamwork
4. Information Literacy
5. Appreciation for Diversity
6. Learning to Learn (Metacognition)
Sustaining Actions/Goals: In implementing the core tenets of an effective and age-
appropriate STEM curriculum, the following actions augment our program’s coherence:
1. Increasing student interest, participation, and achievement in STEM.

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We coordinate, implement, and scale up innovative, rigorous, and inspiring STEM
experiences from a variety of challenging curricula (including Project Lead the Way-Gateway)
with the greatest promise of piquing student interest, securing student participation, and boosting
student achievement in STEM. During the course of our students’ three years at ADM, all
students, including those typically underrepresented in STEM careers, have the opportunity to
participate in STEM classes. Currently, specific STEM-based instruction is delivered through
STEM electives such as CSI-Forensics, LEGO Robotics & Engineering, STEM Go-Green,
Google CS First, STEM Aeronautics and the integration of problem-based units within core
content classrooms. Our school day is extended through the use of afterschool STEM activities
(available three days a week), impacting approximately 50 students per quarter.
In addition, school-wide activities are regularly planned to include all students during the
school day such as our recent problem-based “STEM Boot Camp” that every staff member
helped to execute. As part of the camp, all students at each grade level solved an engaging
problem and were exposed to opportunities emphasizing STEM as highly relevant to their lives.
Such school-wide activities assisted in developing a common STEM language.
2. Expanding student access to effective student instruction.
Our STEM program aligns with the newly adopted South Carolina Academic Standards and
Performance Indicators for Science, the newly adopted South Carolina College and Career
Readiness Standards for ELA and Mathematics, and the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate,
which all collectively emphasize science and engineering practices, inquiry, as well as reading
and writing comprehension and skills through engagement with content. In each of our STEM
classes, students are provided multiple opportunities to learn skills through tiered activities.
Students are assessed not only on their technical skills, but also the 21st
century “world class”

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skills as outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate (2015). In addition to statewide
summative assessments (ACT Aspire and SC Palmetto Assessment of State Standards),
formative assessments via CASE Assessment TE21, as well as conferences, portfolios, rubrics,
checklists, interactive notebooks, self & peer reflection are used to provide regular feedback to
students. ADM utilizes the structure of a Building Data Team that organizes and prepares data in
a user-friendly format so that the faculty can dedicate meeting times to analysis and discussion.
INSERT PICTURE 2: SOUTH CAROLINA PROFILE OF THE GRADUATE
Our administration recognizes that teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement
and understand the need for focused and personalized professional development, based on the
data driven needs and collaborative school STEM Goals, and such experiences are regularly
made available to all teachers through the use of an on-site curriculum coach (Stephanie
Barrineau), Clemson 4H, Patriot Grant Advisor, and a S2
TEM Centers SC Education Specialist.
The development of professional learning communities and the use of backward design planning
in strengthening curriculum has resulted in an expansion of student access to effective STEM
instruction and has led to a more rigorous curriculum and higher student performance with
respectable growth in all areas. Built into the Edivate PD360, the use of the ELEOT classroom
observation instrument has provided teachers with instantaneous and personalized additional
assistance and feedback.
In addition to school and district based STEM professional development, several of our
STEM teachers have successfully sought out additional STEM-related learning activities. Some
activities include conducting peer observations at other high-achieving STEM/STEAM school
across the state, the afterschool robotics coach presenting at the national conference for middle
school math teachers, and both the Math Counts advisor and STEM Learning Coach being

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accepted for STEM training at the United States Naval Academy. Other teachers have attended
and participated in TEACHFIT, summer professional development activities that teach cross-
disciplinary teams of middle school teachers how to get their students excited about STEM
through innovative technology-based fitness games. Once trained, it is a norm for participating
teachers to share with the rest of the faculty through professional learning community meetings
by department/team.
3. Building Community Awareness and Partnership Support for STEM
We acknowledge the imminent STEM talent and skills gap that the state of South Carolina
and our country is facing in the years ahead. In Year Two, a STEM Advisory Board was
established, comprised of department heads, a military liaison from Shaw Air Force Base,
industry representatives, local college and university professors, and district office
representatives. Through the efforts of the on-site Career Specialist, STEM students have been
afforded regular opportunities to participate in a variety of field studies and experiences with
partners to include visiting local manufacturers, businesses, and colleges/universities, such as the
University of South Carolina Sumter, Central Carolina Technical College, Boeing, Caterpillar,
Continental Tire, and Becton Dickinson. Outreach activities targeting younger students in our
feeder elementary schools are used to increase STEM awareness.
INSERT PICTURE 3: STEMMIE THE ROBOT
Events such as a STEM Parent Night, field research with the University of South Carolina
Sumter, and school board presentations are a few examples of how we are continuing to build
community awareness and partnership support. As a result of a Department of Defense Patriot
Grant and a Clemson 4H Grant, additional partnerships have been established with Boeing,
Honda, Caterpillar, Santee Lynches, University of South Carolina Sumter, Central Technical

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College, Shaw Air Force Base, and various community agencies within our county municipality
to include the local police department and forensics lab. We are building a base of diverse
partners and supporters to communicate the rising importance of STEM education in workforce
development and job creation in our community and stage, beginning at the grassroots level.
INSERT PICTURE 4: STUDENTS WITH ROCKET LAUNCHERS ACTIVITY
National STEM Certification Process
In the spring of 2015, ADM continued the learning process by applying for AdvancED
STEM Certification. The STEM certification process is similar to the AdvancED External
review process, yet different in that the STEM certification process primarily focuses on the
school or program’s STEM education model. The STEM Certification Reviewers used the
AdvancED STEM Standard 6 and its (the) 11 Indicators and related criteria to guide the analysis,
looking not only for adherence to the standard but also for how STEM education is provided to
the school’s students and embodies the practices and characteristics of a quality, relevant, and
age-appropriate STEM education. As a result of the STEM Certification Review conducted in
late May, ADM earned the distinction of the AdvancED STEM Certification. The certification
was a rigorous process that involved observations of 26 of the school's classrooms using the
ELEOT observation tool and 68 interviews of teachers, students, advisors, business community
partners and parents. The certification is valid for five-years.
INSERT PICTURE 5: ROBOTICS PROGRAMMING
Dr. Jeff Wooten, one of two site reviewers and Director of AdvancED in Alabama stated,
"Alice Drive took the most difficult route in making STEM learning available for all. Many
schools start out by initiating the STEM curriculum in a few classrooms or a school-within-a-
school approach." Dr. Wooten also noted that ADM was able to achieve in two years what

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usually takes three to five years to accomplish. The reviewers noted the school’s outreach and
partnership program as two of its most powerful practices. Yet, the transformative story comes
from student testimonials. Students at ADM have embraced the STEM offerings. Eighth-grader
Luke DuRant, who has experienced the STEM offerings since sixth grade, stated, "It's about
learning technology and skills that we can use when we graduate. With project-based learning, if
we don't come up with a solution, we go back to the beginning and start the project over again.
Being in the robotics class is just as cool as playing and winning football games." Hannah
Merchant, a sixth-grade student, is finishing her first year at the school. "I had no clue what
STEM was when I first came here. Now I love it," she said.
INSERT PICTURE 6: GIRLS STEM CAMP
Looking Ahead: Strengthening our STEM Commitment
As we move forward with a sense of urgency to more fully transform our school into a
STEM-centered culture, ADM faculty plans to explore these possibilities:
1. Flip additional classrooms across the school building.
2. Develop long-term problem-based units with opportunities for students to present to “expert
audiences.”
3. Maximize STEM immersion.
4. Regularly collect & analyze data to authentically measure STEM literacy.
5. Implement a One to One Chrome Book technology initiative.
6. Increase opportunities for structured collaboration among faculty and staff members.
7. Explore integrating the arts into the STEM program.
The success of the STEM program at ADM cannot be possible without the support and
dedication of our school’s teachers who have put in many hours to create, develop, enhance,
enrich, and improve the educational experiences for our students. Our teachers’ innovative and
collaborative spirit and willingness to transform and do what is best for our students has been a
true joy to witness. It is because of their love of our profession, students and our school that has
allowed them to move beyond traditional teaching to ensure all the students we serve are college

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and career ready. They work diligently educating themselves on STEM competencies and best
practices. Let’s be clear: our great teachers are the ones who have brought the STEM vision to
fruition. By no means has this endeavor been simple and easy. The teachers have transformed
our school into something incredible—students are engaged like never before at ADM because
of the ADM community who give them the best opportunities each day to become productive,
competitive, globally aware citizens.
INSERT PICTURE 7: MEASUREMENT LAB ACTIVITY
References
AdvancED.!(2015)!http://www.advanc7ed.org/!
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Coherence!Framework.!(2003).!http://pelp.fas.harvard.edu/book/coherence7framework!!
Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. (2015). http://sccompetes.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/Profile-of-the-South-Carolina-Graduate-20150120-page-001.pdf
STEM Continuum (2014, July 1). https://ed.sc.gov/agency/ccr/Standards-
Learning/documents/STEM_Continuum_With_Evidence-Middle_School.pdf
STEM Innovation Configuration (IC) Maps. (2014). http://www.s2temsc.org/stem-innovation-
configuration-ic-maps.html
STEM Support - Theory of Action. (n.d.). http://www.s2temsc.org/stem-support---theory-of-
action.html
Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics. (2011). http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13158/successful-k-12-stem-
education-identifying-effective-approaches-in-science
The World at Work: Jobs, pay, and skills for 3.5 billion people. (2012). McKinsey & Company.
Vasquez, J. (2013). STEM Lesson Essentials, Grades 3-8:Integrating Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (1st ed.). Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.
Vasquez, J. (2015). STEM-Beyond the Acronym. Educational Leadership, 1-15.