This document provides an overview of STEM education initiatives in the Owatonna Public Schools district. It details the district's implementation of STEM programs from 2011-2017, including professional development for teachers and the expansion of STEM schools at various grade levels. Data is presented on student attitudes, demographics, and academic performance that shows mostly positive outcomes from the STEM programs. The district's goals are to continue developing STEM-focused elementary schools and career-focused programs at the high school level to further improve student outcomes in STEM subjects.

1. Life Changing:
What happens when we
STEMify our schools!
Thomas Meagher, PhD
District STEM Education Coordinator
Owatonna Public Schools
Owatonna, Minnesota
ASTE, 2019
drthomasmeagher.weebly.com
@meagher3dan

2. Demographic data for Owatonna STEM
Schools:
African 11.7%
Asian 1.6%
Hispanic 12.1%
White 74.6%
~ 15% English Language Learners
~ 53% Free and Reduced Lunch

3. Status of STEM according to ACT
• In state & national scores students who expressed
interests in STEM fields outperform their peers in college
readiness scores.
• Almost 50% of all Minnesota students expressed
interests in STEM fields and careers.
• Of the over 61,000 students who took the ACT in
Minnesota only:
135 expressed interest in Math Education
65 expressed interest in Science Education

4. ACT STEM research continued
• Significant differences occur in college readiness scores
specifically in Math & Science:

5. ACT Recommendations for STEM
Increase opportunities for all students to
engage in STEM lessons grades K-12 to
increase interest in STEM fields and careers.
Increase opportunities for coursework in
STEM fields during middle & high school.
Build partnerships & after
school opportunities for
students to engage in
STEM learning.

6. Model of integrated STEM Education
Science
Engineering Math
Technology
STEM

7. STEM is embedded in all subject areas
District Curriculum: Language
arts, social studies, fine arts, etc.
Technology
Science
Engineering
Math

8. 8 Elements of a STEM School
(University of Chicago STEM School Study, 2015)
● Problem-based Learning – Interdisciplinary instruction, student
reflection, student autonomy
● Rigorous Learning – Real-world content, staff-created curricula,
cognitively demanding work
● Career, Technology, and Life Skills – Early college activities, technology
use by students, practice of communication/life skills
● Personalization of Learning – Differentiation, follow student interests,
use of formative assessments
● School Community and Belonging – Atmosphere of respect, Induction of
new students, extracurricular activities
● External Community – Community presence, service learning, teachers
sharing practices
● Staff Foundations – Collaboration, reflection, leadership
● Essential Factors – Flexible/open to change, representative student
population, Professional Development

9. Key NGSS crosscutting concepts
Patterns analysis
Cause and Effect: Mechanism and
Prediction
Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Systems and System Models
Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles and
Conservation
Structure and Function
Stability and Change
Interdependence of STEM
Influences of STEM on Society and the
Natural World

10. STEM, STEAM or ESTEM Acronym
Reexamining these in the light of how effective teaching and
learning occurs.
● Scientific thinking, questioning and investigating
● Technology use and creation
● Engineering design and problem solving
● Mathematical computation, data analysis and
interpretation
STEM is not what we teach,
it’s HOW we teach.

11. How to STEMify instruction
● STEM means learning through inquiry-based,
interdisciplinary problem-solving, including:
● Having a shared common experiences to build
growth mindsets (Dweck, 2008)
● Student raising/recording questions,
● Searching/researching answers,
● Working in teams,
● Arguing from evidence,
● Creating solutions,
● Making connections with
real-world applications

12. Developing a STEM teaching and
learning model
• Lessons are designed for using notebooks or
journaling to promote:
STEM literacy & STEM fluency
• However, shared STEM experiences are essential for
context and collaboration.
• Promoting student voice & show-off their work to
publish learning.
• When all these ideas are combined a STEM teaching
& learning model emerges:

13. A STEM teaching & learning model
Owatonna ISD761 Schools
STEM
Experience
STEM
Literacy
STEM
Fluency
Doing Speakin
g
ReadingWriting
Sharing
S+T+E+M=Learning

14. Measuring the impacts of STEM teaching and learning
 Key tools to assess academic and affective impacts of STEM
teaching and learning include:
 Student perceptions and attitudes towards STEM
 Teacher perceptions and attitudes towards STEM
 Design and implementation of classroom observation rubric
 Longitudinal analysis of academic performance on Minnesota
Comprehensive Assessments (MCA II) in math, reading and
science.
 Triangulation from independent research of student and teacher
perceptions plus classroom observation by Dr. Gillian Roehrig,
Dr. Elizabeth Whalen St. Katherine’s University National Center
for STEM Elementary Education, Dr. Elizabeth Crotty and PhD
candidate Jeanna Weiselmann from the
University of Minnesota
STEM Education Center.

15. Student survey responses
(n=480)
Mean scores from grades 4-8 for students
responses of “Agree to Strongly Agree”:
● “I am good at math” : 70.2%
● “I know I can do well at science.”: 68.6%
● “I believe I can be successful at engineering.”: 57.2%
● “Knowing how to use math and science together will
help me invent useful things.”: 66.9%
● “I am confident that I can produce high quality work.”:
74.0%
 76.7% Students in grades 6-8 selected
“4 year college” as their first
choice.

16. Comparison of Agree & Strongly Agree
student responses based on number of
years in a STEM program. (grades 4-8, n=363)
25.10%
42.10%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
0-3 yr 3-6 yr
"Science will be important for my future."

17. Grades 4-8 student responses
continued, (n=370)
32.90%
47.50%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
50.00%
0-3 yr 3-6 yr
"I beleive I can successful at Engineering"

18. Grades 4-8 student responses
regarding social learning. (n=372)
68.90%
80.40%
50.00%
55.00%
60.00%
65.00%
70.00%
75.00%
80.00%
85.00%
90.00%
0-3 yr 3-6 yr
"I can work well with others, even if they are different
from me."

19. Word art analysis of grades 4-8
student free responses, (n=397)

20. Word analysis of student free
responses, continued:

21. Word art of student free
responses

22. Word art of student free
responses

23. “What would you tell other students what school
is like in a STEM program?” (Grades 4-8, n=410)

25. Student free responses to the prompt:
“What would you tell other students about
your STEM school?”

27. Mean Math MCAIII performance by ethnicity for sum
percent of “meets” & “exceeds” benchmark.
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
year 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5 year 6
MCA Math Proficiency 2011-2017
African Hispanic White

28. Mean Reading MCAIII performance by ethnicity
for sum percent of “meets” & “exceeds”
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5 year 6
MCA Reading Proficiency 2012-2017
African Hispanic White

29. Comparison of MCA III Math & Reading performance for
ESTEM students with peers in Traditional coursework
ESTEM 7 Traditional 7 ESTEM 8 Traditional 8
M + E 66.9 48.5 69.2 45.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
PercentProficiency
Sum of percent "Meets" & "Exceeds" Prociency on MCA III Math Assessment

30. Comparison of MCA III performance cont’
ESTEM 7 Traditional 7 ESTEM 8 Traditional 8
M + E 63.9 47.4 51.8 41.2
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
PercentProficiency
Sum of percent "Meets" & "Exceeds" Prociency on MCA III Reading Assessment

31. Teacher attitudes towards STEM instruction

33. Targets for STEM PD for teachers

34. Teachers’ perceptions of STEM instruction

35. Elementary teachers working in
a STEAM school free response

37. Preliminary findings and results
 Students show positive attitudes towards classroom learning experiences
that focus on 21st century learning strategies such as cooperative learning
groups, collaboration and using creativity and innovation in STEM
activities.
 There is significant evidence of positive student attitudes towards STEM
learning and its importance in helping them develop understanding and
vision for their academic and professional careers.
 However, creating a positive attitude toward STEM learning is the first step
in a multi-year development of successful student performance.
Continued connections need to be made between academic interests and
STEM career interests.
 Teachers demonstrate positive attitudes towards shifts in instruction and
PCK in STEM teaching and learning.
 Opportunities for professional development needs to focus on supporting
teachers’ needs for providing instruction and resources to enhance
student interests in STEM careers.

38. Questions?

39. Environmental Education Framework
Environment
Life Earth
Ecosystem
Ecology
Economics
Society
Culture
Viable
Bearable Equitable
Sustainable

40. The Shared Common Experience
● Set Learning Goals
● Determine Grouping
● Make Observations of focused activity–
objects, pictures, primary documents,
selected text, or applications,
● Record Questions developed from the
shared experience.
● Share Observations &
Questions
● Research to find
answers.

41. Student attitudes towards Math
African
3.7
Asian
4.5
Hispanic
3.7
Multiracial
3.7
Native American
3.0
Caucasian
3.9
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
SDDNASA
Mean scores of major ethnic groups
Response to: "I am good at math"

42. Student attitudes towards Science
African
3.3
Asian
3.8
Hispanic
3.5
Multiracial
3.3
Native American
4.0 Caucasian
3.8
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
SDDNASA
Mean scores for major ethnic groups
Response to: "I know I can do well in science."

43. Student attitudes toward engineering
careers
African
3.2
Asian
2.5
Hispanic
3.2
Multiracial
4.2
Native American
4.3
Caucasian
3.8
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
SDDNASA
Mean scores for major ethnic groups
Response to: "I know I could do well at a career in engineering"

44. Gender attitudes of engineering careers
African
3.8
Asian
2.5
Hispanic
3.8
Multiracial
4.2
Caucasian
4.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
SDDNASA
Mean MALE scores for major ethnic groups
Response to: "I would consider a career in engineering.
African
3.1
Asian
2.5
Hispanic
2.3
Caucasian
3.1
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
SDDNASA
Mean FEMALE scores for major ethnic groups
Response to: "I would consider a career in engineering."

45. Academic progress at McKinley STEM School: Reading
0.0035
0.3288
0.021
0.3056
0.0686
0.1344
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Sate Non-
ELL
School ELL State Non-
SpEd
School SpEd State FRP School FRP
Comparison of Non-ethnic cells Reading MCA
0.0283
0.3917
0.092
-0.0161
0.3187
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
White (state) Native
American
African Asian Hispanic
Comparison of growth among ethnic groups: Reading
MCA

46. Academic progress at McKinley STEM School: Math
0.0034
0.3022
0.0265
0.3674
0.0818
0.1986
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Sate Non-
ELL
School
ELL
State
Non-SpEd
School
SpEd
State FRP School
FRP
Comparison of Non-ethnic cells Math MCA
0.0317
2.1764
0.3139
-1.2326
0.4988
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
White (state) Native
American
African Asian Hispanic
Comparison ethnic groups Math MCA
0.2361
0.3461
0.1247
-0.2237
-0.2651
-0.1819
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Combined Math Reading Combined Math reading
MMR Growth
Achievement Gap Reduction

47. Student free responses to the prompt: “What
would you tell other students about your STEM
school?”

51. Word cloud of written responses: (n=410)
 Grade 6th-8th word cloud of responses for “If you plan to
go to college what are you interested in studying?”

52. Today
2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
K-8 Explorations research STEM
Programs in MN
5 days STEM PD with Lee Schmitt
from Hamline University K-7
Outdoor/EE PD from Jeffers
Foundation K-8 1 day summer 13 & 14
2 Days ESTEM PD with Lee Schmitt
for all 7-8 OJHS teachers
2 Days ESTEM PD with Lee Schmitt for all
Willow Creek teachers
Summer 2015
OMS/ESTEM PD for all 6-
8 teachers
8/9-10, 2017
6-8 ESTEM Middle
School Visioning Day
3/28/17
FIRST PHASE – McKinley Elementary STEM School
23.05 mons
Willow Creek ESTEM School (6th grade only)
9/2015- 6/2017
OJHS ESTEM School: 7th /8th
ISD761 STEM Program Implementation 2012-
2017-18
9/2012 – 6/2017
9/2016- 6/2017
2-ESTEM Houses at Willow Creek & 2 ESTEM teams at OJHS
2-ESTEM teams at OJHS (ESTEM 7 & ESTEM 8 teams)
9/2012 – 6/2015
9/2012 – 6/2017
OMS ESTEM School
McKinley STEAM School
9/2017 -
9/2017 -
McKinley NCSEE Cohort complete
STEM Certificate
Curriculum Integration Planning subouts for grade level and team level faculty, 3-2 per year (ongoing)

53. 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Administration + Faculty +
Community+ student input
planning
5 days STEM PD for
Washington faculty
K-5 + Specialists
5 days STEM PD for Lincoln &
Wilson faculty, K-5 & Specialists
Washington NCSEE Cohort
complete STEM Certificate
OMS WSU Cohort
complete STEM
Certificate
Summer 2019
STEM Certification open
for all faculty K-12
OHS Redesign of
Academic Program:
Focused Diploma
Washington Elementary School: STEM Instruction
ISD761 STEM Program Implementation 2017-
2023-24
9/2017 -
Lincoln & Wilson Elementary Schools: STEM Instruction
Owatonna Senior High School: Career/College Focused Academic Program
9/2019 -
9/2020 -
OMS ESTEM School
Outdoor/EE PD with
Jeffers Foundation
Curriculum Integration Planning subouts for grade level and team level faculty, 3-2 per year (ongoing)
9/2018 -

54. What does
STEM
learning
look like?
Find answers
with data

55. STEM, ESTEM & STEAM in Owatonna, MN
• Classes focus on students developing growth-mindsets and
making mistakes is real learning.
• Teaching STEM emphasizes integrated lessons students
asking questions, investigate solutions to problems and
engineering challenges.
• STEM is embedded among all subject areas where all
students can learn rigorous academic subject matter.
• Students recognize that lessons relate
to real-world learning.

56. How we design & build
effective STEM teaching &
learning
 Teachers work in collaborative grade level teams with shared prep
times (usually).
 Bi-weekly PLC meetings that focus on data collected from formative &
summative assessments.
 Sub-out days during the school year provide for common & creative
planning to “STEMify” our curriculum.
 Continual PD and research with resources such as Jeffers Foundation,
Perpich Foundation for Arts Integration, National Center for STEM
Elementary Education, Winona State University STEM professional
cohort & University of MN STEM Education Center.

57. Common STEM Practices:
 Asking Questions and Defining Problems
 Developing and Using Models and Analogies
 Planning and Carrying Out “Investigations”
 Analyzing and Interpreting Data
 Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
(Everyone works with “data”.)
 Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
 Engaging in Argument from Evidence
 Evaluating and Communicating essential academic and
technical Information

58. Building a STEM unit in a purposeful
way. The UBD way.
 Identify the anchor standards that will be the foundation for the STEM
unit, these may be math, science, social studies or language arts.
 These become the framework for building the STEM lessons.
 Identify the enduring understandings and learning targets within each
content field that can be integrated with your anchor standards.
 Identify key STEM practices that engage students with inquiry
experiences and exploration to support learning targets. Embed these
practices within instruction.
 Map out the sequence of lessons,
create a timeframe and determine
how student learning will be assessed.