Central receives STEM grant

 

By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent

Central High School Principal Lisa Albrecht announced to the board during the regular meeting July 17 that Central received $20,000 for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant.

Federal and state governments are spending hundreds of millions of dollars for STEM education activities spanning pre-kindergarten through postgraduate education and outreach.  Central High School is one of three area schools to benefit from the $60,000 offered through Gateway Technical College to fund a STEM program. Elkhorn and Union Grove were the other two area high schools that were   awarded grants.

Recent studies have shown that America’s students are falling behind in these   disciplines and are also far less interested in STEM than their international peers.

STEM grants are one way that the federal government is attempting to combat educational shortfalls. A recent (NAEP) National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that less than one-third of U.S. eighth graders are proficient in mathematics and science.

About a third of bachelor’s degrees earned in the U. S. are in a STEM field, compared with approximately 53 percent of degrees earned in China and 63 percent of those earned in Japan. More than half the science and engineering graduate students in U.S. universities are from outside the country.

Albrecht told the board the two ways to use the grant. “You can   use it to simply implement curriculum. Or you can use it to integrate information and how to use it in the curriculum the school already has in place.”

 

The integration method

“The STEM grant gives us access to professional consultants who will evaluate and analyze how we use our facilities and curriculum,” Albrecht said. “They will evaluate what can be imbedded in existing courses. We will be looking at expanding and integrating STEM disciplines across all current courses.”

Included in the consulting contract is a budget analysis and examining professional development for teaching staff.

“We are putting down foundations that will provide more opportunities for our students to not only learn the material but develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to use the information in ways that will benefit them,” Albrecht said.

Some of the curriculum enhancements will make classes eligible for post-secondary credits. Albrecht said the plan is to increase student knowledge while adding critical thinking skills to give students the ability to better use that knowledge.

More classroom time, less money

Current changes in state law and budget cuts have allowed schools to think outside the box, and Albrecht at Central is no exception.

“Our students’ educations is first when we consider any changes,” Albrecht said.

Last year, Central had an eight-period day with three 50-minute lunch periods. Between lunches and the accompanying study halls, staff numbers were not enough to accomplish supervision without overtime hours.

“Teachers gave up preparation time or lunch to supervise the study halls and do their work at home, while the district paid over-time,” Albrecht explained.

Albrecht has changed that paradigm by extending fifth period of a seven period day to accommodate three, 25-minute lunches while giving students more time in classrooms with licensed teachers.

“We will have about 200 students in the lunchroom at one time, with other students in classrooms. Central has an $81,669.60 savings by eliminating overtime since we don’t need teachers supervising during study halls,” Albrecht said.

Central is one of 255 school districts that lost state aid. State aid is based on student population, but assessed value is also part of the equation.

Western Kenosha County is considered land-rich compared to the city of Kenosha, which did receive an increase is aid.

 


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