Monday, Sep. 08, 2008

Tri-City planners say STEM school on track for 2009

By Sara Schilling, Herald staff writer

A regional public high school focused on science, technology, engineering and math is on track to launch next fall after a summer of intensive planning.

A team of educators, scientists and other Tri-Cities community leaders have been designing the curriculum, and officials expect to announce the school's name and exact location later this month or in early October.

"We're moving on a bunch of different fronts," said Planning Principal Deidre Holmberg. "It's been really exciting to be a part of (it)."

The Pasco, Richland and Kennewick school districts, Battelle and Washington State University Tri-Cities are collaborating on the school. Officials anticipate it'll open in fall 2009 with 100 freshmen. A grade will be added each year until it's full.

The planning team working on curriculum has held four three-day sessions since May, and three more are scheduled from now through October.

The group -- with help from facilitators -- is doing the big picture work of designing the program of study, or the framework for students' four years at the school, said Amy Ochander, project manager.

That includes determining the sequence of courses, and how they'll meet and exceed state academic standards and give students skills for the 21st century, she said.

The planning has been rooted in research on teaching and learning, and the team also has looked at successful practices from other programs, Ochander said.

The curriculum will emphasize making connections across subjects and personalizing learning so students can see its relevance in their daily lives, she said. There also will be hands-on learning experiences, such as internships.

The aspiration is that students will complete all their graduation requirements in the first three years and have the fourth year for those kinds of lessons beyond the classroom, Ochander said.

"We want (students) to leave prepared for wherever their dreams take them, whether they go onto university work, post-secondary technical training or straight into the work force," said Linda Stairet, a member of the planning team.

She teaches English and language arts at Hanford High in Richland.

The next phase of curriculum planning will start early next year and address day-to-day course content and lessons, Ochander said.

There are a growing number of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, schools in the country. One of them is Metro High School in Ohio, which Battelle helped start with The Ohio State University and a consortium of school districts. The Tri-Cities' effort has caught the attention of state education leaders.

Officials still are working out how to pay for the school.

Battelle has kicked in seed money, and the project received a $250,000 grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in the spring.

It's expected that daily operations will be covered by state money that's allocated to school districts for each student who's enrolled. But extra money will be needed to cover start-up costs.

Battelle has pledged to help, and community support also will be needed, officials said. Ochander and Holmberg have been meeting with community groups and plan to ramp that up in the coming months.

The application process for students should start early next year, with the first class in place by late spring.

Ochander and Holmberg said they want to clear up the misconception the school only is for gifted students or those who plan to become scientists or engineers.

It's for any student with a desire to learn, they said. The demographic makeup will be similar to that of other Tri-City public schools.

"It's a school that'll hopefully touch a lot of lives," Holmberg said.

They plan to report to Tri-City school boards in the next few months on their progress.