
AdvancED STEM Certification is the first internationally recognized mark of quality for STEM schools and programs, signaling the growing emphasis placed on STEM education by educators, politicians and business leaders around the world. In earning this certification, Ford Elementary School has demonstrated its commitment to preparing its students for their educational and career opportunities of the future by ensuring its students will have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their post-secondary pursuits and as workforce contributors in the 21st-century economy.
In order to earn STEM Certification, Ford Elementary had to demonstrate adherence to the AdvancED STEM Standard as reflected by the school’s performance across 11 rigorous STEM Indicators. The certification process provides a rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement process, supported by research-based tools and resources. Achieving high scores across the indicators certify that students have been equipped and trained to be innovative, creative, and systematic problem-solvers across disciplines.
“We are proud to be an AdvancED STEM Certified School. This certification exhibits Ford’s commitment to addressing workforce needs by preparing our students with the relevant skills and experiences to succeed while demonstrating to the private-sector that we are committed to driving higher levels of student achievement for their STEM pipeline,” said Dr. Jami Frost, principal of Ford. “STEM certification will continue to uphold our school to high standards while providing a clear roadmap for us to continuously improve our STEM disciplines and program.”
AdvancED’s STEM Certification Reviewers examined Ford’s evidence of quality STEM education that the school provided to the review team beforehand, and conducted classroom observations focused on identifying student engagement and collaboration in the learning process using the Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool™ (eleot™). Reviewers also and interviewed key stakeholders such as school administrators, STEM faculty and staff, parents, students, and external partners in order to verify the school’s commitment to connecting students’ STEM experiences in the classroom to the local community and the world at large.
To learn more about AdvancED STEM Certification, contact AdvancED at [email protected].
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