STEM is a priority in Dist. 205 curriculum

Editor's note: Due to an editing error, this column as originally published on Friday, Sept. 8, included an incorrect detail about Dr. Moyer's history with Elmhurst Unit District 205. We are republishing the column to clarify that Dr. Moyer became superintendent of District 205 in 2015 and has continued the district's initiatives to enhance STEM education.

Editor's note: Due to an editing error, this column as originally published on Friday, Sept. 8, included an incorrect detail about Dr. Moyer's history with Elmhurst Unit District 205. We are republishing the column to clarify that Dr. Moyer became superintendent of District 205 in 2015 and has continued the district's initiatives to enhance STEM education.

When I first became a superintendent in 2010, STEM was the latest and greatest thing. Articles about it were everywhere. After all, we need people to go into these fields - science, technology, engineering and math - so who could argue?

My then-district considered itself innovative, and put asterisks next to STEM classes in the high school course catalog. A canoeing course had an asterisk next to it. There was a science course that made soap and cleaning products and sold them. Everybody thought that was cool. There wasn't anything wrong with either. Except this:

It wasn't STEM.

The high school had so many plates spinning that it struggled with continuity, connectedness and coherence. Without a coherent vision, teachers were unable find purpose in their work.

Elmhurst Unit District 205, where I have been superintendent since 2015, recently completed Phase I of a community engagement process called Focus 205. The community identified five curricular priorities, with Project Lead the Way being one of them.

The program empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges. Focus 205 included a community survey in which increasing STEM opportunities for students was the No. 1 priority.

Where to begin? To be a true STEM school or district, the first thing that needs to happen is the development of a coherent vision and a plan to support it that everybody understands.

When it comes to concepts like rigor, student engagement, or STEM, it is important to develop a common understanding of what is meant by them, so let's start there.

York High School Principal Erin DeLuga serves on the executive board of the National Council of Secondary STEM Schools. District 205 is an associate member of this organization. The council defines STEM schools as follows: "Those (schools) that prepare students to be leaders in global innovation by engaging them in rigorous, relevant and integrated learning experiences, with a science, technology, engineering and mathematics focus and specialization that include authentic research schoolwide."

District 205 has embarked on this journey with pockets of innovation that will be scaled over time. For example, York initiated interdisciplinary forums last year and will expand these learning experiences this year.

It is in the process of creating career pathways for students and a business incubator, both of which will necessitate business, community and educational partnerships.

Several schools took off with the maker space concept. Recently, the district media specialists received a grant from the Elmhurst Unit District 205 Foundation to create and expand maker spaces in all elementary schools.

The foundation also has supported three model classrooms - in kindergarten to second grade, in third to fifth grade and at the middle school level - to spur creativity about the flexible use of space to support future-ready learning.

Summer school at Fischer Elementary was one of the most amazing learning environments I have ever experienced. First- and second-grade students had two thematic units of study: space and architecture. Third- through fifth-grade students selected one of two topics of interest: extreme weather or the food chain from farm to table.

I wish I had the space to continue to brag on Principal Jane Bailey and our teachers who led this program.

Some have suggested that the district should use the acronym STEAM to include the arts. The district has intentionally chosen not to do this, but not out of disrespect for the arts. In reality, the opposite is true. Elmhurst has a strong tradition in the arts, and I, personally, appreciate and respect that.

By definition, STEM is interdisciplinary or it isn't STEM. The district has adopted the International Center of Leadership in Education's Rigor and Relevance framework as a guiding resource for its curriculum work.

In this context, true rigor is not possible when learning experiences are confined to the parameters of school for school's sake or isolated content areas.

We are organizing all of our curriculum through an interdisciplinary lens. We are working to incorporate the true principles of STEM education and avoid the trap of being a "STEM" district in name only.

Therefore, the acronym is just that - an acronym. STEAM already has become STREAM to incorporate reading. We know interdisciplinary curriculum is the key to future ready learning, and we know reading has to be taught in all content areas for students to be college-, career- and life-ready graduates, so continuing to increase the length of the acronym is not the point.

District 205 believes culture trumps strategy. At the annual administrator retreat in August, our leadership team embarked on a collective journey to cultivate a culture of innovation.

It began study of Daniel Pink's book "Drive" and Tushman and O'Reilly's "Lead and Disrupt." This included a TED talk by Pink and a Skype session with Tushman. In a Mentimeter polling exercise, administrators created a word cloud about what innovation means. The top word that emerged was "creativity."

This is one of the Six Cs that are the foundation of our instructional focus: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, character and citizenship. Administrators will delve more deeply into culture, innovation, and the Six Cs throughout the year.

• David Moyer is superintendent of Elmhurst Unit District 205. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.