Opening day ceremony celebrates funding for new STEM Academy at Chesapeake High
State dignitaries join Superintendent Hairston for announcement
TOWSON, MD. (August 28, 2006) - Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston helped usher in a new era of science, technology, engineering, and math instruction today when he joined Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich and Maryland Schools Superintendent Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick in a ceremony to acknowledge funding for the opening of the new Chesapeake High STEM Academy. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith welcomed Gov. Ehrlich, Dr. Grasmick and guests and congratulated the school system on this accomplishment.
"Today marks a milestone on our path to set a higher standard for math and science instruction in Baltimore County," Dr. Hairston said. "More importantly, this announcement demonstrates that we can honor our commitment to help prepare our children for their futures."
The plan for the Essex-area school will transform it into the district's first school-wide academy program, providing access to STEM classes and meaningful enrichment opportunities to all students. The grant in the amount of $1.3 million from the Maryland State Department of Education was made available as part of a special funding initiative of Governor Ehrlich in this year's budget.
The program will be developed and rolled out so that students attending the school, starting with the freshman class of 2007-2008, will be fully integrated into the STEM Academy experience. However, all students will begin to benefit immediately from increasing academic rigor and expanded learning opportunities at the school as elements of the program are rolled out in the current school year.
Students starting with the freshman class in the 2007-2008 school year will complete a minimum of four science courses, four technology/engineering courses, and four mathematics courses through a pathway within one of four academies: Arts, Multimedia, and Communications; Business and Information Technology; Leadership; and Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.
Chesapeake High STEM Academy partnerships will provide many study and work experiences for both students and staff. Partners include: the National Science Foundation through an existing BCPS/University of Maryland Baltimore County Math-Science Partnership Grant, Northrop Grumman, the University of Maryland College Park, Morgan State University, Cisco Systems, Inc., Comcast, and NASA.
Students in the STEM program will participate in an innovative e-environment using tools such as Internet video conferencing, digital text, computer simulations, visual mapping software, electronic data acquisition, and accessible video and web sites.
All STEM students will be assigned their own TI-84 calculators and laptops or PDAs to access e-resources both at home and at school.
Chesapeake High STEM Academy is part of a larger initiative to teach STEM concepts in elementary and middle schools that feed into Chesapeake. Students involved in the STEM initiative will have the opportunity to earn high school credits while in middle school and college credits while in high school, including a plan to have STEM seniors spend part of the school year studying on a university campus.
Baltimore County Public Schools has worked steadily to improve math and science instruction for the past six years with a focus on increasing academic rigor uniformly and equitably across the county. Chesapeake High STEM Academy is the latest example of these improvements, which have included a new algebra 1 curriculum last year, a new K-5 math program this year, Starlab, Eco-trekkers and other programs. Both students and staff have benefited from expanded teacher learning opportunities designed to improve curriculum delivery including the Summer Science Institute and Project Seed.
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