The El Paso T-STEM Center
2006 - present

The El Paso, Texas – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) Center is dedicated to building the capacity of middle and high school teachers, as well as district and school administrators, to implement and support rigorous, standards-based STEM teaching and learning for all students, K-16. The Center is a partnership between the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence and Education Service Center – Region 19.

Throughout the years, the Collaborative has made a significant impact on the quality of STEM education across the El Paso region by implementing multifaceted, systemic reform initiatives and by bringing together major stakeholder organizations - school districts, the Education Service Center, institutions of higher education, as well as parents, business and civic leaders, state education agencies, and informal science providers. This partnership has provided an excellent platform on which to build the work of the El Paso T-STEM Center. The leadership of the El Paso Collaborative, together with that of the Education Service Center-Region 19, provides oversight of the entire project as well as coordination of T-STEM activities in their own organizations.

GOALS

The goals of the El Paso T-STEM are:

  • transform and build the capacity of all math and science teachers to know and understand math and science content and standards; effectively implement high quality curriculum and instruction programs; and, ensure engagement and learning among all students;
  • build the leadership capacity of school and district administrators to support T-STEM instruction in secondary schools;
  • broadly disseminate information regarding best practices and research-based strategies in K-12 STEM teaching and learning;
  • align STEM teaching and learning K-16, and into the workforce; and,
  • ensure the sustainability of T-STEM goals through commitments of partners to aligning their own goals, policies, and resources to support the work long-term.

RESULTS

Some of the accomplishments produced by the El Paso T-STEM Center to date are:

  • successfully launching key professional development components outline in the Strategic Plan, including: 1) El Paso T-STEM Center Convocation which provided an overview of its mission, goals, and activities to K-16 partners and participants; 2) Institutes for developing proficiency in teaching secondary Math and Science in summer, 2007, as well as two follow-up institutes during the school year; 3) a Leadership Academy for Principals to develop content leadership and ensure principals’ support and provision of resources for T-STEM activities; and, 4) Content-Focused Instructional Coaching Training to develop the skills and abilities of T-STEM school coaches with an emphasis on facilitation and questioning techniques that support collaboration and reflective practices in STEM classrooms;
  • developing a 30-Hour content-focused Instructional Coaching Model to prepare STEM coaches/teacher leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to work successfully with math and science teachers in T-STEM schools;
  • monitoring the degree of implementation of the coaching model by conducting periodic school and classroom-based observations of STEM Coaches to monitor and discuss the effectiveness of implementing coaching and professional development activities; and
  • coordinating a new partnership between the College of Engineering and Chapin High School (Engineering magnet school in El Paso ISD) whereby UTEP faculty provide weekly content-focused mentoring related to engineering processes to the students and faculty participating in the Chapin High School Robotics Program.

For more information, visit the El Paso T-STEM Center website.