STEM schools get top marks in Straight A Fund competition

Nearly $150 million in new funding will be coming to Ohio schools under the second round of grants from the Straight A Fund. Out of more than 300 applicants, here are the Ohio STEM Learning Network member schools that will be putting their innovations into practice.

Metro Early College High School, Global Impact STEM Academy, Perkins Local Schools and Bio-Med Science Academy either led or were named as partners in a total of three proposals.

Metro Early College

Metro Early College High School was awarded just under $1 million to create a new 12th Grade Guarantee at the school. Metro is built around a mastery model, where students must score a 90% to move on. Called to this high standard, Metro students have excelled. In fact, most finish their high school classes early and spend their final years at Metro earning college credits from classes at the Ohio State University. However, around 15% of Metro students struggle to achieve that 90% level of mastery. Thanks to the Straight A Fund, the school will create a new 12th Grade Guarantee program to support these students with extra help to ensure every student graduates with college credit.

Global Impact STEM Academy

Global Impact STEM Academy and a team of partners won more than $11 million for the Greater Springfield Career ConnectED Center. The center will provide training opportunities for local educators and new classes for students; all to increase achievement and develop 21st century learning and employment skills. Located inside Global Impact STEM Academy, the new center will bring in students and teachers from many local schools to learn from this promising new school.

College Ready Ohio

Global Impact STEM Academy, Metro, Perkins Local Schools, Bio-Med Science Academy and seven other partners will collaborate on the College Ready Ohio project. The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio will lead this $13 million effort to increase the college readiness of more than 3,000 students.        Trainings for teachers, mobile learning, free digital course material, and opportunities to enroll in early college level courses for dual credit are just a few of the new techniques this group will be bringing to Ohio classrooms.

In fact, there are too many partners to even list in one post. For the details, please visit the Ohio Department of Education’s detailed overview of the program.

And many more!

Many of the districts that support schools in our network were also named. These include: Cincinnati Public School District (member Hughes STEM High School), Columbus City Schools (member Linden-McKinley STEM High School), Pickerington Local Schools (member Pickerington Ridgeview Junior High School).

Honorable mention

Finally, while not a member of the Ohio STEM Learning Network, staff from the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools are participating in our STEM Leaders Academy. Their school won funding for a development of a new STEM elementary. Congratulations to them and to everyone who will be spending this summer creating engaging, exciting opportunities for students in 2014!

Have a program that we didn’t mention? Describe it in the comments!

Want your school to join the Ohio STEM Learning Network? Send us a note.

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