Scale-Up Professional Development Goes Online

Iowa Library for the Blind was a recipient of the STEM Scale-Up Program Pint Size Science
Iowa Library for the Blind was a recipient of the STEM Scale-Up Program Pint Size Science in 2019-2020 and shared about their experience at the 2020 STEM Day at the Capitol.

Each summer, hundreds of educators across Iowa attend professional development training to prepare for implementation of the STEM Scale-Up Programs during the upcoming school year. This year, training is looking a little different.

Just as many in-person gatherings have been adjusted due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the STEM Network Team and the STEM Scale-Up Program providers are swiftly making adjustments as well.  Shifting from multiple in-person trainings across the state and applying STEM solutions, all STEM Scale-Up Program trainings will take place virtually through various technological methods and platforms.

Thirteen high-quality STEM programs were selected in January to “scale-up” in PreK-12 schools, afterschool programs and other educational settings in Iowa. Regional STEM Managers and Regional STEM Advisory Boards selected award recipients based on need, student diversity, geographic distribution, capacity to sustain, among other factors.

The STEM Scale-Up Program has a history of positively impacting student performance. In 2018-2019, STEM Scale-Up Program participants performed better on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress compared to students who did not receive STEM Scale-Up Programming. On average, two percent more STEM Scale-Up Program participants met or exceeded proficiency benchmarks in mathematics and science.

Since 2012, funding from the Iowa legislature has enabled more than 600,000 students to take part in these effective learning models. The STEM Scale-Up Program is expected to impact an estimated tens of thousands of students during the 2020-2021 academic year.

More information about the STEM Scale-Up Program can be found at www.IowaSTEM.gov/Scale-Up.

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