Science learning at SLPS grows with inquiry-based instruction

Outcomes of a two-year STEM learning pilot program that the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis (ISP) completed in partnership with St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) and The Little Bit Foundation are encouraging.

WashU honors two SLPS leaders

Two visionary leaders from St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) received the annual Rosa L. Parks Award from the Washington University in St. Louis Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee. 

Kelvin Adams, who retired in December as SLPS superintendent, and Deidra Thomas-Murray, the district’s students in transition coordinator and foster care liaison, were honored at the 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, at Graham Chapel.

STEMpact celebrates 10th cohort of teachers

With its tenth STEM TQ Cohort launched, STEMpact continues to address one of the region’s persistent challenges, an insufficient pool of STEM talent to meet the growing demand in Missouri and Illinois, where three of four fastest growing occupations are in STEM field

Sadtler Lab supports Whitfield teacher

Research from the lab of Bryce Sadtler at Washington University in St. Louis uses light to image and control energy conversion in inorganic nanostructures. This summer, Whitfield School chemistry teacher Chris Sellers traded sunscreen for PPE and an opportunity to be part of the green energy solution.

NSF outreach effort promotes thermodynamics education

Elijah Thimsen, associate professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering, and educators from area school districts work together to make chemistry concepts more accessible to high school students. In May, the McKelvey School of Engineering hosted 22 students from Clayton, St. Charles and Belleville, Illinois for a daylong, hands-on lesson on thermodynamics.

mySci teachers spend summer building skills 

Some 60 area teachers gathered at WashU for mySci Summer Institutes, a professional development opportunity designed for teachers new to mySci, as well as mySci veterans.

“As a teacher, there are still a lot of things I don’t know, but I don’t need to be that giant teacher who knows all,” teacher LaWesha Bush said. “mySci takes away a lot of that stress, and it’s great for engaging not only students, but teachers. I appreciate that.”

New partnership empowers principals to ‘dream big’

The principals at seven local schools are poised to achieve big goals after participating in the SLPS Principal Redesign Fellowship, a bold new partnership between St. Louis Public Schools and the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis.

Champion for equitable education, May honored with Ethic of Service Award

Victoria May, executive director of the Institute for School Partnership, works with local educators to create high-quality, equitable education for all students. Last week, May was among seven members of the university community honored with a Virgil Ethic of Service Award.

Creating time and space for collaborative school change

Classmates at Ritenour Middle School have been testing their tolerance for struggle during math classes led by a  teacher who is presenting math concepts with a high-level task approach that gives students a newfound ownership of their learning and an invitation to reach the right answer with thinking that makes sense to them.

Deepening math learning with 1:1 teacher coaching

The Math Coaching pilot provides ISP an opportunity to connect more deeply with teachers beyond the traditional professional development model. The feedback thus far has been a thumbs-up from teachers, who demonstrate a will to power through despite COVID-19.

Mud pies, math and mess with meaning

Early childhood math skills are important predictors of later academic achievement, but opportunities for young children to engage in math learning are extremely limited in preschool.

With support from the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis (ISP), the JGECEC teaching team is making sure their new mud kitchen and curriculum throughout the building are planned with early math learning in mind.

Chalker Lab and ISP use Tetrahymena to expand hands-on science in K-12 classrooms

Douglas Chalker, professor of biology, received a collaborative award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the ASSET program, which incorporates Tetrahymena, a ciliated protozoan,  into elementary science. Chalker, in collaboration with the Institute for School Partnership (ISP), plans to expand the program’s reach in St. Louis and incorporate more mathematics and computational thinking into program’s hands-on lessons.

WashU faculty, ISP staff develop science courses for Ritenour

Instructional specialists with WashU’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) and Michael Wysession, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and an expert on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), partnered with middle and high school Earth and Space Science teachers from Ritenour School District to design and develop new science courses.

ISP helps teachers bring university research to life in classrooms

With the help of the university’sWith the help of the university’s Institute for School Partnership, chemist Bryce Sadtler in Arts & Sciences has been supporting local high school science teachers since 2015. Teachers such as Brittany Daugs (right) spent time on campus this summer conducting hands-on research., chemist Bryce Sadtler in Arts & Sciences has been supporting local high school science teachers since 2015. Teachers such as Brittany Daugs spent time on campus this summer conducting hands-on research.

ISP program helps math students find new ways to solve real-world problems

Institute for School Partnership’s STEM District Immersion program helps students form a deep conceptual understanding to math that goes far beyond rote problem-solving. By posing real-world problems, students engage in high-level math discourse, explore multiple solutions and take intellectual risks. Read more at the Institute for School Partnership.

ISP pilots science program in SLPS

Last summer, four organizations came together to launch a new program in 17 St. Louis Public elementary schools. The Institute for School Partnership (ISP), The Little Bit Foundation (TLBF), and St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS), with funding from the Bayer Fund, developed a pilot program to increase capacity for STEM teaching and learning in SLPS. The program is designed to remove barriers for teachers and provide access to high-quality, hands-on STEM education for St. Louis City students

Meeting the complexities of the times, together

Washington University wants to not only be “in St. Louis,” but “for St. Louis.” With that call to action, the university is taking its commitment to be a good partner in the region to another level.

Class Acts: Theresa Matheus, Gateway Middle Science Teacher

Class Acts, Washington University’s annual celebration of outstanding graduates, spotlights Theresa Matheaus, science teacher at Gateway Middle School. Matheus earned her master’s in teaching and learning from University College and is part of the St. Louis Teacher Residency, an initiative to reduce teacher turnover and improve teacher quality in high-needs schools.