In 2017, only 54% of fifth graders at Brinson Memorial Elementary School performed at or above the proficient level on the North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) Science assessment.
“Back then, teachers were assembling their own materials to teach science,” said Christopher Germain, principal of the Title I school. “We wanted to move to a digital platform to better support our teachers and teach STEM in a more clearly defined way.”
After reviewing several curriculum programs, Brinson Memorial implemented STEMscopes Science in grade 5 in fall 2017. “That first year, we saw immediate improvement in our EOG scores,” said Germain.
STEMscopes Science is built from the ground up to state standards. It combines a comprehensive digital curriculum, supplemental print materials, and ready-made exploration kits with embedded professional development to support student and teacher success.
Over the next few years, Brinson Memorial expanded STEMscopes Science from grade 5 down to kindergarten. By 2022, 72% of fifth graders were performing at or above the proficient level on the EOG Science assessment.
“Brinson Memorial classrooms went all-in with STEMscopes,” said Craven County Schools (CCS) Director of Elementary Education and Federal Programs Jason Griffin. “They used the online portion heavily during the pandemic and didn’t miss a beat. Their state test scores have been very consistent. When we look at our state accountability model, Brinson Memorial exceeded growth expectations in 2021-22 when a lot of other schools across the state took a dip.”
“Whether teachers are planning lessons for remote learning like they did during COVID, or for daily classroom instruction, they appreciate having STEMscopes,” said Germain. “It makes planning a lot simpler having all of those resources at their fingertips. They also appreciate the differentiation that STEMscopes provides. That’s been really helpful for our students.”
STEMscopes Science equips teachers with more than 25 resources per lesson to effectively differentiate, adapt to any classroom environment, and equitably engage all students in hands-on learning. From inquiry-based investigations to math, literacy, art, and engineering differentiation activities, STEMscopes makes teaching science easy and engaging in any learning environment.
“Our teachers, students, and parents did a great job with online learning,” said Germain. “It’s nice having a strong science curriculum that students can use on their iPads at home or in the classroom. It’s also good to have the option to print out materials if we want to do more with paper and pencil.”
Each unit or “scope” in STEMscopes is developed around the 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) model of instruction, with additional phases for Intervention and Acceleration. This helps create deeper learning experiences that engage students with all areas of the standards.
“As a former science teacher, I’m all about hands-on learning and collaborative work,” said Germain. “STEMscopes provides that. When I go into classrooms, I see kids engaged and excited. It’s a fun way to learn and students enjoy it. They get to be problem solvers and participate in real-world learning experiences. That engagement, coupled with the vocabulary instruction in STEMscopes, has been critical to students’ success. The vocabulary development in the program is outstanding.”
Although state assessments were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brinson Memorial has achieved consistent growth since implementing STEMscopes. From 2017 to 2022, the percentage of students performing at or above the proficient level increased by 18 percentage points. The school also outperformed district and state averages in 2022.
“When it comes to instruction, we can teach kids facts all day long, but we also have to teach them how to problem solve and think critically by themselves. That’s where we’ve seen the benefit of having STEMscopes,” said Germain.
According to Germain, a focus on data has been a key factor in driving academic growth schoolwide. “Four years ago, we did some deep digs and started breaking down data by subgroups. That has been critical to improving our scores in science as well as reading and math. Today, student subgroups that historically did not perform well on the EOG Science assessment have performed exceptionally well,” he said. “What I have gleaned from this is that our students have improved because science is now engaging to them so they’re interested in learning. That was an eye-opener for me as a principal, which is why I have been working with Mr. Griffin to try to get STEMscopes into our other schools. STEMscopes has been a constant for us over the last five years, and it’s made a tremendous impact on our school.
“We also have an outstanding staff,” said Germain. “I cannot say enough about the quality of instruction our teachers provide. I want to try to take things off of teachers’ plates as much as I can. I don’t want to add ‘one more thing,’ but I know when something is effective. STEMscopes is effective. We started small and then expanded over time. We let the results speak for themselves.”
Community members, too, appreciate the STEM education that children are receiving at Brinson Memorial.
“It’s important to understand that you can have the best platform, the best curriculum, and the best teachers in the world, but kids have to want to learn. STEMscopes has been a positive program for our students and teachers, and also for our community,” said Germain. “Quite a few families in our school are connected with the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and the Naval Health Clinic. Many work in STEM-related fields. STEMscopes creates a bridge that helps us connect with our community. Parents tell us how much they appreciate having their kids learning with STEMscopes, and they can see all the unique ways we’re integrating STEM into our curriculum. We’ve even had families from outside the district want to come here because they’ve heard about the good quality STEM education we have. STEMscopes has been a benefit for our school and in a lot of different ways.”
Based on Brinson Memorial’s success, CCS gave all 15 elementary schools the option to implement STEMscopes Science in fall 2022. Eleven schools chose to implement it in grades K-5, two schools began using it in grades K-2, and two schools started using it in grades 3-5.
“When I was an elementary school teacher, science was my favorite subject. Kids just light up doing experiments,” said Griffin. “We want to increase students’ love of science, but we also want to increase test scores. Because of the consistent growth at Brinson, people see the value of STEMscopes and the potential it could have for students at other schools.”
According to Griffin, teachers who began using STEMscopes in the fall are finding the the data analysis and reporting features to be helpful in preparing for the North Carolina Check-Ins, which are state-created benchmark assessments. “Teachers can go into STEMscopes and see all the things they can do to meet the standards that will be covered on the upcoming Check-In, or they can see what activities they’ve done and how well students did so they can determine if they need to reteach. When we look at the schools that are doing well with the Check-Ins, it’s the schools where we see that STEMscopes usage is high,” he said.
“Another benefit we’re seeing is the collaboration,” said Griffin. “When our district coaches meet with teachers, they are all able to sing from the same songbook. We’re having a lot of rich conversations in science around the content in STEMscopes now that it’s in all of our elementary schools.”
“Our schools are building the leaders of tomorrow,” said Griffin. “With STEMscopes, we’re not just providing science content, we’re giving students opportunities to practice real-world skills. When you think about Bloom’s Taxonomy, I see students using higher order thinking skills in classrooms that use STEMscopes. Students are engaged and collaborating, and that’s a beautiful thing to see.”
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