The goal of this OSPrI study was to find and characterize “exemplar� inclusive STEM-focused schools, meaning schools that are non-selective and do not use demanding criteria for admission that requires that the students demonstrate that they are gifted and talented in STEM or very high achievers. The schools are also well-established, planned thoughtfully with community support, have a reputation for success, and show some unusual successes with its student population in comparison to school district or state averages, given the demographically appropriate comparison groups.
The school selected for this case study was the Wayne School of Engineering (WSE) located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. WSE was selected because the state of North Carolina has a large inclusive STEM high school initiative, and it was one of the first schools partnering with NC New Schools. WSE is now one of four laboratory schools that showcase successful practices to visitors wanting to build their own inclusive STEM school.
The case study concludes that “Wayne School of Engineering is a rural inclusive STEM school that provides a quality, personalized education by capitalizing on the available resources. Similar to other rural schools discussed in educational literature, WSE is composed of a tightly knit community of students, teachers, administrators, parents, and partners. WSE is more than an institution of learning; WSE provides a sense of place that coalesces student pride. Students and parents are aware that WSE provides opportunities that are not found in the surrounding schools, and they sense that they are in a special, caring place that encourages students to persevere in the face of limited resources. The community of WSE works together to continue to improve their academic experience through grant writing, bringing in guest speakers, seeking out volunteer opportunities for all students, and perhaps most importantly, helping each other to learn, no matter if you are a student, teacher or administrator.
“Wayne School of Engineering is an excellent example of a school that utilizes the community, both within and outside of the school, to accomplish the goal of higher expectations of academics. The students test scores on end of course exams (Biology, Algebra I, and English) are higher than surrounding schools, the district as a whole, and the state, even though many other schools in the state have more resources. Faced with limited budgetary, technological, and logistical resources, WSE administrators, teachers, and students work collectively to overcome these barriers and provide high quality education by finding ways to blur the lines of traditional secondary schools.”
Case Study Authors:
Erin Peters Burton, George Mason University; Samuel Kaminsky, Sharon J. Lynch, Tara S. Behrend, Kathleen M. Ross and Edmund M. Han of The George Washington University; and Ann House, SRI International
This work was conducted by OSPrI, research collaboration between George Washington University, George Mason University, and SRI International (Sharon Lynch, principal investigator; Tara Behrend, Barbara Means, and Erin Peters Burton, co-principal investigators).
