Guiding Standards

External Guiding Standards

WHAT ARE STEM/STEAM GUIDING STANDARDS?

STEM/STEAM education engages learners in inquiry processes that promote deep thinking in social learning contexts, with clear connections to outcomes associated with success at progressive levels of learning and work. Our STEM/STEAM Guiding Standards provide a set of evaluative criteria that form the foundational elements of our high-quality STEM/STEAM program at ASA and contain concepts that serve as a roadmap for implementing high-quality STEM/STEAM practices and processes.

KEYS TO STEM/STEAM LEARNING

ASA's STEM/STEAM program is:

  • Thoroughly embedded in and supported by the all our stakeholders

  • Defined by clear expectations for STEM/STEAM learning outcomes through our Mission & Vision

  • Composed of integrated activities within and beyond the school day

  • Focused on performance-based demonstrations of learning

STANDARDS

  1. Learners engage in STEM/STEAM learning experiences that integrate all STEM/STEAM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEM/STEAM.

  2. Professional staff members implement high quality STEM/STEAM courses and curriculum aligned to recognized standards and organized into interdisciplinary frameworks.

  3. Professional staff members and leaders participate in an ongoing system of STEM/STEAM-specific professional learning.

  4. Leaders engage a diverse network of community partners and stakeholders in order to support and sustain STEM/STEAM programs and initiatives.

  5. Leaders ensure that all stakeholders have ongoing opportunities to access information and learn about STEM/STEAM implementation.

  6. Learners engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study.

  7. Learners engage in self-directed STEM/STEAM learning guided by professional staff members who are effective facilitators of learning.

  8. Learners benefit from a formal structure of within-school and extracurricular opportunities to extend STEM/STEAM learning.

  9. Learners demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills.

  10. Learners demonstrate STEM/STEAM literacy outcomes that prepare them for the next level of learning and work.

Internal Guiding Standards

ASA Guiding Standards - 2022/23

Previous Guiding Standards: 2018 - 2022

Community

  1. ASA provides equitable opportunities for students to engage in high-quality STEAM learning

  2. STEAM educators collaborate to develop, implement, and improve high-quality STEAM learning activities

  3. ASA engages our diverse STEAM community in order to support and sustain STEAM programs and initiatives

  4. ASA has established a shared vision for STEAM and has leadership structures to support effective implementation

Learning Culture

  1. Leaders ensure that all stakeholders have ongoing opportunities to access information and learn about STEAM implementation

  2. Educators and leaders participate in an ongoing system of STEAM-specific professional learning

  3. Students engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study

  4. Students engage in self-directed STEAM learning guided by educators who are effective facilitators of learning

Experiences

  1. ASA provides within-school and extra-curricular opportunities for students to extend STEAM learning

  2. Students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and have opportunities to develop self-assessment and self-monitoring skills

  3. STEAM learning experiences integrate all STEAM disciplines with an emphasis on processes and practices associated with STEAM

  4. ASA provides high-quality STEAM courses and curriculum aligned to recognized standards and organized into interdisciplinary frameworks

Outcomes

  1. Students demonstrate STEAM content knowledge representative of STEAM literacy outcomes that prepare them for the next level of learning and work

  2. Students develop STEAM skills and cross-cutting competencies that support workforce readiness

  3. ASA engages in a continuous improvement process for STEAM

  4. ASA conducts evaluative activities to ensure the effectiveness of STEAM implementation