The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) have awarded 13 new schools the Tennessee STEM/STEAM School Designation for 2024, bringing the number of Tennessee STEM/STEAM School Designation schools to 127. In addition, 15 schools that have had a STEAM/STEM designation for five years successfully gained redesignation, an announcement from the state said.
Among those schools redesignated as STEM/STEAM schools was D-B EXCEL, a program run by Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport City Schools and one of the only designated schools not in the state’s most populated metro areas. The designation rubric included five focus areas: infrastructure, curriculum and instruction, professional development, achievement, and community and postsecondary partnerships. According to a recent news release from Kingsport City Schools, the DB-EXCEL program allows students to gain hands-on education in science, technology, engineering, and math-related vocations, as well as an opportunity to “build meaningful connections with teachers, other students, the community, and the region.” To date, the program’s student body is made up of more than 250 students, according to the district.
“We would like to congratulate Principal Shanna Hensley and the D-B EXCEL students and staff on the work they invested to earn the repeat designation as a STEM Designated School,” Kingsport City Schools Superintendent Chris Hampton said in a public statement. “It is an honor to earn the designation and we celebrate the learning experiences and higher-order thinking students receive through our specially designed curriculum.”
Hensley said in the release that she’s proud to see the program ranked among the state’s top STEM programs once again.
“Over the past six years, our understanding and implementation of STEM practices have evolved profoundly, significantly enhancing our students’ readiness for the challenges of the 21st century. This achievement reflects our dedicated teachers’ commitment to deeply understanding and fostering the skills our students need to thrive in an ever-changing world,” she said in a public statement.
According to a recent announcement from the state, the STEM/STEAM designation recognizes schools for their work preparing students for post-secondary programs and future careers by promoting programs that build students’ skills in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). The designation was developed in 2018 to provide a “roadmap” for schools to successfully implement a STEM/STEAM learning plan at the local level.
This list of new schools include Arnold Memorial Elementary School, Creek Cherokee Elementary School, Harrison Bay Future Ready Center, Oliver Springs Middle School, Rose Hill School, Sea Isle Elementary School, Taylor Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School, West View Elementary School, Crosstown High School, Elmore Park Middle School, Lake Forest Middle School and Liberty Creek Elementary School.
