Escontrias STEAM Academy became the first school in West Texas and one in four nationwide to earn the National Certificate for STEM Excellence (NCSE) - Campus Certification from the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE).
NISE representative Dr. Beth Pesnell presented the certificates and a banner to SISD Superintendent Nate Carman, Ed.D., and Escontrias STEAM Academy Principal Jesse Aguirre at a special ceremony on July 28 honoring Escontrias for earning the national recognition.
“This recognition boils down to our work toward providing students with experiences that no other school can provide, a unique experience that gives students an engaging launching pad of science,” Aguirre said.
The NCSE recognizes schools for their commitment to and systematic support of teachers’ understanding and use of high-impact, evidence-based STEM instructional strategies.
“When we began adding academies at the elementary level to give students the opportunities that they didn’t have before, we didn’t just want to slap a new sign on the wall and say it’s a STEM academy. We needed to change the field, the culture of the entire campus,” Dr. Carman said. “So, part of it was the curriculum that came in from the national institute. This is for those (students) who have an aptitude for or an interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. This really helps them excel in their strengths.”
More than 20 Escontrias STEAM Academy teachers and three administrators also earned the National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST), further contributing to the school’s collective STEM expertise.
“They have worked tirelessly over the last year to become a nationally certified school of STEM excellence through NISE,” said Pesnell, STEM leadership coach and advisor for NISE. “Through this process, they have analyzed their current operations, looked at how they can grow through their strengths and really support the learning that happens at the student level, as well as the teachers’ instructional abilities to support student learning from a STEAM perspective. They have set the bar high. Hopefully, that will pave the path for others in the region.”
NISE only requires about five teachers to be certified for a campus to be considered STEM-certified. At Escontrias, more than 40 educators are working toward obtaining their STEM certification, adding to the excellence of the overall campus.
Requirements for the campus certification include having a campus leadership team designated to STEM and having minimal individual teacher certifications who need to complete 38 indicators to support their instructional plans and make them more highly effective STEM-based practices.
Melissa Willing, a fifth-grade teacher and educator with SISD for almost 20 years, said completing the indicators to obtain her certification took a lot of hard work, but she feels it was worth the journey.
“This is rewarding, and completing the certification is a load off my back,” Willings said. “I think this will open many doors and opportunities. Knowing that El Paso has this one STEM-certified school says a lot, and now we can put this STEM knowledge into practice and get the little ones to begin critical thinking.”
SISD opened its second elementary STEAM academy on July 31 at Sierra Vista Elementary and is in the process of becoming a STEM-certified district.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, NISE was conceived by seasoned, practicing educators and is based on thousands of hours of research, professional development, curriculum design, and educational leadership.
Using an online platform and supported by a dedicated NISE STEM leadership coach, educators and instructional leaders work together to refine school operations and instruction to further strengthen STEM practices and the campus’ overall STEM culture.