Sierra Vista STEAM Academy started the 2024-25 school year by achieving a new level of excellence.
The academy is now proudly the second school in West Texas and one of five in the nation to earn the National Certificate for STEM Excellence, or NCSE, - Campus Certification from the National Institute for STEM Education, or NISE.
The NCSE recognizes individual school campuses for their commitment to and systematic support of teachers’ understanding and use of high-impact, evidence-based STEM instructional strategies.
Socorro Independent School District Interim Superintendent James P. Vasquez joined the academy’s Principal Ashley Adcox, and faculty and staff during a celebration on Aug. 2 to recognize the accomplishment. Representatives from NISE attended the ceremony to present the STEM School of Excellence Award to the school.
“This is definitely a great way for us to start the school year in Team SISD,” Vasquez said. “We have been proudly spreading the word that Sierra Vista STEAM Academy is the second school in West Texas, the fourth in the state and the fifth in the nation to earn a National Certificate for STEM Excellence.”
As part of earning the NCSE - Campus Certification, 37 Sierra Vista STEAM Academy teachers and six administrators also earned the National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST), further contributing to the school’s collective STEM expertise.
Since 2023, Sierra Vista STEAM Academy has provided specialized instruction in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. It is one of six SISD elementary academies, including Escontrias STEAM Academy, open to all students in El Paso.
Notably, Sierra Vista STEAM Academy and Escontrias STEAM Academy are the only two schools in SISD and West Texas to achieve national STEM certification, with Escontrias STEAM Academy receiving STEM campus certification in 2023.
Adcox said the Sierra Vista STEAM Academy educators were 100% committed to obtaining their STEM teaching certification to enhance their teaching practices.
“We know that STEM is where the future is going, regardless of the career path (students) go down,” Adcox said. “So, incorporating science, technology, engineering, arts and math and really developing those critical thinking skills and a lot of innovative practices are really going to help students of all types of learning styles.”
Headquartered in Houston, 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.
Kim Whaley, Ed.D., NISE STEM leadership coach, said the Sierra Vista STEAM Academy team was willing to put in their blood, sweat and tears to achieve this distinction.
“During this time, I know they extended many, many hours discussing how they can make STEAM more intentional at Sierra Vista by evaluating their needs and developing a plan to make this happen,” Whaley said. “They've looked at what's happened in the past, what's happened now, and they've even gone as far as to what they need in the future.”
To achieve the certification, all teachers completed 90 hours of online study focused on 38 instructional K-12 strategies.
Elizabeth Anguiano, a fourth-grade teacher at the academy, was the first to complete the program in nine weeks. She planned to incorporate STEM into all her lessons, including reading and social studies, not just science and math.
“I feel (students are) more engaged,” Anguiano said. “A lot of times, students don't really want to pay attention when it's just the basic pencil and paper. But whenever I say, ‘OK, get into groups!,’ they get so excited. And then when they see all the materials, I can see their minds working, and seeing that makes me excited for them.”
Sierra Vista STEAM Academy earns STEM recognition event photos