Montwood High School began the new year by receiving national recognition for its commitment to developing future leaders and innovators through its STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) curriculum.
Montwood is the first comprehensive high school in West Texas and the 16th high school in the nation to receive the National Certificate for STEM Excellence, or NCSE, - Campus Certification from the National Institute for STEM Education, or NISE. It is the third school in the Socorro Independent School District to earn this distinction, following Sierra Vista STEAM Academy in 2024 and Escontrias STEAM Academy in 2023.
“You are paving the way for future generations to make a mark in the world of science, research and technological advancements,” said Interim Superintendent James P. Vasquez during a celebration at the high school on Jan. 7 honoring the school’s teachers and leadership team. “This certificate can mean life-changing outcomes for our students as they grow in their education and pursue a wealth of opportunities in college and careers.”
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.
In addition to earning the NCSE - Campus Certification, nine Montwood High School teachers earned the National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST), further contributing to the school’s collective STEM expertise.
Montwood High School Principal David Herrera said that the school is dedicated to providing students with a high-quality, well-rounded education across all subjects. The school places a particular emphasis on STEM education through its exceptional SYNERGI4 STEM and P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) Advanced Academy. Additionally, Montwood offers a robotics program, as well as an Academy of Careers in Education and a Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) program.
He said the national STEM campus certification not only reflects the teachers’ commitment to excellence but also their dedication to preparing future leaders, problem solvers and innovators.
“Becoming a nationally certified STEM campus is more than a badge of honor,” Herrera said. “It is a promise to uphold the highest standards of education, to serve as leaders in STEM education and to empower the leaders of tomorrow.”
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.
To achieve the NCST certification, teachers such as Robert Casao had to complete 38 instructional indicators.
Casao, a physics teacher, has taught for 33 years. He said completing the certification took a lot of time and effort in researching and learning new pedagogies for STEM education. But providing students with the best education possible was well worth it.
“(We) are really committed to it because of what we can ultimately provide students in terms of preparing them for college internships and things like that,” Casao said. “It was a whole campus effort to improve learning and instruction on the Montwood campus.”
Kim Whaley, Ed.D., NISE STEM leadership coach, presented Montwood with the STEM School of Excellence Award and banner.
She told educators that earning the NISE STEM certification was just the start of their journey. She challenged them to think about how they could integrate STEM education throughout the entire campus to positively impact their students.
"We're going to take that foundational knowledge, everything that they have gathered together, and we're going to build on it, and we're going to continue to build because we can never quit getting better," Whaley said. "And I know that Socorro (ISD) wants that for their students. They're always looking for ways to improve and make it better."