The 吃瓜黑料网 prioritizes STEM achievement in grades 4 to 9, laying a strong foundation for the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in these critical areas from elementary to secondary school. The impact of these initiatives and other professional learning opportunities provided by the Science & Technology, STEM and Robotics department have been significant. More schools are engaging with coding and robotics. Teachers engaged in this area also report a greater understanding of the curriculum revisions and comfort with implementing hands-on learning experiences in their classrooms.
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吃瓜黑料网 students receive STEM science kits
The 吃瓜黑料网 Science and Technology Resource Centre supports equitable access to STEM learning by loaning out over 3,200 STEM/Science kits across 吃瓜黑料网 schools, as of December 2024. These kits include a wide range of resources for robotics, coding, microscopes, building materials and other essential tools.
The kits received high ratings from teachers who have found them useful for teaching the hands-on activities in the Science and STEM curriculum. The robotics lending program was also re-established with platforms like Dash, Ozobot, Sphero, Makey Makey, LEGO Mindstorms, and new digital robotics kits that allow students to learn coding without physical robots. These resource kits are instrumental in ensuring equitable access to STEM tools and technology across the system.
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Our Bringing STEM to Life Program
The 吃瓜黑料网 Science Department, in collaboration with the k2i Institute at Lassonde School of Engineering, had over 50 schools participating in the Bringing STEM to Life program. The Work-Integrated Learning Experience summer program offered 64 students from 29 schools an opportunity to experience hands-on research in lab settings, with a focus on encouraging girls, Indigenous students, and Black youth to pursue STEM careers.
Overall, participants achieved a 100% course completion rate, with an average grade of 91%. All students completed the 120 hours of paid work experience, that was part of the program. The Bringing STEM to Life in-school program expanded to a dozen schools in underserved areas, providing equipment like micro:bits and sensors and offering mentoring opportunities to many more students. A total of 150 students from grades 5-10 participated in hands-on STEM activities at York University, enhancing both student and teacher skills in STEM education.
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Student reflections
鈥淭his program was different than my typical class experience because of the labs we would do each day. The labs would really solidify my knowledge of the concepts we learned because we applied them to real life activities.鈥�
鈥淭his work-integrated learning program has impacted how I see myself in the future, particularly in terms of pursuing a career in computer science. The hands-on experience with technical projects and problem-solving has reinforced my interest in working with technology and innovation. The skills I developed, such as analytical thinking, technical proficiency, and project management, are directly transferable to the field of computer science. This experience has solidified my desire to explore this field further and has given me a clearer understanding of the practical applications of computer science in real-world scenarios.鈥�
鈥淭his experience has given me the foundational skills to be successful in future, the problems and challenges have听taught me how to solve problems and make my way around them.鈥�
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Exposing students to the wonders of the universe
In 2024, 18,146 students participated in 吃瓜黑料网 Canadian Space Resource Centre programming. The Digital Star Lab, a portable planetarium, engaged 17,763 students through 562 space presentations, teaching about orbits and astronomical phenomena. An additional 15 virtual presentations reached 383 students, opening minds to the physical complexities of space.
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Robotics training for teachers and hands-on learning for students
The 吃瓜黑料网 provides robotics subsidies to approximately 75 schools every year, with a special focus on supporting underserved communities. This initiative promotes hands-on STEM learning, encouraging students to build robots and circuits. In total, 150 teachers participated in robotics training throughout 2023-24, enhancing their coding skills and integrating robotics into science and math classrooms.
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Supporting power tool safety and technical problem-solving skills
As of June 2024, 27 schools equipped with power tools participated in bi-annual safety training. This initiative equipped more students with hands-on skills that are essential for the skilled trades, while enriching technological problem-solving.
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STEM: Many Ways of Knowing at the Eureka Conference
This year, the Eureka Conference 2024 saw record participation from 267 Math and Science teachers, doubling last year鈥檚 attendance. Teachers participated in Science and Mathematics workshops focussing on the theme, 鈥淪TEM, Many Ways of Knowing.鈥� Tanya Senk, System Superintendent of Urban Indigenous Education, also delivered an inspiring keynote on observing and learning from the land.
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Mathematics education quality and Accountability Office math outcomes
In EQAO data reported in 2023-24, the 吃瓜黑料网 continues to make progress on building math competencies with the following scoring at or above the provincial standard of 70% (level 戮):
- 59% of grade three students听
- 52% of grade six students听
- 56% of grade nine students听
The 吃瓜黑料网 outperformed provincial averages in both grade six and nine math. Notably, 56% of 吃瓜黑料网 grade nine students performed at or above the provincial standard compared to the provincial average of 54%.
吃瓜黑料网 is also one of only three GTA boards to improve by 4% over the past three years, reflecting positive trends in student math achievement. The impact of destreaming is particularly evident in grade nine math. Since implementing destreaming, the 吃瓜黑料网 has consistently outperformed the provincial average, reversing previous trends where streamed classes performed below the provincial standard.
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A new system-wide mathematics strategy
The 2023-24 school year marked the introduction of a comprehensive with targeted support for Math Learning Partner schools.听This strategy focuses on three ministry-required priorities:
- Curriculum Fidelity by implementing proven strategies to improve academic achievement.
- Ongoing Learning and strengthening teachers' math content knowledge.
- Responsive Teaching tailoring tasks and interventions to meet student needs through knowing the mathematics learner, and designing math tasks, interventions, and supports which are relevant and responsive.
These priorities are measured through key performance indicators at the board, school, and classroom levels. The strategy includes system-wide professional learning and support for the school improvement processes, utilizing both school-level data and evaluation frameworks to address gaps and build success in numeracy learning and outcomes.