Company: Accelerate Learning Inc., Houston, TX
Nomination Submitted by: Eicher Communications
Company Description: Accelerate Learning Inc. helps teachers adopt effective STEM instructional practices, improve student performance, and increase parent engagement through high quality, standards-aligned, hands-on digital STEM curricula and resources. For information, visit stemscopes.com.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Categories - Education
Nomination Sub Category: Professional Learning Solution for Education
 Nomination Title: National Institute for STEM Education's National Certificate for STEM Teaching
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated new or new-version product or service, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: If this is a brand-new product, state the date on which it was released. If this is a new version of an existing product, state the date on which the update was released:
The most recent update was released 10-07-2022.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the features, functions, and benefits of the nominated product or service (up to 350 words):
Total 308 words used.
Many districts have launched STEM programs and STEM-focused schools. But are teachers actually prepared to teach STEM? And what constitutes excellent STEM teaching?
The National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST) is addressing an urgent need to integrate STEM education into all classrooms across grade levels and content areas. The NCST is a competency-based professional development program for preK-12 teachers. It focuses on high-impact STEM instructional strategies that work synergistically across content areas.
Designed with working educators in mind, the NCST is personalized, job-embedded, standards-focused, and convenient. While underlying research provides a consistent, evidence-based foundation, the focus is on educators’ personal application of learning — and instructional strategies are designed to work with educators from where they are.
Teachers can start the 100% online, self-paced program at any time. Candidates can enroll individually or in cohorts formed by districts or schools as part of an extended STEM professional development initiative. Each participant receives support from a virtual STEM coach, and has a full year to demonstrate their understanding of the 15 embedded STEM Teacher Actions.
The 15 Teacher Actions are organized into three domains: Creating an Environment for Learning, Building Scientific Understanding, and Engaging Students in Science and Engineering Practices. In fall 2022, NISE revamped the indicators for each Teacher Action. There are 38 indicators in all. As a result, the NCST has been completely updated with new content, functionality, visuals, activities, and resources.
The NCST is affordably priced at $625 per enrollment, with group discounts available. NISE also partners with American College of Education (ACE) to offer STEM-focused graduate and doctoral program options. ACE provides six hours of graduate credit to NCST graduates who enroll in its 100% online STEM Master’s or Doctoral programs. Also new in 2022, NCST graduates can purchase six graduate credit hours through ACE without having to enroll in a master’s or doctoral program.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Outline the market performance, critical reception, and customer satisfaction with the product or service to date. State monetary or unit sales figures to date, if possible, and how they compare to expectations or past performance. Provide links to laudatory product or service reviews. Include some customer testimonials, if applicable (up to 350 words):
Total 350 words used.
More than 6,500 educators have participated and 5,091 have graduated from the NCST program. More than 30% of NCST graduates have earned graduate credits or continued onto a STEM-focused M.Ed. or Ed.D. offered by ACE. The NCST was a:
- Co-winner in the Professional Development category of SmartBrief’s 2022 EdTech Readers’ Choice Awards
- Finalist in the Most Innovative PD Solution category of the 2022 Institute for Education Innovation Supes’ Choice Awards
- Finalist in the Professional Development Learning Solution category of 2021 EdTech Awards
“In addition to our students improving on the state assessment, our school climate and culture feel better—not just for teachers, but for students and families. Office referrals have gone down for student behavior. Our staff seem happier and morale seems better. STEM certification has contributed to all of that. It’s fun to be at school and kids want to come to school because of all the cool things we’re doing.” — Brenda K. Metheny, Math Interventionist and STEM Coordinator, Northside Elementary
“There is more camaraderie as a result of the NISE STEM certification process. It offers teachers opportunities to collaborate and complete modules alongside each other, and I see the difference in how teachers are interacting with each other.” — Jessica Beller, Director of Instructional Services, Montrose County School District
“We’ve been able to create an identity as ‘the STEM school.’ Students, parents, and the community know it and they see our school in a very positive light. … Unexcused absences have decreased by 38%. Student scores on the SAT have increased by 12 points. This shows us that our STEM focus is working.”— Lanc Sellden, Principal, Central High School
“Our school has a mix of new and experienced teachers, and all have taken away at least one major ‘aha!’ from the STEM certification program. I’ve done about 1,600 evaluations, so I’ve had 1,600 glimpses into teachers’ classrooms. It’s been really neat seeing how they’ve taken what they learned from NISE to improve their practices. It’s very personalized.” — Phil Johnston, STEM Coordinator, Central High School
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 65 words used.
Case Studies of schools and districts — including the two schools referenced above — can be found at: https://nise.institute/case-studies.php
The Teacher Certification webpage provides an overview of the NCST: https://nise.institute/teacher-certification.php
The NCST Philosophy and Design webpage describes the 3 domains, the 15 STEM Teacher Actions, and the 38 indicators that were extensively updated in 2022: nise.institute/philosophy-and-design.php
| Attachments/Videos/Links: |
|---|
|
