Page 52 - Technology Plan for School Years 2017 to 2021

needed, including the WIDA Language Screener for assessing new ELL students English
Language proficiency, and the ACCESS for ELL students’ online assessment to determine
annual growth of ELL students.

STEM and Coding
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and Computer Science
programming (coding) have become topics of national importance as the District strives to
develop college and career ready students. In an effort to connect content knowledge to
real-world application in all curriculum levels, educational institutions must enhance
instruction by developing thematic units that infuse foundational skills with functional
application and ingenuity.

“STEM education must be elevated as a national priority reflected through
educational reForms, policies to drive innovation and federal and state spending
priorities. STEM is not just a trendy buzzword; it is the core of our country’s economic
future. Simply put, if we are to keep up with our global competitors, we had better
step up our commitment to improve STEM education.” – Coalition Op-Ed “STEM
Literacy: Are We keeping Up?” Media Planet, June 2015

The need to prepare our students for STEM-related positions is vital. As depicted in the
graph below, the number of STEM-related occupations are expected to increase throughout
the world. In order to accomplish this monumental task, we must start by preparing them at
a young age.

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