A recent study by the business data company WalletHub ranked Alabama one of the worst states in the nation for quality of K-12 education.

The state has been working hard to change that, though, notably with a plan to improve STEM education through America’s largest and most comprehensive math and science program, the $30-million Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative, or AMSTI.  

Recently, we learned that Engineering is Elementary will be part of this initiative, and in a big way. Alabama just adopted new science standards that include engineering practices . . . and EiE was selected as a resource that can help schools meet those standards.

The phenomenon called free-range parenting is making news these days. It’s a hands-off approach—the opposite of so-called helicopter parenting. Free-range parents let their kids take reasonable risks and figure things out for themselves; for example, walking to school unescorted, riding public transportation ditto, or (after some safety instruction) building things using sharp tools.

Come to think of it, free range is how most parents parented for most of the 20^th century . . . but in our modern times, this approach can be controversial. For a variety of reasons, many parents (and teachers) prefer tighter control at home (and in the classroom). But in the elementary engineering classroom, free-range teaching is a highly effective strategy.

Later this month, the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST) will hold its annual conference in Orlando. The conference theme is “Capitalizing on STEM:  Translating the Promise of STEM into Student Achievement,” and the conference organizers promise a comprehensive overview of the K-12 practices that support successful STEM learning.

Engineering is Elementary, the award-winning K - 5 curriuculum, will be represented at the FAST conference! Visit Judy Campbell in booth #4 in the exhibit hall; she’s looking forward to meeting you and answering your questions about how hands-on engineering supports learning in ALL subjects . . .  and develops 21^st century skills like creativity and collaboration.

The State of Kentucky only recently put programs in place to close the “achievement gap” for minority, low-income, and English Language Learner students. Which means, this goal didn’t exist when the educators at Tully Elementary, a Jefferson County school in suburban Louisville, first started to implement the Engineering is Elementary curriculum five years ago.

In the meantime Kentucky has also adopted a new assessment system. And Tully educators have been delighted to see how adding elementary engineering to the curriculum is already making a difference for what they call their “gap kids.”

“Greatness STEMS from Iowans.” That’s the slogan of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, which works to promote STEM education, innovation, and careers across the state. One of the Council’s ambitious initiatives is the Iowa STEM Scale-Up program, launched in 2012 to promote interest and achievement in STEM for K – 12 students across the state by giving educators greater access to exemplary STEM curricula—and to the professional development needed for successful implementation.

Here at EiE, we were thrilled to learn that for the fourth year in a row, our flagship elementary engineering curriculum has been selected for the STEM Scale-Up. In all, fourteen curricula were selected.