Whitlow Elementary School Achieves AdvancED STEM Certification

Cumming, GA.—November 20, 2015—AdvancED congratulates Whitlow Elementary School on receiving AdvancED STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Certification. This achievement is a mark of STEM distinction and excellence only offered to highly effective institutions that prioritize STEM education as a path to success.

AdvancED STEM Certification is the first internationally recognized mark of quality for STEM schools and programs, signaling the growing emphasis placed on STEM education by educators, politicians and business leaders around the world. In earning this certification, Whitlow Elementary has demonstrated its commitment to preparing its students for their educational and career opportunities of the future by ensuring its students will have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their postsecondary pursuits and as workforce contributors in the 21st-century economy.

In order to earn STEM Certification, Whitlow Elementary had to demonstrate adherence to the AdvancED STEM Standard as reflected by the school’s performance across 11 rigorous STEM Indicators.

The certification process provides a rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement process, supported by research-based tools and resources. Achieving high scores across the indicators certify that students have been equipped and trained to be innovative, creative and systematic problem-solvers across disciplines.

AdvancED’s STEM Certification Reviewers examined Whitlow’s evidence of quality STEM education that the school provided to the review team beforehand, and conducted classroom observations focused on identifying student engagement and collaboration in the learning process using the Effective Learning Environment Observation Tool™ (eleot™). Reviewers also and interviewed key stakeholders such as school administrators, STEM faculty and staff, parents, students and external partners in order to verify the school’s commitment to connecting students’ STEM experiences in the classroom to the local community and the world at large.

To learn more about AdvancED STEM Certification, contact AdvancED at STEMCertification@advanc-ed.org. For more background on AdvancED’s products and services that support institutions in their continuous improvement efforts visit www.advanc-ed.org.