Is your teaching staff expected to design science activities that use inexpensive technology, meet state science standards, and fit with your curriculum?
Do you want to include coding in your science classroom?
We invite rural 8th grade science teachers to join a study investigating the impact of the STEMACES program on their students' science achievement.
Science Technology Engineering Math And Computer Education Success (STEMACES) builds on the success of Learning by Making (see study) with Technology, Engineering, and Coding (TEC) activities that integrate into any 8th grade science curriculum. STEMACES aims to develop effective STEM+C teacher tools and supports to improve student science learning.
- 8th Grade Science Teachers and their students
- Rural Districts/Schools that take part in Standardized State Testing for 8th grade Science
- 2025-2026 school year
- In-person Professional Learning for participating treatment teachers will take place in July 2025
- California Session
- Texas Session
To understand the impact of STEMACES activities on student science learning and computational thinking, WestEd is conducting a randomized control trial (RCT). For this reason, participating schools will be randomly assigned to either the Treatment Group or Business-as-Usual Group (a.k.a. delayed-treatment).
The STEMACES Program includes:
Classroom Activities with STEM+C kits
- Paid week-long Summer Professional Learning
- Introduce activities and science to teachers
- Assist teachers to incorporate activities into science curriculum
- Teacher-Requested Supports
- Follow up PL sessions during the Academic Year
- Support from Coaches
- On-demand support (i.e. call center, listserv)
- Community of Practice
Treatment Group Teachers will:
- Attend/Participate one of the two available in-person 5-day Professional Learning workshops
- Texas Session July 7-July 11
- California Sessions July 28-August 1
- During PL, teachers will integrate STEMACES activities into their curriculum and lesson plans
- Use STEMACES hands on science activities with their 8th grade students during the 2025-2026 school year
- Facilitate activities that will allow students code, design circuits, and record and analyze data
All participating 8th grade teachers will:
- Complete surveys and logs
- Administer student pre/post assessments on computational thinking in science
- Participate in interviews and observations (Selected teachers)
Wested will request course enrollment numbers, demographic, and outcome data for reporting purposes and to understand the impact of STEMACES activities on student science learning and computational thinking.
- Teachers may benefit from week-long summer professional learning and ongoing virtual professional learn to improve STEM+C understanding and teaching practice. They may also benefit from participating in a community of practice with fellow teachers in the program.
- Students may benefit from the hands-on STEM+C activities to improve science learning.
- Stipend for for participation in study activities: up to $500
- Payment for attending professional learning - including travel and lodging
- Computer Science and Technology
- Science and Engineering
- Grades 6–8
- Federal Agency
- Fall 2025
- 12–24 months