Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Steam Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hatboro‑Horsham presents K–12 STEAM curriculum review, recommends vertical alignment and partnerships
Summary
District staff and teachers summarized a yearlong k–12 review of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) instruction and recommended five priorities including vertical alignment, a unified problem‑solving language, expanded partnerships, stronger counselor collaboration and responsive updates for emerging technologies.
Christine Jenkins, the district supervisor of curriculum, and a K–12 committee of teachers presented results of a yearlong review of the Hatboro‑Horsham School District’s STEAM program, outlining current offerings, transfer goals and five recommended actions to improve continuity and access.
The report said elementary STEAM is taught by three full‑time teachers across four schools and that those classes meet about 30 times per year as part of the arts rotation. Middle school students now receive an exploratory STEAM quarter in sixth grade; seventh and eighth graders can take STEAM as a major or minor elective. At the high school level STEAM instruction is elective and is delivered through computer science and technology/engineering courses that include project‑based work, CAD, robotics and two AP computer science offerings plus a new AP course expected next year.
Jenkins told the board the committee began meeting in October, reviewed course offerings and national best practices, visited the NSTA conference and finalized recommendations in April. The committee produced six k–12 transfer goals intended to capture skills students should apply in real‑world settings, including design thinking, decomposition of complex problems, digital citizenship, collaboration and creative innovation.
High school computer science teacher Annie Kelly described the committee’s shared vision for STEAM as interdisciplinary, inquiry driven and focused on transferable skills. Technology and engineering teacher Amanda Pergolini outlined five national and state standards sources used in the literature review, and summarized five best practices: integrative curriculum design, investigation and design engagement, authentic assessment, accessibility and ongoing professional development.
Elementary STEAM teacher Christina Sklodaitis identified five areas of need the committee found: vertical curriculum alignment (clear prerequisite skill progression across grades), a unified problem‑solving language, more teacher collaboration time, strategies to broaden student participation, and deeper strategic partnerships with higher education and local industry to support internships and mentorships.
From those needs the committee recommended five actions: (1) document and sustain vertical coherence across grade levels and consider renaming courses to use a consistent STEAM label; (2) strengthen outreach and earlier course previewing so students make informed choices; (3) adopt a unified design‑thinking/problem‑solving framework for K–12; (4) partner more closely with school counselors to align career education and pathways; and (5) build strategic partnerships with Montgomery County STEAM ecosystem partners and the Hatboro‑Horsham Education Foundation to expand career exposure and hands‑on learning.
Presenters emphasized the need to remain responsive to rapidly evolving technologies — specifically data science and AI at the 9–12 level — and the value of ongoing professional development. Board members and administrators praised the teachers for the scope of the work and for embedding STEAM into elementary experiences, which presenters noted is not common across districts.
No formal board action was taken on the curriculum review during the work session; the report will remain available on the district curriculum page for public review and will be considered as part of ongoing curriculum planning and professional development.
