Redlands Unified School District

13% Higher Math Scores for Students of 35 C-STEM Teachers at Redlands USD

The C-STEM program is now the BEST FIRST Math Instruction for many of our students. We are very excited about our experiences and the successes we are having with C-STEM. C-STEM is truly a game-changer for Redlands USD. It's code for learning math and having fun at the same time!

--- Mauricio Arellano, Superintendent of Redlands USD

Posted: August 18, 2022. Last update: October 29, 2023

In early 2018 Redlands Unified School District (USD) staff collaborated to write a multi-year vision called RUSD2025, Excellence for All Students. One of the five tenets is Excellence in Academ

In collaboration with the UC Davis C-STEM Center, Redlands USD has worked with teachers and administrators to build the capacity to integrate coding and robotics into their math classrooms while maintaining a focus on the Common Core Math standards.

This strategy was a huge paradigm shift for the Redlands Community. The population of 20,162 students in Redlands USD is comprised of 54% Hispanic/Latino, 24% White, 8% Asian, 6% African American, 4% Filipino, etc. Their math achievement data revealed that the achievement gap in their math classrooms during the middle grades was stemming from low motivation and resilience often caused by math anxiety and a lack of understanding of how to apply and perform mathematical operations.

Redlands USD is in its fifth year of implementation with C-STEM and is already exceeding the original expectations. Enrollment is increasing and student success indicators suggest the model has a strong foundation that will continue to close the opportunity and achievement gaps.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Wagner says that “We currently have 35 teachers who are trained in the innovative C-STEM approach and are implementing it in their coursework. This includes 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, and now 6 elementary schools (4th/5th grade). Assessment results show approximately 13% higher results for students in the C-STEM math courses versus general math courses.  Additionally, AP CS Principles course enrollment increased by 770% in four years. We are very pleased with the results. We cannot measure the joy in these math classrooms, but the results are telling!”

 

 

Redlands USD has high hopes for the future of the C-STEM program. In 2022-2023, the district supported C-STEM teachers by assisting 32 of them in completing their Computer Science Teaching Credential via the UC Davis C-STEM and UC Riverside Extension CS Supplementary Teaching Authorization Program. 47.26% of 659 C-STEM students in grades 4-8 met/exceeded the math standards versus 36.91% for all students in the same grade band in the district in the Smarter Balanced assessments of math based on the data in the 2023 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) as shown below.

 

 

 

Below are a sequence of videos which highlight the impact of the C-STEM program on Redlands USD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The video below showcases how their administrators, teachers, and students continue to use the C-STEM program in everyday instruction:

 

Superintendent Mauricio Arellano gave an inspiring Keynote Speech at the 2020 C-STEM Conference on Open the Algebra Gateway for Success in STEM Fields for All Students Through Hands-on Robotics: