More than 180 people attended the 14th Annual C-STEM Conference on October 4, 2024 at the UC Davis Conference Center, with the pre-conference workshops and campus/lab tours on October 3.
The theme of this year's conference is Accelerating Student Achievement in Math, CS, and Engineering. The conference was packed with inspiring speeches and hands-on sessions about UC Davis C-STEM and its partners' collaborative work on transforming K-12 math education through coding and robotics. Participants explored engaging solutions to challenges in math and CS education and learned from the experienced C-STEM school and district administrators and teachers about strategies and best practices for integrating coding and robotics into K-12 math education.
Dr. Joey Adame, Superintendent of Los Molinos USD, gave a speech on “Equity and Access for Accelerated Student Learning & Achievement in CS/Math." He spoke powerfully on the importance of equity and access for students to excel in STEM and their district's C-STEM journey for the district-wide implementation of the C-STEM program.
This plenary panel session "Transformative Learning in Math/CS/Robotics with C-STEM" highlighted the work of Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. The panelists included Christine Salazar, President of the HLPUSD Board; Nancy Loera, Vice President of the HLPUSD Board; Alfonso Jiménez, Ed.D., Superintendent; Dr. Rosa Perez-Isiah, Assistant Superintendent; Joanne Chan, Coordinator; and teachers Imelda Rodriguez and Kien To. The session was moderated by Mary Nicely, the Chief Deputy Superintendent of the California Department of Education. The panelists shared their C-STEM journey and successes, as well as how the district school board, administrators, and teachers working together to transform STEAM education with coding and robotics through both academic and summer programs. The dedication of C-STEM teachers, combined with strong leadership and support from HLPUSD board, has led to an impressive transformation in student outcomes, exemplified by Mr. To’s 344% increase in students meeting and exceeding standards on the SBAC math scores as described below:
| | 2022-2023 (5th Grade Results) | 2023-2024 (6th Grade Results) |
| Exceeded State Standard | 6% | 52% |
| Met State Standard | 10% | 19% |
| Nearly Met State Standard | 32% | 19% |
| Didn't Meet State Standard | 52% | 10% |
Mr. To's 6th Grade Math class in Hacienda La Puente USD showed an incredible year-over-year improvement in math scores on the state test when using the C-STEM Program. As 5th graders in 2022-2023, only 16% of the students met or exceeded the expected standard on the state test. The next year, the same students were 6th graders in a C-STEM math class, and 71% of the students met or exceeded the state standards at the end of the year. Of the students in the class, 94% are Hispanic or Latino. And one RSP student in the class improved from Not Met Standards to Exceeded Standards. The increase from 16% to 71% represents a 344% increase in students meeting or exceeding the standard! For most students, this was the first time their math performance met or exceeded standards. Congratulations to Mr. To for his extraordinary effort and success, and for his well-deserved recognition as the C-STEM Teacher of the Year! (More C-STEM Math Success Stories can be found here.)
Mary Nicely, Chief Deputy Superintendent of the California Department of Education, delivered a luncheon address titled “The State of Education in 2024.” The session was moderated by Dr. Fred Uy, Director of Educator Preparation & Public School Programs, CSU Office of the Chancellor.
Many hands-on breakout sessions are designed for Learning through doing. Learned from experienced C-STEM teachers to share their experience on how to integrate coding, robotics, Arduino into their math and STEM classes for hands-on learning to close the achievement gapCongratulations also to all recipients of the C-STEM Teacher of the Year, C-STEM Administrator of the Year, C-STEM Superintendent of the Year, and C-STEM Distinguished School awards. It takes a village to transform K-12 math education. Thank you for your extraordinary dedication and pioneering work in providing our students with life-changing learning experiences and the opportunity to solve real-world problems through learning math with hands-on coding and robotics.The pre-conference hands-on workshops on coding and robotics, the workshop on "Getting Ready for the New California Math Framework," information sessions on undergraduate admission at UC Davis and UC Davis College of Engineering support programs for minority students, a tour of the UC Davis campus and research labs, and the evening networking reception on October 3, 2024, were all well received.Working together, we are moving the needle on K-12 math education!
