CASE STUDY: PINE RIVER-BACKUS SCHOOL

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CASE STUDY:

PINE RIVER-BACKUS SCHOOL

The STEM Schools Project: Pine River-Backus School Page | 1

About The Case Study

This case study is one of a series of case studies produced

for The STEM Schools Project. The purpose of the STEM

Schools Project is to document promising practices in

high schools and middle schools that are providing

students a STEM-rich experience, drawing upon a high

quality implementation of Project Lead The Way's

Pathway To Engineering and/or Biomedical Sciences

programs.

The Meeder Consulting Group conducted the site visits,

wrote the case studies and final report, and is managing

all aspects of The STEM Schools Project. The project is

funded through generous support from the Kern Family

Foundation based in Waukesha, Wisconsin

(www.kffdn.org).

From information collected during each of the nine site

visits, the authors prepared detailed, reader-friendly

reports describing the schools’ accomplishments,

approach to STEM learning, and school improvement

strategies. The case studies organize material into three

overarching themes related to how schools use PLTW to

spur STEM-related learning emerged:

� Create an Exceptional PLTW Implementation,

� Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and

� Implement Related School Improvement

Strategies.

In addition to the case studies, a Final Report will be

released that synthesizes key findings from all the case

studies and places them in the larger context of STEM

education reform. For more information about the STEM

Schools Project, visit www.meederconsulting.com.


Part i. introduction and overview

Summary

Pine River-Backus is a small, rural school in the northern Minnesota lakes and

forest region that demonstrates an intensive offering of engineering technology

opportunities for students and also has adopted an innovative blended curriculum

that satisfies state science requirements with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) course

content. The school delivers a comprehensive engineering and technology

experience to all students in grades six, seven, and eight by making the PLTW

Gateway to Technology (GTT) program required coursework. All students in grade

nine participate in a robotics experience. Furthermore, the state’s ninth grade earth

science requirements are fully satisfied by the integration of chemistry instruction

and content from PLTW’s Principles of Engineering (POE) course.

Profile of Pine River-Backus School

Pine River-Backus School is located in Pine River, Minnesota, in the heart of

northern Minnesota’s lakes and forest region. The school serves elementary,

middle, and high school students in one facility and enrolls approximately 950

students. There are fluctuations in the size of the senior class and attrition from

one year to the next. The 2011–2012 class is on track to graduate 58 students. In

the past, there have been classes of 70 seniors.

The combined Pine River-Backus district covers 550 square miles, and most

students live in relatively close proximity to the school. There are 7,171 residents

within the district. The school population is predominately white. The school

serves a large number of students who are economically disadvantaged, with

about 70 percent of students receiving Free and Reduced Lunch. Approximately 18

percent of students receive special education services.

Established in the early 20th century, the Pine River School District and Backus

School District consolidated to form the Pine River-Backus School District in 1991.

The district has 170 employees, including one superintendent, one high school

principal, one elementary school principal, one Area Learning Center director, and

73 teachers. Other staff members include paraprofessionals and transportation,

clerical, food service, custodial maintenance, and business office personnel.

Synopsis of Project Lead the Way Implementation

As with many school-based reforms, the beginnings of the initiative to implement

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) were somewhat organic. In 2005, Pine River-Backus’s

counselor, Ms. Mary Ruth Sigan, attended an annual state counselor convention at

which she learned about the PLTW Pathway To Engineering (PTE) program. She


invited the conference speaker to present at Pine River-Backus (PRB) about the

PLTW opportunity. Ms. Sigan found out that a science teacher at the school had

also learned about PLTW some time before (perhaps as long as a year before) but

had not approached the school leadership team about the curriculum, although he

thought positively about the effort. That staff member is no longer at PRB, but the

school counselor speculated that he might have thought the expense of the

program was too much for the school to undertake and therefore did not pursue

the program further.

A working group was formed that included Ms. Sigan, Superintendent Cathy

Bettino, former Principal Kristil McDonald, and two relatively new technology

teachers, Duane Anderson and Steve Bergerson. The school’s technology director

was also involved, and his involvement was critical because the program required

a significant investment in new and more computing technology. Mr. Anderson

explains, “The initial discussion happened 2–3 years before we actually did

anything.”

In the fall of 2006, several members of the working group visited Clearbrook-

Gonvick School in Clearbrook, Minnesota, to learn more about its implementation

of PLTW, which had begun two years earlier. The PRB team met with Clearbrook-

Gonvick’s superintendent, Diane Lacy, who shared the school’s implementation

lessons with the team.

At about the same time, the PRB team learned about the opportunity to secure

funding for PLTW implementation from the Kern Family Foundation. The team

began working on an application and received advice from the state’s PLTW

coordinator, Jim Mecklenberg, who is based at Minnesota State University,

Mankato.

According to Superintendent Cathy Bettino, the Pine River-Backus school board

was initially resistant to the idea of implementing PLTW because board members

believed the program would be expensive and might not attract much student

involvement. Bettino said, “The STEM initiatives were fairly new at the time and

the board was reluctant to take too much risk for limited payoff.” Bettino and the

school principal presented the concept several times to the school board and

outlined the program and the opportunity for start-up funding from the Kern

Family Foundation. Once the external funding was available and a cadre of

teachers expressed commitment to the effort, the school board approved the

venture. The school applied for and received approval for the funding in early 2007;

PRB sent its first teachers to PLTW training in the summer of 2007.

In the summer of 2007, Steve Bergerson went for training on PLTW’s middle

school program, Gateway to Technology (GTT), at Milwaukee School of


Engineering, and Duane Anderson went for GTT training at St. Cloud State

University. GTT was first implemented in 2007. As of the 2011–2012 school year,

students complete four GTT modules, one at each grade level (in the sixth through

ninth grades):

• Sixth grade: Design and Modeling;

• Seventh grade: Magic of Electrons;

• Eighth grade: Science and Technology; and

• Ninth grade: Automation and Robotics.

In the summer of 2008, Duane Anderson was trained in Introduction to

Engineering Design (IED). Dick Larsen and another instructor were trained to

deliver Principles of Engineering (POE). The IED and POE courses were first

delivered in the fall of 2008. Anderson received training for Computer Integrated

Manufacturing (CIM) in summer of 2010 and began offering the course in the fall

of 2010.

In 2008, after one year of implementing POE in its typical fashion, PRB developed

an innovative approach that integrates POE with Minnesota’s standards for ninth

grade earth science. Now, all freshman students meet the state earth science

requirements by taking POE, which is supplemented by additional content in

chemistry.

The table below provides enrollment information for the high school PLTW PTE

courses offered at PRB. (Enrollment information for the GTT modules is not shown

because all middle school students participate.)

Project Lead the Way Enrollment

PLTW Courses Offered Number of Students Enrolled

2011-2012

Introduction to Engineering Design 8

Principles of Engineering* 70

Digital Electronics 7

Computer Integrated Manufacturing** N/A

*All ninth graders enroll in this course.

**This course is offered every other year.

Source: Pine River – Backus School, November 2011.


The STEM Continuum Model The working theory of the STEM Schools Project is that there is a natural

continuum of integration and connection of STEM education occurring in schools

that use Project Lead the Way’s GTT (middle schools) or PTE and/or Biomedical

Sciences (BMS) programs (high schools). In some schools, PTE and BMS are

offered as sequences of courses that offer an excellent learning experience to

students, but the courses stand alone and do not connect to other courses that fall

under the STEM umbrella. In some schools, teachers—on a case-by-case basis and

through individual initiative—inculcate some of the project-based and inquiry-

based approaches of PLTW courses into the math and science courses that they

teach. Alternatively, they may informally collaborate with colleagues in other

content areas to create a smattering of integrated or linked curriculum units.

Further along the continuum are schools that are actively and intentionally

creating integrated and connected learning between STEM courses, and in some

cases with other courses such as English Language Arts and the Social Sciences.

In these schools, teachers are actively and consistently collaborating with the

support of administrative team members.

The STEM continuum includes the following groupings of strategies:

• create an exceptional pltw implementation,

• Develop a School-wide STEM Culture, and

• Implement Related School Improvement Strategies.

The remainder of this case study is organized around these groupings, although

not every strategy in the continuum will be observed in every case study. If the

strategy was not observed during the site visit or subsequent interviews, this fact

is noted but should not be construed to reflect negatively on the school that is

profiled.


Part ii. Strategies

1. create an exceptional pltw

implementation 1.1 Building Readiness and Support for PLTW Implementation

The PRB leadership team originally envisioned and hoped that offering PLTW

would inspire more students to take an interest in career studies related to the

STEM disciplines. According to district leadership team members, the goals

related to PLTW were fairly general. They hoped that an increased interest in

STEM opportunities would demonstrate the relevance of math and science classes

and hopefully result in increased student achievement in these content areas.

In addition to these academic achievement goals, the leadership team also viewed

PLTW as an opportunity to help students improve their quality of life in the long

term. There was a specific linkage in the original application to the intent to help

break generational poverty. The application stated, “We are also desperate to

break the cycle of poverty and provide our students with the skills they need to

succeed in the high tech and globally competitive world. Motivation will be key in

empowering students to higher educational opportunities. Project Lead the Way

stresses motivation, relevancy and possibilities.”

The application for funding envisioned PLTW being relevant not only for students

who pursue traditional STEM careers, but also for students who pursue careers in

trades like construction, welding, and heavy machinery.

For the small rural school, the Kern Family Foundation’s funding was indispensible.

The start-up expense was significant, entailing the purchase of dozens of new,

high-capacity computers as well as the annual purchase of Autodesk Inventor

software licenses.

The original proposal included a three-year implementation plan in which GTT

would be introduced to all seventh and eighth grade students at the start of the

2007–2008 school year and expanded to all seventh, eighth, and ninth grade

students by the 2008–2009 school year. Furthermore, that same year, students in

grades 10–12 were given the option of taking Principles of Engineering and/or

Digital Electronics.

1.2 Select and Support a Strong PLTW Instructional Team

Currently, a total of five teachers deliver PLTW at Pine River-Backus. There is one

middle school math teacher who provides the Gateway to Technology experience


to fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Two teachers (one math and one

science) deliver the Principles of Engineering/Earth Science course to ninth graders.

One technology education teacher provides the Gateway to Technology

Automation and Robotics unit to all ninth grade students. That technology

education teacher also provides Computer Integrated Manufacturing every other

year, sharing equipment with another school district. A math teacher provides

Digital Electronics.

Because PRB is a small school with a small number of teachers, there are only a

few PRB teachers properly licensed and eligible to teach PLTW. But importantly,

according to Superintendent Bettino, all of the PLTW teachers “participated

willingly and I would say eagerly.”

1.3 Set Goals for Program Enrollment

One of the requirements of the funding tied to the Kern Family Foundation grant

that Pine River received was that it would implement the PLTW middle school

program—Gateway to Technology (GTT)—in addition to four elective PLTW

Pathway To Engineering (PTE) courses at the high school level.

During the original site visits to other schools in Minnesota that were

implementing PLTW, the PRB teachers formed the firm opinion that “we’re not

going to do the high school program without also doing the GTT program.” These

teachers had observed some high school instruction (not at Clearbrook-Gonvick,

they emphasized) that they believed was at too low of a level to be useful to

students; thus, the middle school preparation was essential to pave the way for

more rigorous high school instruction.

PRB leaders made the decision not only to offer the GTT program in the middle

school but also to also make it part of the required program for every PRB middle

school student, with segments of the program offered in sixth, seventh, and eighth

grades. In PRB, ninth grade is also considered a middle grade, so the Automation

and Robotics module is offered to all ninth grade students as part of a nine-week

unit.

Although the GTT modules are organized into 12-week modules, PRB staff

modified the modules to be offered in nine-week segments, which fit their delivery

model more readily.

Instructor Duane Anderson suggests that offering the middle school component

for all students was the right decision. Incoming high school students “have the

training when they get to POE; they were definitely better prepared because of the

sixth, seventh, and eighth experience.”


Students echoed the value of the middle school GTT program. When asked what

they like about PLTW, seventh and eighth grade students noted the “creativity in

the program, the fun, the tools, the lack of worksheets, and the increased hands-on

activities.” Another student suggested that “you learn more about math,

measuring, and problem solving. You learn from your mistakes; if you get it wrong

you keep working until you get it right.”

By definition, the ninth grade POE/Earth Science course and the Automation and

Robotics unit also reaches all students in the school.

However, one of the biggest challenges in PLTW implementation is the very low

participation in the other PLTW courses after ninth grade, including Introduction to

Engineering and Design, Digital Electronics, and Computer Integrated

Manufacturing. Possible explanations for this drop-off in enrollment are discussed

in a later section.

1.4 Reach Out to Prospective PLTW Students

PRB does not implement a specific strategy to reach out to prospective PLTW

students because all middle school students are already enrolled in GTT programs

and all ninth grade students participate in POE to fulfill their ninth grade science

requirement.

One issue of concern to the PRB leaders and teachers is the serious drop-off in

participation in the upper-level PLTW high school electives, however. On average,

only seven to 10 students enroll per class.

The faculty members are considering several possible explanations for this drop-

off in enrollment. One possible reason discussed was that students were “burned

out” on engineering by the time they finished ninth grade. But in a small interview

format, current ninth grade students expressed a strong interest and preference

for the PLTW format and affirmed they would like to continue taking PLTW classes.

Another factor discussed was that a six-period day with four mandatory courses in

grades 10 and 11 limits the number of electives students can take. In terms of

graduation requirements, students are currently required to take three math and

three science classes to earn a diploma, and new policy requires that the math

include Algebra II and that the science sequence include either chemistry or

physics.

For ninth grade students, there are four core classes (English, Math, Science, and

Social Studies), the trimester courses of Robotics, Health, Physical Education, and

an elective class. For 10th grade students, there are just two periods available for

electives. Many students want to participate in band or chorus, and if the student

is planning to attend a four-year college, he or she is encouraged to take at least


two years of a foreign language. Also, students who are seeking college admission

are also encouraged to take both chemistry and physics. This combination of

scheduling squeezes may be the most significant barrier to increasing the

enrollment in upper-level PLTW electives.

In one interview, one upper-level student acknowledged that her tight schedule

made it difficult to participate in PLTW courses, but she viewed her participation in

the after-school Robotics Club as a valuable alternative to the PLTW course.

1.5 Reach Out to Local Businesses to Gain and Sustain Support

At PRB, business advisory council meetings have been the responsibility of the

school principal rather than the PLTW teachers. As a result, and because of recent

leadership transitions, PRB’s business engagement efforts were in flux during the

2010 and 2011 school years. During 2010, Principal McDonald was preparing to

leave and no meetings of the business partners were held. Further, at the time of

the site visit in November 2011, the new principal, Mr. Trent Langemo, had not yet

held any meetings with the PLTW business partners.

Even in a rural town, there are companies that utilize engineering and

manufacturing, and some of these companies have been engaged as business

partners with PRB. One of the most active local companies is Hunt Technologies, a

firm working on environmental sustainability. Ryan Hunt, the son of the firm’s

founder, is a committed member of the school’s PLTW Partnership Committee.

Other companies that have been involved include Pequot Tool and Manufacturing,

Inc., Trussworthy Components, Inc. (a manufacturer of highly automated wood

truss), and Precision Milling (a firm specializing in water jet milling).

The most consistent role for business partners appears to be with the school’s

Robotics Club, an after-school program in which students participate in the

national FIRST Robotics Competition. Business partners serve as mentors to

students during this intense learning experience that runs all year long and that

has a particularly intense phase during January and February, from the time the

design specifications are released to the time of the first intraschool competitions

in February. Teams that are successful at the local level can then proceed further

to regional, state, and national competitions. Other firms like Pentair provide

financial support to the project, helping to fund both materials and travel costs.

Student field trips to local businesses happen occasionally, but they are not

established as a specific expectation for the programs. Students usually visit

Pequot Tool and Manufacturing about once a year. During this visit, they learn

about a “traveler,” a work order that “travels” through the design and

manufacturing process. Students see the original order and follow it through all of


the steps, including parts constraints, manufacturing, and shipping. Since PLTW

was implemented at PRB, students at times have also visited Hunt Technologies,

Precision Milling, and Trussworthy. Business partners may also occasionally stop

by a classroom in progress, but partners have not typically been invited to teach

lessons or speak to the students during class time.

With GTT there are no field trips, although some business partners such as Mr.

Hunt come in occasionally to talk with the students. One PLTW instructor said he is

reluctant to pull students out of class because each day is only six periods and any

out-of-school activities would be disruptive to the other classes.

When asked why businesses choose to get involved, one business partner stated

that he’s involved out of ‘enlightened self-interest.’ He said he knows his kids will

eventually attend the school and that he believes their experiences will be more

practical and hands-on if businesses are involved.

2. develop a school-wide stem

culture

2.1 Establish Shared Guiding Principles for STEM Learning

Under this strategy of establishing shared guiding principles for STEM Learning

are three related, but distinct sub-strategies: Define STEM Education, Define

STEM Literacy, and Develop District-Wide Vision for STEM Learning.

2.1.1 Define STEM Education

At this time, PRB is not actively trying to define STEM education or to establish a

school-wide focus on STEM education. When asked about the role of PLTW in the

school, one PLTW instructor said, “Our egos would like to say we’re a STEM

school, but ... I’m not sure the rest of school recognized that. So maybe we’re a

STEM program within a typical school.”

There are, however, additional activities that offer STEM experiences beyond just

classroom offerings. As mentioned previously, PRB has a FIRST Robotics team,

which, as of the 2011-2012 school year, is in its third year of existence with about

25 students involved intermittently. During the 2010-2011 school year, about 17

had done enough work to travel to the competition. Also, at the middle school

level, Mr. Bergerson coaches a junior high team called Math Masters, which is part

of a national program that uses math in highly contextualized scenarios.


2.1.2 Define STEM Literacy

The PRB district mission statement says: “Our mission is to inspire life-long

learners in pursuing their dreams and becoming responsible, productive citizens

through a partnership of families, educators and communities committed to

excellence.” The mission statement does not include an explicit definition of STEM

literacy for students in PRB.

2.1.3 Develop District-Wide Vision for STEM Learning

In the case of Pine River-Backus, with just one school in the district, there is

essentially no separation between district and school level vision and operations.

2.2 Implement Innovative STEM Curriculum and Instruction

Under this strategy of implementing innovative STEM curriculum and instruction,

there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Integrate STEM-Rich Instruction,

and Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies

2.2.1 Integrate STEM-rich Instruction across Math, Science, and Other

Applied STEM Programs

Principles of Engineering and Ninth Grade Earth Science

PRB has developed an innovative approach to adapting its POE course to meet the

state standards for ninth grade earth science.

In the fall of 2007, POE was offered as an elective to upper-level students in grades

10, 11, and 12. During this early stage of implementation, Principal McDonald and

the school counselor attended a conference at which they heard another school

talk about its plans to make POE a mandatory program for all ninth graders by

using the course to fulfill the state’s ninth grade physical science standards.

Principal McDonald, who had extensive experience in taking on and coaching

others in curriculum alignment, spent a good deal of time reviewing PLTW’s

content standards and comparing them to the content standards expected in

Minnesota’s ninth grade earth science program. She found a significant amount of

overlap and concluded that offering POE as the earth science course was feasible.

However, she also noted that the state’s physical science standards included a

significant amount of chemistry content that would need to be incorporated.

Although this would not pose a problem content-wise, it did present a challenge in

terms of available instructional time. To address this challenge, the leadership

team asked the English department to supervise the research project component

of the POE curriculum. Because all ninth graders take the POE/Earth Science class,

they could embed the research component in the ninth grade English classes.


English teachers would already be familiar with research guidelines for formatting,

organization, and citations and would be able to provide reliable writing

instruction and grading as well.

The model of shared responsibility between the POE teachers and English teachers

was followed during the 2007, 2008, and 2009 school years. Beginning in the 2010

school year, teachers began revisiting the decision to “outsource” the research

project to the English department. Current PLTW teachers explained that “we

experimented a couple years with the English department,” but it was too

overwhelming for ninth grade English and so the PLTW teachers assumed

responsibility for the research project again.

In 2011, they re-integrated the research project into the POE/Earth Science course.

To make time for the research project in the curriculum, PLTW teachers reviewed

the chemistry content requirements prior to the 2011 school year and were able to

pare down the instructional time. PLTW teachers had found that the amount of

chemistry they originally offered in POE/Earth Science was “too much to cover.”

The PLTW teachers acknowledge they were not trained English teachers and that

“trying to grade research papers was a little out of our field.” So, although the

project itself officially rests with the PLTW program, the PLTW teachers may still

request some help and advice from the English department in grading the

research papers.

POE instructor Dick Larson said that the PRB team is mapping its curriculum to

match the revised 2011 POE curriculum. A new instructor will participate in POE

training during the summer of 2012 and will help ensure there is a strong

understanding of the revised curriculum. Mr. Larson noted that instructional time

continues to be a challenge in integrating POE with the state’s earth science

standards. “We don’t leave topics out, but we leave a couple construction projects

out since there needs to be a chemistry component.” He explained that “when we

get to materials, we take a break from POE and cover atomic structure.” Mr.

Larson hopes that, with the revised 2011 curriculum, they will be able to offer POE

in the sequence that PLTW recommends.

2.2.2 Implement Inquiry-based and Project-based Learning Strategies

Apart from the official integration of content that happens through the POE/Earth

Science course, there does not appear to be an active initiative in the school to

replicate the project-based learning in other courses. On an individual basis, some

teachers apply inquiry-based and project-based learning in settings other than

PLTW.

Middle school math and GTT instructor Steve Bergerson said that he teaches

junior high math as well but tried to avoid teaching “naked math”—that is, math


that is not placed in the context from which it is derived. He said that when

students see the math in its context, they have more motivation to “get it right.”

Sometimes he incorporates scores from the local basketball team so the students

can do statistical analysis on numbers they know are real. He also creates

applications that are quirky like having the class estimate the number of ounces of

orange juice that a particular student drinks weekly (this student is known as an

avid orange juice drinker). He will also have students do conversions of

measurements relating to family recipes (such as, how much mashed potatoes

would you need to feed the entire classroom?).

Other math teachers explained that their instruction is fairly typical. One teacher

said, “My math class is pretty traditional. It’s pretty relaxed, but the math hasn’t

changed…I do try to bring real life applications and projects.” Another teacher said,

“In advanced algebra, it’s hard to bring in the real world stuff. If there’s a course

that is amenable to real-world application, it would probably be the statistics.”

2.3 Engage Math, Science, and PLTW Teachers in Collaborative

Planning and Instruction

Middle School

At the middle school level, teachers indicate that very little collaboration between

curricular disciplines is happening. Teachers mentioned a project on the Holocaust

that is coordinated between the English and Social Studies departments. No

examples of PLTW collaboration with math and science teachers were mentioned.

Because all students take the middle school GTT components, there could be an

opportunity to create linkages between GTT and middle school math and science

content.

High School

It appears that little cross-curricular collaboration occurs at the high school level

beyond the curricular integration that is built into the POE/Earth Science course.

One high school teacher explained that “I’ll go over some things in math or

calculus, and students will say, yeah, we’ve done some of these in PLTW. But as

far as the teachers actually collaborating and planning, that doesn’t happen very

often. The students are seeing the connections. The students are recognizing it and

talking about it. But as far as teachers, we haven’t collaborated to the extent we

could or should.”


3. implement related school

improvement strategies 3.1 Provide Academic Support and Intervention to Enhance Student

Learning

Support for At Risk Students

PRB is served by an Area Learning Center (ALC), which is a free-standing facility

on the same campus as the school. Approximately 65 high school-age students are

enrolled at the ALC. According to the PRB website, the ALC’s mission is to provide

“at risk students an opportunity to find educational success, earn academic credit,

and prepare for the real world challenges they will soon face in a safe and

supportive environment.1” ALC students are typically those who are close to

dropping out or who already have dropped out of school. Students transfer to the

ALC to finish or re-enter school and to work toward earning a diploma. There is a

fair degree of career counseling offered at the ALC. The school counselor notes

that PRB tries to keep students enrolled in the regular school by requiring a

meeting with parents of students who want to transfer to the ALC and requiring

that parents of minors sign-off on the transfer.

As mentioned previously, students who fall behind, particularly those who are

falling behind because they are not completing their homework, are assigned to a

monitored activity called Lunch Bunch. In this daily activity, struggling students

are encouraged to finish homework and projects from other classes.

Another academic intervention offered by PRB is Scholastic’s Read 180 program.2

This program is an intensive, small group reading support activity that integrates

computer-based instruction with small group and teacher-led activities. The Read

180 program is offered to students who are identified as having learning barriers,

regardless of whether they receive special education services.

PRB also provides a Study Skills course for seventh and eighth grade students.

This course is offered for one period a day to students who are struggling

academically but are not receiving special education services. The course supports

academic catch up and skill-based activities. One of the teachers working on the

Study Skills course is an AmeriCorps participant. Finally, an after-school program

called PowerLearners helps support the academic development of struggling

seventh and eighth grade students.


Teacher Teams Address Student Needs

PRB implements some strategies to help teachers work together to ensure that

student needs do not fall through the cracks. Teachers are organized into four

dual-grade teams, fifth/sixth, seventh/eighth, ninth/10th, and 11th/12th. The teams

include core academic teachers and elective and special education teachers. Most

teams meet on a monthly basis to discuss student needs and decide on specific

interventions for certain students.

The seventh/eighth grade teacher team meets officially on a monthly basis to

discuss the academic and social needs of the 150 students in these grade levels.

Teachers often meet more often than monthly when the need arises. Teachers run

the meetings and have structured agendas. The seventh/eighth grade team is

working toward implementing a structured approach to Response to Intervention

(RTI) goals (an approach to using data to target interventions and monitor

progress). Principal Langemo and a team of three teachers participated in a special

training for RTI in November 2011.

Teachers for ninth/10th grade students are also meeting regularly, but they are not

working on an RTI approach. Students in this grade are assigned to a “Lunch

Bunch” homework/study group when they are struggling in their classes. Teachers

for 11th and 12th grade students meet the least frequently.

3.2 Prepare Students for Postsecondary and Career Success

Under this strategy of preparing students for postsecondary and career success,

there are two related, but distinct sub-strategies: Offer Career Development and

College Planning, and Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit.

3.2.1 Offer Career Development and College Planning

According to school leadership, with the high rate of poverty (approximately 70

percent) among students, there is a strong likelihood that most parents do not

have personal experience with going to college. Thus, the support and information

provided by the school counseling staff is essential to helping students aspire to

and navigate the college application and funding processes.

This contact with parents is supported by the counseling staff’s ongoing

interaction with every student. For example, each school year, the counselor meets

with every student.

In the springtime, parents or guardians of each ninth grader are invited to meet

with the student and counselor to develop a course enrollment plan and to review

the student’s identified career aspirations. There is a high level of parent

participation in these meetings, as much as 99 percent. Also at the ninth grade


level, the counseling staff offers a one-month career awareness and planning

activity that is classroom based. The counseling team also delivers career

awareness in the ninth grade as part of the students’ Health class.

Tenth grade students are taken to a career fair at a local college campus. During

the fair, regional chambers of commerce coordinate volunteers to sponsor booths

at which about 100 regional employers are represented and information about the

career opportunities they offer are shared.

At the end of 11th grade, the school counselor meets with students individually to

talk about college plans; the counselor meets again with all students in the fall of

their senior year to make sure the students are taking the appropriate steps toward

applying to college.

At the 11th and 12th grade levels, students are provided three excused absences

each year to allow for college visits. Additionally, the counseling team arranges

group tours of colleges in the region.

Students also are required to take a careers class prior to graduation. Because of

scheduling constraints, students typically do not enroll in this course until their

senior year. The instructor uses a career-interest software system (National Career

Information System, or NCIS) that allows students to take personal interest and

aptitude assessments and create a career profile. The course includes a good deal

of self-reflection on students’ skill sets and the process of transitioning into

adulthood.

In addition to the in-school activities, PRB instructors provide some out-of-school

opportunities as well.

For example, the Bridges Career Program hosts an annual career day in Brainard

that is cosponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce and held at the Central

Lakes College. At this event, students learn about career clusters and the

availability of jobs within each of the clusters. This is a voluntary event, but most

students participate.

Kyle Bergen, who teaches several business-related courses at PRB, has organized

an e-mentoring initiative as part of his careers course for seniors. The mentoring

experience is part of the careers/personal finance class. Bergen explained, “We’re

trying to get them a plan for post high school; so many of them haven’t put much

thought into it yet.” PRB has a partnership with Best Prep, a nonprofit in

Minnesota that connects the PRB business students with corporate partners. The

partners and students communicate weekly over a period of eight weeks on

career-related topics. For example, during one week students worked on an

“elevator speech” to express their skills and attributes. Another topic was the use


of technology in the workplace. Bergen and the students travelled to the Twin

Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota), where they met their e-mentors who

work at the operations center that manages information technology services

worldwide for the United Health Group. At the visit, each student met the person

with whom they were partnered.

Bergen is also starting a chapter of Future Business Professionals of America at

PRB. The organization offers about 60 events to help develop professional skills,

and Bergen plans to integrate these skills into the accounting class. Nine current

accounting students plan to participate in the new group. Students must pay fees

to join and participate in outside competitive events.

The school’s counselor Ms. Sigan expresses continuing concern about the lack of

interest in STEM careers. She meets with each student individually and keeps

handwritten notes from each student interview, but she has not compiled or

aggregated student careers aspirations.

3.2.2 Offer Opportunity to Earn College Credit

Central Lakes College Outreach Center

In 2011, PRB opened a new facility in cooperation with Central Lakes College. The

entity is called the Central Lakes College Outreach Center. According to a press

statement about the center, “the goal of the training is to strengthen local business

skills, improve efficiency at small businesses and prepare future students to return

to college.”

Through agreements with Central Lakes and Southwest State University (Marshall

University), the outreach center offers approximately 20–30 dual-credit courses

through the College in School (CIS) program. PRB pays for students to enroll in

courses, and successful students receive dual credit on their college transcripts.

The CIS programs are taught by PRB teachers who are under the mentorship of a

college instructor for the content area in which they are teaching. There are also a

few online courses that are taught strictly by a college professor. Students can use

the school’s media center to participate in those classes.

In the early months of the center’s existence, local residents were invited to take

courses on the use of computer software programs like Word, Excel, and

PowerPoint. In the spring of 2012, another course, Introduction to Manufacturing,

is scheduled to be offered. A special scholarship fund will defray 50 percent of the

tuition for this two-credit class.

About 20 students, or approximately one-third of seniors, at PRB have enrolled in

CIS courses. The typical PRB student that takes CIS courses will enroll in college


already having reached sophomore status (having already earned about 15 college

credits). Students can earn as few as three to as many as 30 college credits. PRB

does not currently offer any Advanced Placement courses and has instead moved

in the direction of CIS courses in offering students more opportunities to

accelerate their college preparation.

3.3 Focus on Professional Development, Growth, and Collaboration

In the fall of 2011, Superintendent Bettino launched an initiative to help teachers

and staff better understand the “culture of poverty” in which many students live.

The school has solicited professional development from a coach certified with the

work of Ruby Payne; this coach provided two days of professional development in

August 2011.

Following this required training, two professional learning communities (PLCs; one

for high school and one for elementary) were formed, on a voluntary basis, to

allow teachers and staff to further study the issue and to develop strategies to

address or ameliorate students issues related to poverty in their home lives.

Superintendent Bettino indicates that “both teams are very productive and excited

about the work they are doing.”

Bettino said that the primary instructional goal now is to ensure that local

curriculum is aligned with state content standards and that achieving this goal

requires a good deal of curriculum mapping. She states that with the new

emphasis on facing the “culture of poverty,” there is also a great need for

“differentiation of instruction.” In particular, many students need to be explicitly

taught organizational strategies that they may not have learned at home.

PRB received a technology integration grant that is managed by a technology

integration specialist. During the grant period, which covered 2009 and 2010, the

school received SMART Boards, and staff were trained on how to use them. One

teacher notes how the technology integration specialist has helped other teachers

learn to use the SMART boards, digital cameras, and software like iMovie. The

teacher explained that for him, there are no “stupid questions.”

School Leadership Team

Based on an initiative in the early 2000s, the school created a leadership team

made up of members elected by their peers from each department. The leadership

team meets on Wednesday mornings two times a month, and the meetings follow

a flexible agenda that is suggested by the principal. The main purpose of the

leadership team is to communicate with and provide feedback to the

administration—to act as a liaison between staff and the administration.


Teacher Professional Development

Each year, teachers at PRB are expected to develop personal professional

development plans and goals, which are overseen by the school principals. Each

goal must be tied to data, and progress on the goal is monitored over time.

Teachers may request support and/or training opportunities to help them

implement their professional development plans.

Teachers receive professional development through several means. For example,

in addition to the PLC focused on the “culture of poverty” mentioned earlier,

another PLC is focused on instructional differentiation. Participation in the PLCs is

voluntary. They were formed in September 2011 and meet on a monthly basis.

3.4 Use Data to Make Instructional Decisions

PRB has access to a large amount of diagnostic data through the school’s data

warehouse called Viewpoint. Viewpoint is a longitudinal database that includes all

standardized assessments, including standardized diagnostic assessments

(procured through an arrangement with the Northwest Evaluation Association) as

well as Minnesota statewide summative assessments. Teachers have obtained

extensive training in the use of the data. A second source of data is an information

system called Skyword that teachers use on a daily basis. This data tool includes

school-based data such as attendance and class grades.

Part iii. data and next steps Performance Data

To measure student achievement and to meet the requirements of No Child Left

Behind, Minnesota students are required to take the Minnesota Comprehensive

Assessments, either Series II (MCA-II) or III (MCA-III). Students take the math MCA-

III test in grades three through eight and the math MCA-II test in grade eleven. (The

MCA-II tests measure progress towards proficiency on the 2003 Minnesota K-12

standards and the MCA-III tests measure progress towards proficiency on the 2007

Minnesota K-12 math standards.) Students take the reading MCA-II tests in grades

three through eight and in grade 10. The science MCA-II test is administered in

grades five, eight, and in high school after a student completes a life science

course.

The charts below show the percentage of students scoring proficient or higher on

the MCA-II tests and MCA-III test. (Data was accessed from the Minnesota

Department of Education’s data website:

http://education.state.mn.us/MDEAnalytics/Reports.jsp. Data was accessed on May 3,

2011. Graduation rate data was not available.)


The math MCA-III is now administered to eighth grade students to measure the

2007 Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards for Mathematics. Therefore, there is not

data available beyond 2010 for the eighth grade MCA-II results. On the 2011 math

MCA-III, 45 percent of PRB eighth grade students scored proficient or higher.

Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Math MCA-II

45%

56%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2009 2010

Year

Per

cen

tag

e o

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Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Reading MCA-II

63%68%

51%

01020304050607080

2009 2010 2011

Year

Per

cen

tag

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f S

tud

ents


Percentage of 8th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Science MCA-II

26%

38%43%

0

10

20

30

40

50

2009 2010 2011

Year

Per

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Percentage of 11th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Math MCA-II

24%25%

34%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2009 2010 2011

Year

Per

cen

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ents

Percentage of 10th Grade Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Reading MCA-II

73%75%72%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2009 2010 2011

Year

Per

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Pine River-Backus’s Next Steps

In thinking about the future of PLTW, PRB’s teachers emphasize that they’re

“holding tight” during this tight budget time, trying to keep what they have

already implemented and making sure the quality of programming is good.

In terms of specific next steps, one teacher said he would like to get some up-to-

date training in the Inventor program because it keeps being upgraded annually.

Another teacher talked about getting the 2011 POE standards implemented.

In terms of new PLTW courses, teachers seemed to agree with the statement, “I

don’t see us implementing other programs; it may not be feasible.”

Principal Langemo said that his goal is to “maintain, increase, improve and

strengthen implementation” of the PLTW effort. Superintendent Bettino indicated

that as a district, Pine River-Backus “must continue to tweak the program based on

students’ needs and interests and always tempered with budgeting limitations. I

think we would all like to see increased interests in the STEM areas and applied

curriculum that motivates students. We will need to continue to see the

enthusiasm and positive impact to continue funding this program. Both the

training and the technology are very expensive.” She noted that new grants would

be welcome to help maintain the “unusually expensive program.”

# # #

Percentage of Students Who Scored Proficient or Higher on the Science MCA-II*

31%31%

26%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2009 2010 2011

Year

Per

cen

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tud

ents

*Students take the high school science MCA-II after completing a life science

course.


The site visit was conducted on November 30 – December 1, 2011. This case study

was written by Hans Meeder and Michelle Hebert-Giffen of the Meeder Consulting

Group. Site visit coordination and follow up was provided by Cathy Bettino,

District Superintendent; Trent Langemo, Principal of Pine River-Backus High

School; and Mary Ruth Sigan, counselor at Pine River-Backus High School.

Published June 2012. All case studies and affiliated reports for the STEM Schools

Project can be found at http://www.meederconsulting.com. © 2012, Meeder

Consulting Group, LLC.

Endnotes 1 See https://sites.google.com/a/prbschools.org/prb-alc/ (accessed April 30, 2012). 2 Read 180 is a Scholastic program. According to the Read 180 website, “READ 180 is a

comprehensive system of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional

development proven to raise reading achievement for struggling readers in grades 4–12+.

Designed for any student reading two or more years below grade-level, READ 180

leverages adaptive technology to individualize instruction for students and provide

powerful data for differentiation to teachers.”

See http://read180.scholastic.com/reading-intervention-program (accessed May 1, 2012).

Documents

CASE STUDY: PINE RIVER-BACKUS SCHOOL