St. Laurence First Illinois School to Earn Advanced Certification in STEM

BURBANK, IL -- Adding to its arsenal of resources as it prepares for transitioning to a co-ed Catholic high school, St. Laurence became the first Illinois school to earn advanced certification in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

The AdvancED STEM certification is a mark of STEM distinction and excellence only offered to educational institutions as a path to success. The certification is the first internationally recognized mark of quality for STEM schools and programs, signaling the growing emphasis placed on STEM education by educators, politicians and business leaders around the world.

To earn the STEM certification, St. Laurence had to demonstrate adherence to the AdvancED STEM Standard as reflected by the school’s performance across 11 rigorous STEM Indicators. The certification process provides a rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement process, supported by research-based tools and resources. Achieving high scores across the indicators certify that students have been equipped and trained to be innovative, creative and systematic problem-solvers across disciplines.

“We are proud to be an AdvancED STEM Certified School. This certification exhibits St. Laurence’s commitment to addressing workforce needs by preparing our students with the relevant skills and experiences to succeed while demonstrating to the private-sector that we are committed to driving higher levels of student achievement for their STEM pipeline,” St. Laurence President Joseph Martinez said in a news relese. “STEM certification will continue to uphold our school to high standards while providing a clear roadmap for us to continuously improve our STEM disciplines and program.”

Reviewers examined St. Laurence’s evidence of quality STEM education that the school provided to the review team beforehand, and conducted classroom observations focused on identifying student engagement and collaboration Reviewers also looked at how the school connected STEM experiences in the classroom to the local community and the world at large.

Since St. Laurence implemented STEM curriculum five years ago, students’ average ACT scores have increased by an average of 2.4 points since 2013. Across all grades and academic programs, average national percentiles for standardized tests have witnessed an increase over students’ years at St. Laurence.

The Class of 2017, the first class to fully go through the STEM program in their entire four years, specifically has seen a 22 percent increase in national percentiles for standardized testing.

St. Laurence will be accepting female transfer students, who will be sophomores, juniors and seniors during the 2017-18 school year. Visit St. Laurence Coed Transition for more information on the coed transition. Prospective students can also learn by visiting the school website. St. Laurence High School is located at 5556 West 77th Street, Burbank.