Preparing Students for Careers That Do Not Yet Exist

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), as a self-described teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry, has a history of pursuing innovations closely aligned with the vision and framework of the National Science Education Standards. Innovations include both methods and materials for inquiry-based student instruction as well as for delivering professional development for pre-service and practicing teachers. Instructional innovations described include yearlong student inquiry and research projects (SIR), self-paced physics instruction, student-driven energy and engineering projects, instruction in innovation and entrepreneurialism, and a host of student-led outreach activities to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds of students through- out Illinois and beyond. Highlighted practices for improving the effectiveness of current STEM teachers as well as training and inspiring prospective STEM teachers included IMSA\u27s Teacher Candidate Institutes, Golden Apple Scholars and signature programs of Problem-Based Learning and IMSA FUSION

DigitalCommons Report: 2013 Board of Directors

“We will generate scholarship that discovers, integrates, applies and demonstrates the effectiveness of our practices and transfers knowledge produced by our work

Discovering and Developing Diverse STEM Talent: Enabling Academically Talented Urban Youth to Flourish

The Growing Excellence Gap in K-12 Education, Plucker, Burroughs, and Song (2010) provided compelling evidence that the presence of an excellence gap is demonstrated on both national and state assessments of student performance, with economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and historically underprivileged minorities representing a smaller proportion of students scoring at the highest levels of achievement (p. 28). Three case stories of students from IMSA illuminate some of the (a) challenges and opportunities inherent in igniting STEM talent in urban youth and ensuring their success; (b) principles for designing and creating learning experiences and environments that ignite and nurture the development of creative, ethical scientific minds (IMSA, 2009); and (c) institutional lessons that have become clear to us after more than two decades of developing diverse STEM talent

Fe, Co and Ni Adatoms Adsorbed on Silicene: A DFT Study

Two-dimensional materials have attracted much research attention given their intriguing properties. The latest member of this class of materials is silicene. In this work, we investigate the adsorption of Fe, Co and Ni adatoms on silicene using plane-wave density functional theory calculations within the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof parameterization of the generalized gradient approximation for the exchange-correlation potential. In particular, we calculate the binding energy, magnetization, and projected electronic configurations of these adatoms adsorbed at different sites on the silicene. Our calculations show that the hole site (i.e. in the centre of a hexagonal-like arrangement of Si atoms) is the most stable configuration for all three elements. The Fe, Co and Ni adatoms were found to bind very strongly to the silicene, between 4-6 times stronger compared to their binding strength when adsorbed on graphene. Like graphene, wefindthat the Ni adatom binds strongest. We alsofindthat the binding strength is inversely proportional to the distance between the metal adatom and a Si atom in the silicene sheet. Our work suggests that these adatoms are stable on silicene and have potential to be used in applications such as spintronics and topological insulators

Effective Legislative Advocacy

Fighting for state funding for educating the gifted and talented is an annual battle in our great state. It is time for all of us to work smarter (and harder) to develop a statewide advocacy campaign. Participants in this session will learn from experienced advocates how to work effectively with state legislators and other key policy makers to develop long-term relationships and compelling messages that will resonate in our communities and our Capitol

Extreme Math Makeover: Mathematics Assessment and Reporting in the Era of the Common Core Standards

This presentation discusses the need to develop high quality performance based assessments of the Common Core Mathematical Standards and Mathematical Practices. Several examples of performance assessments from high achieving countries as well as from the 2009 PISA test are included

Dr. Glenn Max McGee

Dr. Max McGee served as IMSA’s president from 2007 to 2013. He first learned about IMSA when he was state superintendent of Illinois public schools from 1998 to 2001. While superintendent of the Wilmette School District he was asked to participate in IMSA’s strategic planning process in 2006-07. The mission statement struck a chord for him and when Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall decided to step down as IMSA’s president, he jumped at the opportunity to step into that role. As president, Dr. McGee worked to implement the new strategic vision. He saw the opportunity to expand IMSA’s role across the state through outreach efforts. These included summer programming and field offices in East St. Louis, Rock Island, and Chicago. They offered learning opportunities for both students and teachers across the state. In admissions, Dr. McGee sought to diversify the student body and shift focus from test scores to a more holistic approach, recognizing that students at under-resourced schools had great potential but fewer opportunities that prepared them to do well on tests. Having been state superintendent, Dr. McGee brought a familiarity with state legislators to his work at IMSA. This helped his efforts to advocate for IMSA’s funding. He brought legislators to campus and brought students to Springfield to testify on IMSA’s behalf. Despite the state’s fiscal challenges during these years, IMSA secured budget increases that Dr. McGee credits to the students’ advocacy. One of the most rewarding aspects of his time at IMSA was seeing students live the mission statement to “ignite and nurture creative, ethical scientific minds that advance the human condition.” He recalls students concerned not only about their academic success, but about their contributions and social impact. After leaving IMSA, Dr. McGee established the Princeton International School of Math and Science, which was in many ways modeled on IMSA. In 2014 he became superintendent of the school district in Palo Alto, California. He currently works as a consultant in education and he and his wife, Jan Fitzsimmons, founded and continue to support the Center for Success in High Needs Schools. Interviewer: Sara Goek. Duration: 39:58https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/oral_histories/1038/thumbnail.jp

The Case

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) was created by the State of Illinois to develop talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. IMSA enrolls a diverse pool of academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. It also serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs designed to foster imagination and inquiry (see www.imsa.edu)