Dart Foundation - In the News

Robot High: Kids Excelling in Math, Science Thrive at Academy — New Williamston curriculum offers special, and welcomed, challenges

by Kathryn Prater/Lansing State Journal

WILLIAMSTON – Adrienne Watts and Lauren Hurlburt sat on the floor of their Williamston High School classroom earlier this month, trying to figure out how to program a robot to move forward in a straight line.

The 14-year-olds built the robot out of Lego-like materials and eventually will use computer programming software to instruct the robot to use its wheels to roll up to a box, grab the box with a pair of claws and transport it elsewhere.

Adrienne and Lauren are among 26 freshmen selected - based on their aptitude for math and science - to enroll in a new math and science academy. Williamston launched the academy this school year to offer advanced, fast-paced classes as part of a growing trend in education.

"We wanted to find a way to frankly challenge our more accelerated students," said Randy Bowles, the high school's principal and athletic director.

Students attend classes at the "school within a school" for the first two hours of the school day, he said. This year's freshmen are taking technology, biology and advanced algebra, and next year's sophomores will take advanced technology, chemistry and advanced Algebra II.

"With the push of the economy and how everything is moving to high-tech, that's where the jobs are," academy biology teacher Jim Preston said. "We want them to be able to compete at national levels. We're just trying to give them a leg up on the competition."

Students tend to do better in school when enrolled in classes that "connect real-world applications to what kids are learning," said Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education.

"Relevance is a very important factor in education, and the more relevant you can make learning, the more kids will be interested," she said. "Kids can relate to it and understand different things. They can use it instead of talking about hypotheticals."

Rod Sanford/Lansing State Journal

Robot project:Freshmen Lauren Hurlburt (left) and Adrienne Watts work recently on programming the robot they built together at Williamston High School's math and science academy. They are among 26 freshmen selected for the new "school within a school."

'A raving success'

Williamston's academy received 46 applications this school year, Bowles said. He and the academy's three teachers selected students based on achievement data, essays, recommendations and scores from entrance exams the school administered. They plan to accept 26 new freshmen each year.

"I think it's been a raving success," he said.

The 680-student high school built 10 new math and science classrooms as part of a $24 million districtwide building project, Bowles said.

The school also received a $20,000 grant from the Dart Foundation in Mason and a $50,000 donation from Omega Farms in Williamston, he said. That money is earmarked for academy needs, such as equipment, materials, competitions and summer field trips. The school already purchased 26 laptops for the academy.

"You get to go into advanced classes that challenge you instead of just floating along - it gets boring," said Georgia Bayerl, 14.

"I've always been really math and science minded, and I've always been a good student. So when I found out we had a program for people who were really serious about math and science and didn't want to joke around, then I thought it would be a good place for me."

Rod Sanford/Lansing State Journal

Class work: Freshmen Michael Robinson (left) and Laris Davenport work on a program called "Alice" at the academy.

More planned

Although it's still in the planning stages, academy leaders hope to start an individualized research program for academy juniors and seniors, Preston said.

Students would research a subject area of their choice, present their findings at a symposium and submit articles for publication in scientific journals, he said. The program also could pair students with mentors in their research fields or help them find relevant internships.

"To have a high school kid published is a major accomplishment, which leads to scholarship offers, admissions to those elite universities," Preston said.

Lansing State Journal

It's moving: Freshman Gus Grace watches as the robot he built with classmate Katie Bollman "walks" at the math and science academy, which was launched this school year.

Magnet schools going strong in Lansing; increasing across U.S.

Williamston isn't the only local district offering programs for students who excel in math and science.

The Lansing School District offers the tri-county area's only official math and science magnet schools, according to the state. It also offers magnet programs within existing schools.

"You're able to provide parents with a choice that's actually meeting their kids' interest areas," said Mark Mayes, spokesman for Lansing's Office of Magnet Schools and Programs. "The program overall has been exceptionally successful as far as attracting students to the district. We keep increasing every year as far as the number of applications we're getting and breaking records every year."

Sexton High School, Dwight Rich Middle School and Woodcreek Elementary School emphasize math, science and engineering.

Lansing's six magnet elementary schools and five middle and high school programs enrolled 3,578 kids this school year, up nearly 13 percent over last year's 3,169, he said.

The state defines a magnet school as an entire school designed to focus on a particular theme.

And the number of magnet schools is increasing across the country. Almost 2,300 magnet schools operated during the 2006-07 school year, a jump from about 1,700 magnet schools five years earlier, according to Washington, D.C.-based National Center for Education Statistics.

Although Williamston's academy isn't an official magnet school by the federal government, it aims for a similar goal - to challenge gifted students.

"Students need to be engaged and challenged throughout their high school career," said Jan Ellis, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Education "Twenty percent of students who drop out are actually gifted and talented, and they drop out in part because they're bored and not engaged."

Lansing opened its first magnet programs in 2001 when it received a $6.4 million three-year grant from the federal Magnet Schools Assistance program, Mayes said. It started additional programs in 2005 and 2007, after getting $8.8 million and $6.7 million grants, respectively.