Inside:

5 | STEM and the Future of California Curriculum

6 | Implementing STEM in Our Facilities

2015 Spring/Summer

PersonalizedLearning

Milpitas Unified School District Learning Centers

School News | 2015 Spring/Summer

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Milpitas Unified School District serves

approximately 10,000 kindergarten

through grade 12 students in 9

elementary schools, 2 middle schools,

1 comprehensive high school and 1

continuation high school. Located on

the edge of Silicon Valley, this very

diverse district serves students who

speak nearly 50 different languages.

The overall API index for the district

is 831, 9 of its 12 eligible schools

score over 800 and 7 of the schools

have been selected as California

Distinguished Schools.

Driving Educational Change

We understood that students

and parents had higher goals for

themselves so we have spent a lot

of time asking ourselves how to best

facilitate improved student learning

outcomes. Adjusting the approach

to teaching and learning was the

answer. And when thinking about

how to make those adjustments, we

started considering the role facilities

could play. And we realized that our

facilities would need to change if we

were going to change the mindset and

the paradigms.

Teaching and Learning Has

Changed – And Will Continue

Recognizing that the factory model

of teaching was not unlocking each

student’s full potential, I began to

work with my staff to seek out ways

to do that—to meet each student

where he/she is as an individual in

order to more fully engage all of them

in their learning. The literature on the

subject may refer to this as blended or

differentiated learning, but I prefer the

term personalized learning because it’s

a more accurate reflection of what we

are really trying to accomplish.

We wanted to experiment with different

models that would allow flexible use

of time, space and groupings of

students. We realized that the typical,

existing classroom does not support

the kind of flexibility needed to truly

focus on the Four Cs—Collaboration,

Communication, Creativity and Critical

Thinking—the skills that students

will need as they matriculate into the

workforce.

How to Make Meaningful Change –

With Limited Funds

The district passed a $95 M general

obligation bond in 2012 to fund facilities

improvements throughout the district.

But after spreading those dollars

around to all the district schools, it

quickly became clear that it was far

from enough money to make all the

improvements desired at our 45 –

60-year-old facilities. So how do we

accomplish these changes when the

need to repair or replace so many

basic systems were competing for that

funding?

Setting Aside Money to Start Pilot

Projects

At each school site, we set aside a

relatively small amount of money—

about $500,000 in construction cost—

to create a Learning Center. We asked

our architects to engage with us and

to look for creative ways to repurpose

space within our existing buildings in

Personalized Learning P//03

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STEM and the Future of California CurriculumPage 5

Implementing STEM in Our FacilitiesPage 6

Investing in our Future LeadersPage 8

PersonalizedLearning

order to accommodate students in a

variety of learning opportunities.

Since each of our existing school

sites has different existing conditions

and physical constraints as well as

principals and faculty, no two solutions

were the same: one combined and

redesigned two existing kindergarten

classrooms; one relocated the

faculty work and lunch rooms in

order to create a single large space

in a prominent campus location; and

another took over an outdated media

storage room, a computer lab and

some no-longer-needed circulation

space.

The architects employed lighting and

colorful paint and finish materials to

help differentiate the spaces from

traditional classrooms, along with

folding or sliding glass partitions and/

or roll-up garage doors in order to

allow easy reconfiguration of them

into smaller, quieter spaces when

needed.

Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

“Cary MatsuokaSuperintendent, MilpitasUnified School District

BY //Lee SalinPrincipal, HMC Architects

Blog.hmcarchitects.com/schoolnews/

We Had Many Goals in Mind

Among the most important goals was

the desire to empower the students—

to give them some autonomy over

how they configure their environment.

We decided early on that easily

moveable furniture was critical to

supporting this kind of change and

engaged a furniture vendor to provide

us with a variety of furniture types to

test out before investing significant

funds in any one type of furniture.

The employment of technology is

another cost-effective method we

used to initiate this kind of significant

change. Learning online is easily

personalized. These rooms have

Chromebooks on carts, secure rooms

in which to store them when not in

use and plenty of charging stations in

addition to plentiful Wi-Fi access.

All students spend at least part of

their day in the Learning Center, often

interacting with students of other ages

and grade levels.

One Learning Center director can

work with a large group, the entire

first grade, for example, freeing those

teachers to engage with one another

in the evaluation of student work and

the lesson planning needed to address

the specific needs of those who are

Schools, kindergarten through grade

12 (CA NGSS). And on November 13,

2014, the SBE adopted the CA NGSS

Implementation Plan which indicates

in its executive summary, “The CA

NGSS presents a once in a generation

opportunity for the California Department

of Education (CDE), Local Educational

Agencies (LEAs) and community

stakeholders to reset science education

to more effectively prepare all our

students with the knowledge and skills

they need to understand and shape our

increasingly technology-driven world.”

Further, the CA NGSS indicates that this,

“…will begin the important and well-

anticipated process of updating school

curriculum and equipment to match

the latest scientific knowledge and

technology. More significant and difficult

work will be needed to take teaching

and learning into areas that are new

and unfamiliar to many educators and

students; from incorporating science and

engineering practices into instruction to

using project-based learning and other

instructional strategies. The challenges of

integrating these strategies throughout all

grade levels and merging learning across

multiple subjects and disciplines will

create unique opportunities for teaching

and learning throughout California.”

I believe this provides an opportunity

Why is STEM so important in

California?

In the 2009 report, The Institute for

Higher Education Leadership and

Policy determined STEM jobs are

vital to the California economy, but

a shortage of skilled workers may

decrease the state’s strength in

STEM fields. Employment demand

in STEM fields is growing faster than

employment demand in non-STEM

fields, and the supply of STEM-

educated workers is not keeping

pace with demand.

By teaching students applied, critical

thinking skills, we can prepare them

for college and the workforce to meet

the employment demands, including

the STEM fields that are so important

to our California economy.

not making adequate progress—and also

those who are advancing quickly.

And these spaces are flexible. Every

day teachers are using them in new

ways, continually updating their lesson

plans and trying new things as they see

the variety of settings—and variety of

opportunities—that are possible.

The Results:

Effects on Student Learning

We have seen how these new spaces

have enhanced learning, and the

benefits are notable. The level of good,

meaningful student engagement has

risen. Students are on task about 95

percent of the time they are in the

Learning Center, and they are actively

participating in their work, not just acting

as though they are.

With the addition of ready access to

technology, students are able to progress

at their own pace. Teachers have more

time to spend with small groups of

students for more targeted instruction

and mentoring.

Students engage in multiple kinds of

activities in a variety of group sizes:

individual work on Chromebooks, small

group instruction with a teacher or an

aide, and large group, hands-on, STEM

project-based activities are all possible

within these new spaces. This improves

the likelihood that students will engage in

their preferred learning style for at least

some portion of the school day.

There has been a reduction in the need

for disciplinary actions. The number

of suspensions has dropped to zero

because students are empowered and

engaged in their own learning. And

students from multiple age groups have

begun to work with, learn from and

respect one another.

Our faculty and site administrators are

excited by the success of these pilot

projects and are now asking, “What’s

next? What else can we do to improve

student learning?” That in itself is a big

achievement.

And our parents are excited too.

We hold our parent and community

meetings in these spaces and people

can sense that something new and

different is going on here. They are

pleased and proud to have their children

be a part of this.

Advice for Others Who Want to

Move in this Direction

Don’t build new buildings just to get

more buildings. The superintendent

or assistant superintendent of

instruction needs to lead the charge

for change—without dictating

exactly what the change should be.

Use the facilities master planning

process as an opportunity to engage

with principals and teachers, to

encourage them to rethink their

teaching and learning methods to

make them more personalized and

attuned to individual student needs.

Include visioning sessions before

the design begins to define the

goals and outcomes. Then select

those teachers most committed to

advancing learning to participate

in the design effort of your new

facilities. But first and foremost, do

your best to have empathy for the

students—put yourself in their shoes.

There is no doubt that school

reform is a political campaign. It

does not happen overnight. Goals

need to be broadly communicated

and strategically driven with all

stakeholders. It’s working in

Milpitas because, in addition to

our pedagogical homework, we

have also done our marketing and

communications homework.

You can reach Superintendent

Matsuoka at cmatsuoka@musd.org

As the former Division Director at

California Department of Education

(CDE) for more than 10 years,

Kathleen Moore brings expertise

and experience to a wide range of

issues and projects affecting school

districts. She is a leader in related

areas, including legislative advocacy,

facilities and leadership development.

Prior to CDE, Kathleen was with the

Elk Grove Unified School District

serving as the director of facilities

planning for more than 14 years,

assisting with the building of more

than a dozen new schools as well as

modernizations throughout the Elk

Grove Unified School District. She

has been the Chair of the Coalition

for Adequate School Housing

(C.A.S.H.) organization and, recently,

a member of the State Allocation

Board (SAB) and continues to be

a resource throughout the state on

facilities. I spoke with Kathleen about

STEM, how the built environment can

best support STEM learning and the

future of California curriculum.

What is new in the STEM

curriculum world?

On September 4, 2013, the State

Board of Education (SBE) adopted

the Next Generation Science

Standards for California Public

for school facility planners to review

existing schools and determine if they

are able and equipped to deliver NGSS

through project-based learning and

other instructional methods.

How do you see the built

environment supporting STEM?

Do we already have all that we

need on existing sites?

We already know that physical

characteristics such as layout, noise,

temperature, lighting and air quality

influence students’ and teachers’

performance. This is true for STEM as

it is for other program areas. Today,

lab and maker spaces, when designed

to meet thoughtful educational

specifications, can be powerful

environments for project-based and

experiential learning.

There is a “once in a generation”

opportunity to remake existing spaces

to support STEM academies and

Common Core. We can rethink how

the spaces support programs. Are

they adaptable? Do they provide for

extended learning areas, accommodate

a variety of furniture, include adequate

charging stations for access to devices

and provide safe storage? Are they

flexible enough for a variety of uses

during a single school day?

School News | 2015 Spring/SummerP//04

STEM andthe Future ofCalifornia Curriculum

Alex ParslowSr. Vice President, Pre-K–12 Education, HMC Architects

BY //

STEM and the Future of California Curriculum P//05

Before After

A conversation with Kathleen Moore,Former Division Director, California Department of Education

For more information contact

Kathleen Moore at kathleen@

kathleenmooreassociates.com

C.A.S.H. Award of

Honor

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2

5

7

8

3

6

1/ Specific learning space2/ Large Collaboration space3/ Connectivity to outdoors4/ Outdoor learning area5/ Wall space6/ Small group meeting area7/ Medium collaboration space8/ Dreamlab / maker space

P//07School News | 2015 Spring/SummerP//06 Implementing STEM in our Facilities

Stephanie BakerDeputy Superintendent-Educational Services, Pomona Unified School District

BY //Kevin WilkesonPrincipal, HMC Architects

bring relevant and innovative curriculum,

community and facilities together in a

way that meets current—and anticipates

future—learning needs.

Pomona Unified School District (PUSD)

embraces STEM education as early as

preschool. STEM represents not only the

future of instruction, but also the future

careers of many, if not most of today’s

students. With the belief that careers will

revolve around STEM in nearly every facet,

STEM education therefore continues to be

While Common Core is redefining

how learning in the classroom takes

place, funding is changing how

educational policy is implemented. The

responsibilities at the local level have

never been greater. PUSD has been

focused on STEM development and

application for years, as in practice

at Palomares Academy, and the new

State Standards and local control

funding has presented all districts with

the opportunity to integrate STEM into

its curriculum deeper than ever before.

This is the time to implement policy,

practices and programs as well as

enhance facilities in ways that engage

all stakeholders and ensure sustainable

results.

The types of flexible learning spaces

suitable for accommodating the

variety of activities can and should

look different than today’s 960 square

foot classroom. While there is certainly

flexibility that can be gleaned from using

traditional classroom spaces in a more

innovative manner through modern

furnishings and technology, there is

a need for a variety of spaces where

students can work in groups that range

in size from 2 to an entire grade level.

There is also a need to transform many

traditional classrooms into “project”

spaces, where students can build

things that can remain in progress for a

period of time. This project space can

spill over into the outdoor environment

as well. And perhaps this project-based

approach will require that the teachers

move around to where the students are

working, as opposed to the other way

around.

Wi-Fi access, modern teaching tools

and state-of-the-art computer and

science labs must be made available to

classrooms across the state to ensure

equitable access for all students. In

large part, this will be possible due

to the Local Control Accountability

Plan (LCAP) requirement within the

Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF),

as districts can now allocate funds for

capital improvement projects that benefit

students and learning.

This paradigm shift is a landmark

moment for districts to mold our students

into the critical thinkers our future will

demand, capable of communicating and

collaborating in ways we cannot foresee

in order to solve the problems we cannot

yet even imagine.

For more information contact

Stephanie Baker at

stephanie.baker@pusd.org

Education in California is at a

crossroads. This presents California

school districts with a unique

opportunity to customize student

education to meet the needs of their

surrounding community and to better

prepare students for work and life in

the 21st century. With the adoption

and implementation of Common Core

State Standards that began in 2010,

the nature of teaching and learning

is shifting to meet the demands and

opportunities. There is more focus on

deeper learning and the development

of students’ critical thinking skills that

go beyond simply teaching to a test

or memorizing basic information,

but rather helping students to tackle

a problem from the inside out,

regardless of its context.

Common Core focuses primarily

on English language arts and

mathematics and, through the new

Next Generation Science Standards,

provides additional reasoning for

reinforcing science, technology,

engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The knowledge and understanding

of all of these subjects will be critical

to students’ success as they move

into the workforce. The challenge for

school districts and their partners is to

a central focus in curriculum development.

PUSD’s goal is to integrate STEM

education into every grade and every

subject taught, keeping students focused

on new and emerging trends while

simultaneously grounding them through

real-world application of what they have

learned through the learning tools provided

and the spaces created. The focus is

on Critical Thinking, Communication,

Collaboration, and Creativity (the 4Cs)

that will prepare students for whatever

opportunities will come their way.

Implementing STEMin our Facilities

// Include instruction staff in planning and design

// Update or create a district technology master plan

// Adjacencies for cross subject integration

// Classrooms and spaces that support a variety of activities

// Collaboration areas—for students and for faculty/staff

// Connectivity inside and outside for a variety of technology devices

// Mobile student presentation spaces/equipment

STEM Impactson Facilities

// Mobile teacher workspaces/equipment

// Movable furniture—with no cords/wires

// Floor and counter space for projects such as robotics

// Display areas for student work (shelves, bulletin boards, etc.)

// Storage space for student projects and supplies

// Appropriate lighting// Access to sinks and water in

learning spaces// Appropriate ventilation// Easy access to power and data

The HMC Designing Futures Foundation Supports STEM Education in CaliforniaIn 2009, HMC Architects established the Designing Futures Foundation (DFF), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), to give back to our communities. To date, the DFF has awarded more than $500,000 to nonprofits and schools as well as direct STEM education scholarships to students.

HMC’s STEM Community PartnersYWCA TechGYRLS, Silicon ValleyTechGYRLS engages girls in San Jose USD to explore and gain confidence in STEM. The initiative promotes creativity and innovation, critical thinking, collaboration and communication through hands-on projects including robotics and coding. Students participate in engineering/design challenges and in the Young Makers program.

Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART), FresnoCART is a Linked Learning Initiative that provides students in Clovis and Fresno USD opportunities to learn real world skills in a state-of-the-art research and technology facility. CART students design and complete projects within four career clusters in collaboration with partners from the local, national and international business community.

DIY Girls, Los Angeles“Explore, Make and Innovate,” is DIY Girls’ motto. DIY (“Do-It-Yourself”) Girls’ mission is to increase girls’ interest and success in technology, engineering and making through innovative educational experiences and mentor relationships. DIY Girls has served more than 400 5th-12th-grade girls in the LAUSD.

USS Midway MuseumMidway University was founded in partnership with San Diego’s 42 local school districts. Now serving approximately 50,000 local 2nd-8th-grade students annually, Midway University complements and extends the California science and math curriculum by providing a unique hands-on learning environment aboard the USS Midway. K-12, High School and College School Partnerships HMC and the DFF partner with local schools throughout California to provide a range of opportunities that advance student learning such as field trips, career day events, design/architecture charrettes, classroom presentations and hands-on projects. Recent school partnerships include: Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design, Curtner Elementary School, Palomares Academy of Health Sciences, Vista Del Valle Elementary School, Vineyard STEM School, South Gate High School Math, Science and Engineering Academy, Santiago High School, Competitive Edge Charter, Eisenhower High School, McKinley Elementary School, Norco College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly Pomona and Harvey Mudd College. The DFF also supports college access initiatives including Bright Prospect in Pomona USD and Promise Scholars in Ontario-Montclair SD.

Contact Adrienne Luce, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and President, HMC Designing Futures Foundation at adrienne.luce@hmcarchitects.com

Pomona USD Palomares Academy of Health Sciences (grades 7-12)

The School Facilities Leadership

Academy (SFLA) is an intensive

10-month program sponsored by

the Coalition for Adequate School

Housing (C.A.S.H.) and the Fiscal

Crisis & Management Assistance

Team (FCMAT) that trains school

facility leaders. Class members

include superintendents, chief

business officials, facility planners,

directors of maintenance, operations,

and transportation, architects

and construction managers. They

are teamed together to build

relationships, share experiences, learn

from each other and see each other

as future resources. In addition, each

candidate is paired with an industry

leader who mentors and guides the

student throughout the academy.

Students and instructors meet in person

one Friday and Saturday a month in

Sacramento. Each month’s coursework

focuses on a particular component

of a comprehensive school district

facilities program, beginning with the

master planning and general obligation

bond campaign phases, continuing on

through architect selection, contract

negotiations, construction and then

concluding with maintenance and

operations. In addition to technical

knowledge, the SFLA also focuses on

public speaking, community outreach

and relationship building—skill sets that

are crucial to implementing technical

knowledge. The SFLA program also

introduces participants to industry

leaders such as the executive officer of

the Office of Public School Construction

Investing in OurFuture Leaders

School News | 2015 Spring/SummerP//08 Investing in Our Future Leaders

Tova CormanExecutive Director Facilities Development and Planning,Long Beach USD, SFLA Graduate and Mentor

Julie StraussSchool Facility Program Specialist, HMC Architects/School Advisors, SFLA Graduate

BY //

and the director of school facilities and

transportation services for California’s

Department of Education and the State

Architect.

As graduates, we believe the SFLA to

be a comprehensive school facilities

education program that benefits

all future leaders. With the SFLA’s

renowned instructors and special guests,

participants get acquainted with the

state and facilities leaders, which is

extremely helpful to establish/deepen

working relationships with agency

staff. In addition, students establish

relationships with peers, colleagues and

mentors, which have proven invaluable

to participants in their future careers as

school facility leaders.

HMC Architects/School Advisors

continues to support the SFLA and

recognizes the importance of investing

in our future facilities leaders. The

SFLA prepares its students for the

school facility world and gives them the

knowledge to navigate through state

agencies and ultimately entitle and fund

K-12 capital improvement projects.

C.A.S.H. kicks off the 6th SFLA

cohort in March 2015; HMC’s Jeff

Berrios from our Central Valley

Studio is participating as a student.

For information on the next cohort,

contact C.A.S.H. at www.cashnet.org

C.A.S.H. has met (exceeded) their goals of building internal facilities leadership capacity within school districts and C.A.S.H. associate members as well as nurturing a new generation of leaders.”

Bill Savidge, Past Chair of C.A.S.H.and founding instructor of the SFLA

“

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