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The new name is meant to signify that Cedar Park won't be a traditional elementary school, but rather one that aims to give 580 students a firmer grounding in those four fields of study found in its name. It's part of a statewide effort to bring Minnesota students up to speed in science, math and related fields.
``Most schools will have an art room, but not a science lab,'' said Cedar Park Principal Margaret Gruenes. The school's new space, 4,000 square feet of new classroom and lab space that will open in December, will include a digital microscope, computers loaded with scientific software and other scientific materials.
Minnesota's effort ties into the nationwide concern that American students are being overtaken in math, science, technology and engineering by students in other countries. While there are indications that student interest in these fields is rebounding, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and state officials have been stressing the need for Minnesota students to concentrate more on STEM courses, and for more students to pursue careers along those lines.
Statewide, 23 high schools and middle schools received grants in 2006 to ramp up their STEM teaching and resources.
Math and science teachers at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights are collaborating with two middle schools to create a summer academy for eighth graders struggling in math and science, Washburn High School in Minneapolis is creating a college credit course in sheet-metal technology. Cooper High School in New Hope and Armstrong High School in Plymouth are collaborating with health care organizations to allows students to work with such medical instruments as EKG sensors, skin temperature probes and heart-rate monitors.
More state funding is in the pipeline. This spring, the Legislature approved $3 million to set up Math & Science Teacher Academies throughout the state to provide extra training for teachers in the STEM disciplines. State education officials are exploring ways to mix more engineering and technology in with science and math.
The emphasis is also being worked into state graduation requirements. Beginning with the class of 2015, high school students will have to take Algebra I in eighth grade and Algebra II in high school, as well as either chemistry or physics.
