A message from our President & CEO Dr. Lisa Andrew
Dear Friends, Traditionally, summer programs provide a separate experience from a student’s regular school courses, and they offer core academics as well as creative enrichment experiences. With last school year being anything but “regular” this summer provided opportunities galore! Continuing in our mission to deliver STEM education that inspires underserved students to college and career, the Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) served over 5000 students and 350 teachers this summer in our Elevate [Math], Computer Science Institute, 49er STEM Leadership Institute, and Assessment for Learning Mathematics Mini Conference. Student programming was delivered in-person and virtually, with some of the students returning to a school site for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. We worked with each district to ensure safety protocols were followed which led to uninterrupted instruction. Our attendance rates for both in-person and virtual delivery were substantially higher than the national average for summer school! With some districts having both, virtual and in person classes, we were able to do side-by-side comparisons of attendance rates and student achievement. District meetings are scheduled for September and October to share results with individual districts. Trends across all sites and districts have also been analyzed to inform best delivery models. The articles below illustrate what we know about our summer programs and the impact SVEF had on students and teachers. As we look to the future we will take what we have learned this summer and build upon it. Last year SVEF piloted school-year programming and we will continue the pilot this school year, hoping to serve more students who are farthest from access and opportunity. Thank you for your continued support! Together we are making a difference. Lisa Andrew A Summer of Growth, Inspiration and Learning Elevate [Math] goes hybrid...and succeeds!SVEF is proud of the deep learning experienced by 4100 Bay Area rising 3rd-10th grade students this summer! The number of Elevate [Math] classes grew by 50% from 2020 to a whopping 270 in 2021. Classes were delivered in-person and virtually by 270 educators, 30 coaches, and 80 college mentors. Partner districts selected to offer in-person, virtual, or both delivery formats to meet the unique needs of their community. This flexibility allowed SVEF to assess program impact and to compare the two program delivery formats. Sixty percent of classes were delivered virtually, while forty percent were delivered in person. Overall, the average percent attendance rate was 87%, slightly lower than last year’s all virtual programs, but higher than the pre-Covid in-person programs in 2019. There was only a 1% average attendance rate difference between virtual and in-person delivery. Best yet, attendance rates were significantly higher than the national average of 60%-80%. Supporting SVEF’s belief in acceleration, Elevate [Math] front loads next grade level standards to prepare
students for next school year. A pre- and post- assessment is given to assess the preparedness on next grade standards and to determine student academic growth over the course of the program. Overall, 70% of students showed improvement from pre- to post- assessment; this is almost 10% higher than 2020 program results. Fourteen percent more students showed improvement when attending class in person when compared to virtual classes. When looking at districts that hosted both in person and virtual classes, 18% more students showed improvement if they attended class in person. Teachers also observed how much students grew. One teacher said “My students have grown SO MUCH in only 19 days. After the first week or so, student participation majorly increased, student attendance was way up, and students were on time to class. My students reported that they felt really comfortable sharing ideas in class, even if they were wrong--they were not afraid to share their ideas. Students who had not participated in the beginning, after that first week were really motivated to keep trying and enjoyed working together in teams. All students have learned and shown growth in decimals, fractions, and place value. Their academic vocabulary and problem-solving skills have also increased dramatically; they are also much better at explaining their thinking and asking questions.” Teachers grew as well. Ninety-eight percent of teachers used Growth Mindset and Math Talks in their classrooms this summer and 86% of teachers employed Social Emotional Learning strategies. One teacher stated “I will use all of the strategies I learned in the PL's training... All are great!” Micro:bits, Raspberry pi, algorithms, and variables… oh my!This summer, 678 rising 7th-10th grade students took on the challenge of integrating computer science principles into innovative maker projects as part of the Computer Science Institute (CSI). These young and curious minds collaborated with their peers virtually or in-person on using light sensors, wiring servo motors into a mini golf course, or creating programmable interactive devices. Students also created prototypes of solutions that address the United Nations Global Goals thereby adding a social purpose to their learning and application of digital skills.This summer also marked the pilot of the newly-developed 9-10th grade curriculum, which focuses more on text-based coding and explorations of Raspberry pi and the Internet of Things. (See photo). Seventy-two percent of the high schoolers completing the program showed improvement on their computer science knowledge and skills. Sixty-five percent of CSI students attended virtually, with 35% attending in-person. The attendance rates between our virtual and in-person classes were consistent, both averaging at 86%, which is significantly higher than the national average of 60%-80%. Notably, 51% of students were female, which aligns with CSI’s goals of broadening participation of females in computer science and exceeds California’s computer science enrollment rate for females (30%). At the end of this interactive summer, 85% of students expressed interest in future CS opportunities! With a few sensors, a dust of code and some cloud services, we aim to encourage and support these young minds to lead the future of tech in the Bay Area. “I discovered what I want to do with my life while taking this class and because of this class,” exclaimed a CSI middle school student. We also want to give a shout out to our teachers, 82% of whom were teaching CSI for the first time and 100% who now feel prepared to teach another introductory CS course. In the words of a novice CSI teacher, “This is an amazing, engaging, exciting program with a curriculum that keeps students thinking! I appreciate the thoughtfulness and effort put into creating lessons and continuously improving upon them and allowing personalization on the part of the teacher and flexibility to meet the teachers’ and students’ needs.” Middle schoolers creating their own interactive wearable device High schoolers using a microcontroller to connect to other devices wirelessly. Pioneers of the 9th-10th grade CSI curriculum at East Side Union High School District Assessment For Learning Mini Conference: To kickstart their own summer learning and preview our 2021-2022 school year, over 50 teachers of the East Side Alliance (ESA) gathered with fellow educators at the Assessment for Learning Series (AFL) Mini Conference to re-energize their teaching commitment to student success in mathematics. Dr. Kyndall Brown, Executive Director of the California Mathematics Project opened the conference with a discussion on Social Justice In Mathematics. Marian Dingle, a veteran educator, shared about unlocking the gatekeepers that prevent our classrooms from offering equitable mathematics. Dr. Ma Bernadette Andres-Salgarino, Mathematics Coordinator at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, featured the newly-released ESA Math Toolkit. This Toolkit is very comprehensive and offers guidance and resources for educators to use now as they plan their curriculum, while also offering opportunities for ongoing self-reflection as they seek to develop anti-racist math practices. The Toolkit “strides” serve as multiple on-ramps for educators as they navigate the individual and collective journey to equitable math practices. Additionally, modules of the Toolkit provide opportunities for teachers to embed STEM strategies within their instructional day. This engagement enables teachers to utilize technology as an essential tool that will be used strategically in their instruction as teachers prepare students for the 21st Century . The T-Pack and SAMR Model Frameworks that are demonstrated in the Toolkit provide a structure to help teachers identify knowledge they might need to focus on to be able to teach effectively with technology and move their learning curve as well as students to higher levels of the technological integration continuum. Participants unanimously agreed (100%) that it was a value-adding experience and expected to share the lessons learned with their colleagues or family. As one teacher remarked, “it was powerful in unplanned and unexpected ways." Interested in joining our AFL series this school year? Click here for the full schedule. Watch the conference here Welcome back, SLI Students! In July, we welcomed back over 300 of our students at Cabrillo Middle School and Santa Clara High School for 100% in-person summer school that prepares our students for our school year programming. It was a great feeling to see our students communicating, collaborating, and designing together again after being apart for so long. Our digital fabrication labs were alive with the sound of excited chatter and the background hum of the machines. To reacclimate to in-person learning, our teachers and administrators led plenty of team building activities, design thinking projects and workshops that reintroduced CAD software and CAM tools. We had a 93.3% attendance rate with 49.5% of our student population being female. While they may be hidden behind masks, we knew there were big smiles all around! Best CEO Non-Profit Sector - USAWe are excited to announce that Lisa was named in the illustrious 2021 Business Worldwide Magazine CEO Awards! From the press release from Business World Magazine: The awards identify and celebrate the most respected executives and business leaders from around the world, across a wide range of business sectors and industries. Unlike many other business awards that celebrate organisations as a whole, here the emphasis is on the outstanding individuals at their helms. The aim of the awards is to give these individuals the recognition they deserve, while encouraging others to achieve similar successes. Lisa Andrew was the outright winner in her category, being crowned “Best CEO Non-Profit Sector - USA” Lisa has dedicated her entire career to ensuring that students from disadvantaged backgrounds get the education and opportunities they deserve. The Silicon Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) is based in the heart of the tech capital of the world, and focuses on educating students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Although the USA is renowned for its technological excellence, black and Hispanic students often miss out on an education in these disciplines. There’s a huge discrepancy between the country’s business leaders and scientists - many of whom are white and middle class - and the number of ethnic minorities employed in these areas. Lisa, herself the mother of mixed race children, is dedicated to redressing this balance. Since its inception over two decades ago, SVEF has supported more than 27,000 students and works with young people and educators in over 60 school districts, forging long lasting relationships with corporations and other non-profit organisations dedicated to challenging the status quo. SVEF convenes the East Side Alliance, an educational community dedicated to preparing students for a lifetime of success in Silicon Valley. Through the alliance, SVEF is closing the achievement gap and accelerating grades among African American and Latinx students, helping educators across the region find ways to reach and support students. Speaking to Business Worldwide Magazine, Lisa said: “I am a visionary leader who sees possibilities and is not afraid to dream big. I am driven by a mission based on equitable access and thrive when working on goals focused on economic mobility. I work to inspire others and provide coaching and mentorship to assist the team in realizing their potential. When the team is successful, we can accomplish our goals, fulfill our mission, and realize our vision.” The full article and interview can be found here.
Thank You to Our Recent Donors!(Gifts from June - August 2021)Magnify Community | San Jose State University | Comcast (Northern California) | Joanne Law | Guy and Darline Lohman | Cisco | Google Inc | Jason Molenda | US Bank | Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation | Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley | Melvin and Geraldine Hoven Foundation | Santa Clara County Office of Education | AheadTek | Google Inc. | Wells Fargo Bank | Hologic Charitable Fund | Cisco | Applied Materials Inc. | DeAnne Row | AmazonSmile | San Francisco 49ers Foundation | Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors - District 3 |