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An Overview of State Developed P-12 Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (Other)

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE) Technical Session 8: Assessment, Framworks, Standards, Oh My!

Tagged Division

Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)

Page Count

21

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42641

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42641

Download Count

343

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Paper Authors

biography

Tyler S. Love University of Maryland Eastern Shore Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-1161-1443

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Dr. Love is a Professor of Technology and Engineering Education, and Director of Graduate Studies in Career and Technology Education for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. He earned his master's and Ph.D. in Integrative STEM Education from Virginia Tech. His bachelors degree is in Technology Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He previously taught technology and engineering (T&E) courses in Maryland’s Public School System. He is nationally recognized for his work related to the safer design of makerspaces and collaborative STEM labs. Dr. Love is an Authorized OSHA Trainer for General Industry. He has also served on committees at state and national levels that developed P-12 engineering education standards. Dr. Love is the recipient of ASEE's Fall 2022 Middle Atlantic Conference Best Paper Award. Prior to his employment at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore he was a tenure track faculty member in elementary/middle grades STEM education at Penn State University's Capital Campus.

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biography

Brandt Hutzel Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Mr. Hutzel is the Technology and Engineering (T&E) Content Advisor at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He provides PK-12 statewide leadership in T&E and in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Technology Education from California University of Pennsylvania and master's degree in Technology Education from Ball State University. Mr. Hutzel previously taught T&E courses in Pennsylvania's Public School System. He has served in leadership roles at the state and national level, most recently as the 2022-2023 President of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association Council of STEM Leadership (ITEEA-CSL) and the Pennsylvania Technology Student Association (TSA) State Advisor.

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biography

Sharon Brusic Millersville University of Pennsylvania

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Dr. Brusic is a professor at Millersville University of Pennsylvania in Applied Engineering, Safety and Technology. Her primary teaching responsibilities pertain to Technology and Engineering Education (PreK-12 certification) and Integrative STEM Education (PreK-4 endorsement) teacher preparation. She also teaches introductory courses on bio-related technologies and electronic systems. Since completing her doctorate at Virginia Tech in 1991, she has focused her research on PreK-12 teacher education in these areas. She has published dozens of articles, a high school textbook, and eight nonfiction children's books

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Abstract

In recent years, many states in the United States (U.S.) have made efforts to include engineering content and practices within their P-12 technology education and/or science academic standards. However, the depth and breadth of engineering concepts added in state standards has been questioned. The release of the Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education (STEL) [1] in 2020 provided a clear rationale for the importance of high-quality technology and engineering (T&E) learning opportunities for all P-12 students. These standards and accompanying curricular and instructional resources provided guidance for states to examine how engineering content and practices are being taught in their P-12 school systems. Numerous states have opted to adopt the STEL as published; however, some states used the STEL as the foundation for developing standards that fit the localized needs of their students and teachers. This paper will examine the process that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania engaged in to develop academic standards that will guide T&E curricular and instructional efforts for 500 K-12 school districts.

From 2020-2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) led a rigorous T&E education standards development process. National and state level standards and frameworks from P-12 T&E and science education were reviewed to aid in the conceptualization of the standards for Pennsylvania. Through multiple rounds of reviews, input from various stakeholders across Pennsylvania informed the development of standards that will serve the diverse needs of approximately 1.7 million K-12 students. This process was a collaborative effort among T&E, science, and environmental literacy and sustainability educators. This paper will describe the valuable conversations that occurred among the committees as they contemplated the focus and direction of T&E education in Pennsylvania as well as the structure and content of the standards. Modifications made to the STEL in developing standards for T&E education in Pennsylvania included condensing some of the standards, aligning with the Pennsylvania Career Readiness standards, providing connections to content and practices from other standards (e.g., PA Core Standards: Reading and Writing in Science and Technical Areas, PA Core Standards and Practices: Math), providing clarification statements for each standard similar to the format used in the Next Generation Science Standards [2], and providing exemplars of Pennsylvania specific contexts in which the standards could be applied. This paper will provide an overview of the approved T&E standards that school districts in Pennsylvania must align instruction with by the 2025-2026 academic year. These standards have resulted in T&E questions being added to the fifth and eighth-grade state assessments which will also be discussed in this paper. Additionally, examples of supplemental resources created to assist educators and school districts in aligning with these standards will be presented. This paper may assist other states with updating or developing P-12 T&E education standards.

Love, T. S., & Hutzel, B., & Brusic, S. (2023, June), An Overview of State Developed P-12 Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (Other) Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42641

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015