George Lucas Educational Foundation

Supporting Teachers to Workshop Project Ideas

A strong project-based learning culture is built by giving opportunities for teachers to get feedback and support on their project ideas.

July 10, 2020

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At Dayton Regional STEM School, teachers develop and refine their projects though a process called the project tuning protocol, based on the critical friends model, which originated from National School Reform Faculty and was adapted by High Tech High in San Diego. Teachers who present their projects use a slide presentation as a planning tool, and facilitators often use the six thinking hats framework to guide the discussion.

Schools That Work

Dayton Regional STEM School

Public, Suburban

Grades 6-12

Kettering, OH

At the Dayton Regional STEM School, launched in 2009, educators focus on helping students develop the skills to fill rewarding jobs in the local aerospace, manufacturing, and health care sectors. Teachers use a project-based learning model in which students learn by engaging in real-world problem-solving and are encouraged to drive their own learning. This leads to a more “authentic, engaging, and challenging learning environment for every student,” the school wrote in its winning bid to become a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. Through partnerships with local businesses, students meet professionals working in the field and have opportunities for job-shadowing and internships. The school reports that 70 percent of its graduates choose a STEM major in college—a figure far higher than the national average.

Achieved a 100 percent graduation rate for five years in a row, since 2016, compared withthe Ohio state average of 75 percent.
Designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2019.
Ranked better than 96.2 percent of high schools in Ohio in 2019, based on state standardized test scores.