 |
| Superintendent DeMaria learns about the Art & Science of Materials class from DRSS senior Ray Hampton |
KETTERING, OH, 1/20/17 – Ohio State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria had an up-close look at the Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) today as part of his tour of Ohio schools across the state.
DeMaria was accompanied on his visit by Ohio Board of Education Member Charlotte McGuire, who recently was appointed to fill A.J. Wagner’s recent vacancy on the board. Chris Kershner, Vice President of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and DRSS Governing Board VP also joined them for the visit.
 |
| Superintendent DeMaria and Board Member Charlotte McGuire listen to DRSS junior, Chloe Johnson, explain what it's like being a student at DRSS. |
Superintendent DeMaria has been on a tour of many Ohio schools since beginning his job in July of 2016. His visits are all a part of his goal to craft a strategic vision for education in Ohio.
 |
| Students were introduced to the driving question for the opioid project on the same day as the Superintendent's visit. |
During his tour of the school, Superintendent DeMaria had the opportunity to hear from many different students about what they are learning, as well as some special projects they’re working on, such as the Opioid Epidemic Project. As part of the school’s project-based learning (PBL) approach to education, students are embarking this semester on a cross-curricular collaboration in 11th grade that involves anatomy, government, and economics classes. The goal of the project is to identify the causes and consequences of Ohio’s opioid epidemic and propose solutions to the Ohio General Assembly.
DeMaria’s visit also included a look at the HTML computer coding taking
place in the sixth grade STEM Foundations course and the work students
are doing in their Art & Science of Materials course, as well as a
brief student-led Chinese lesson.
 |
| DeMaria learns about the coding DRSS 6th graders are doing from Liam, a student in Mrs. Murakami's STEM Foundations class. |
 |
| DRSS senior, Jesse Wilcox, explains to Mrs. McGuire what they're working on in the Art & Science of Materials class. |
 |
| Both visitors had the opportunity to hear from students in US History class about how they are using Unreal Game Engine to create digital museums to chronicle their learning experience. |
 |
| The tour culminated with a visit to Mrs. Chen's class, where students taught DeMaria and McGuire how to say "hello," "thank you," and other basic Chinese phrases! |
In addition to hearing from students, Superintendent DeMaria also spoke with Superintendent Robin Fisher and Principal Hope Strickland about DRSS’s partnerships, new programming, and the school’s effort to help create and pilot a Competency-Based Education rubric for its students that could be used statewide. They also discussed opportunities to leverage the school’s Training Center to bolster Ohio’s efforts to establish a Peer-to-Peer Learning Network. This idea was presented in the state’s draft report, released yesterday, on how to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal law that replaced No Child Left Behind.
 |
Towards the end of his visit, Superintendent DeMaria and Board Member Charlotte McGuire discussed what they had seen on their tour with DRSS students, teachers, and admin team members. During the roundtable, Mrs. McGuire praised the work the students and teachers were doing, explaining that, “I’m really glad to see future leaders of the world being trained here. What is happening at DRSS is consistent with what I believe in.” In a comment directed towards DeMaria, she added, “I want us to be the number one state in the country in education; is that possible?” DeMaria’s response? “If we have a lot of schools like this it is!”
The Superintendent parted the school with some encouraging words, adding, “It’s inspiring to see the work you’re doing and the work your students are doing. Keep it up!”
