Houston-area public schools STEM/STEAM programs

Houston (Gulf Coast)-area public school districts offer innovative STEM and STEAM education programs at all grade levels. STEM education emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, while STEAM programs take that foundation to the next level by including the Arts.

STEM subjects and the arts complement each other to allow for a more thorough and cohesive understanding in the classroom. STEM/STEAM educational programs provide an interdisciplinary instructional approach that teaches students to think on a higher, more intellectual level that can be applied to real life.

Read more about the differences between STEM and STEAM programs here.

STEM courses in Houston -area public schools provide learning experiences that go beyond simply “technology in the classroom”. Students have opportunities for hands-on learning in individual and group settings. They develop the skills to actively question, brainstorm, and make high-level decisions, and they present and defend their work to classroom peers. Students share ideas and analyze multiple points of view while understanding and applying technologies needed to develop solutions to complex questions. They focus on using technology in a responsible and ethical manner. Students are introduced to the limitless STEM occupations and how their public school work prepares them for the future.

Houston-area public schools’ STEM education programs provide an excellent preparatory foundation for college courses and career paths in a number of subjects like aerospace engineering, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, math, physics, psychology, mechanical engineering, statistics, calculus, robotics, etc. There are over 40 different types of engineering degrees and career choices alone, which can all be introduced in STEM courses as early as elementary school.

All public school districts are required to comply with certain educational standards, like the Common Core initiative. However, Texas schools adhere to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills in Math (or Math TEKS) state standards.

Texas TEKS Mathematics standards can be read here.

Our public school districts’ STEM/STEAM programs offer much more than what a school of science and technology can provide. Technology in schools encompasses a diverse collection of courses and concepts that range from simple math and science classes to abstract and complex intellectual instruction. Parents and students alike appreciate the valuable and intensive STEM programs that our districts provide to students at all levels and in all district locations.

Additional benefits to students involved in STEM/STEAM:

Public school STEM programs give students an advantage over other schools’ classical education models by including and emphasizing the value of technology education in today’s society.

Using technology in the classroom allows for superior teaching. In federally validated research, instructional technologies have been shown to produce far greater achievement and self‐esteem among students than more traditional teaching practices, with favorable cost‐benefit ratios when implemented in schools.