1. Spatial STEM - C Evaluation of a Model Spatial Thinking Curriculum for Building Computational Skills in Elementary Grades K-5
A collaboratvive project involving Inland Leaders Charter School, Redlands USD after school program, Esri, and the University of Redlands - funded by the National Science Foundation.

2. Spatial STEM-C: Goal
The goal of this STEM+C Track 1 EI project is to develop, implement, and evaluate model elementary school supplementary instructional materials designed to build the spatial thinking abilities that underlie computational and mathematical skills. The proposed Spatial STEM-C project will implement grade-appropriate tasks, problems, and engineering design challenges that help students improve innate capacities for spatial thinking (ST). The instructional interventions will be designed to promote development of the cognitive abilities that underlie key computational thinking (CT) abilities: decomposition, pattern recognition, pattern generalization to define abstractions or models, algorithm design, and data analysis and visualization.

3. Spatial STEM-C: Objectives
The project goal will be accomplished by implementing the following objectives.
Iteratively develop and formatively test a model curriculum that targets development of key CT and ST abilities in K-5 students.
Implement the model curriculum in classrooms and conduct a comparison-group study to evaluate the extent to which the curriculum builds ST abilities in elementary students and has the potential to impact CT and mathematical skills.
Create a multimedia project e-book to convey instructional strategies in a manner that is accessible to teachers and schools.
Disseminate the project results and e-book at relevant meetings and via the project website.

4. Objective 1
The project will implement grade-appropriate ST tasks, problems, and engineering design challenges that research has shown to help students improve innate capacities for ST. The instructional interventions will be designed to promote development of the cognitive abilities that underlie key CT abilities: decomposition, pattern recognition, pattern generalization to define abstractions or models, algorithm design, and data analysis and visualization.

5. Objective 1
The following criteria will guide curriculum development: 1. Grade/age specific spatial tasks that research has shown to improve mathematical performance.
2. Grade/age specific spatial tasks that research has shown to improve ST abilities/skills but no assessment of transfer to math performance.
3. Spatial tasks that have been shown to be effective for a specific grade/age and can be modified to address a different grade/age.
4. Spatial tasks that can be integrated into existing curricula.

6. Curriculum development teams: November - January
In year one, curriculum development teams composed of two teachers from each grade at ILCS will be formed. During the first half of the year, the teams will select, and, modify as necessary, tasks and spatial assessments for implementation. The expectation is that each team will identify (and modify as necessary) at least two tasks for each category in the Uttal classification system

7. Curriculum development teams – November to January
Each grade-level team will use the following elements to design their ST curriculum:
 Identify mathematical performance needs.
 Develop goals and measurable learning objectives for ST, CT, and mathematical performance.
 Choose instructional strategies.
 Devise steps for implementation.
 Evaluate progress, both formative and summative

8. Curriculum development teams February - June
The second half of the year will be devoted to conducting pilots of at least one task and corresponding assessments. The interventions will be implemented for two hours per week in after-school programs conducted by the AAA Academy and attended by Redlands Unified School District students. The after-school investigation will be conducted at two different schools with a combination of K-5 students in each group. Pre/post ST and CT assessments based on existing research items for experimental and comparison groups.

9. Curriculum development teams February - June
Class time devoted to implementation
K-1, approximately one to two hours per week
2nd-5th grades, approximately 2 hours per week.

10. Year 2 – Objective 2
During project year two, a comparison-group study will be implemented at ILCS with two classes participating in each grade level (approximately 23 students per class). One class in each grade will be the experimental group; the other class will serve as the comparison group. Assignment of classes to experimental and control groups will be nonrandom.

11. Year 2 – Objective 2
One teacher in each grade level will be recruited to implement the experimental interventions. Normal procedures will be used to assign students to classes and random assignment of students to experimental and comparison classrooms will be assumed.
Informed consent from parents will be requested after students are assigned to classrooms. Accommodations will be made for children whose parents do not wish to them to participate in the special assessments.
The model curriculum will be implemented two to three times a week during regular school time for approximately one hour each time. The comparison group will implement the normal school curriculum.

12. Project evaluation
During the pilot phase (Year 1), the evaluation will employ a single-group, pre-post design to gather preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the materials and provide formative feedback to project leaders. The evaluation will also employ observations of the pilot implementation and focus groups with educators to collect formative feedback.
To test the overall effectiveness of the materials, in Year 2 of the project, the evaluation will use a two-group, pre-test post-test design. Each grade level will have at least two classrooms participating, with one classroom per grade level assigned to either the treatment (Spatial STEM+C curriculum) or comparison (traditional curriculum group). Students' ST and CT skills will be measured and analyzed for differences, and will be correlated with data on math performance from Common Core assessments. In Year 2, focus groups with instructors will give insight into the intervention implementation and its impact on students.