Little Elm ISD First in Texas to Have All Campuses and District STEM Certified from National Institute for STEM Education

May 15, 2023

Little Elm ISD is the most recent district in the country to earn the National Certificate for STEM Excellence - District (NCSE-D) STEM certificate from the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE).  It is the first district in the state to have all campuses and the District STEM certified and third in the nation. The NCSE-D recognizes districts for their commitment to continually improving district-wide systems and structures that support STEM  educators and their students.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, NISE was conceived by seasoned, practicing educators and is based on thousands of hours of research, professional development, curriculum design, and educational leadership. Using an online platform and supported by a dedicated NISE STEM leadership coach, educators and district leaders work together to refine district operations and instruction to further strengthen STEM practices and the district’s overall STEM culture.

As part of earning the NCSE - District Certification, along with over two years of sustained visioning, planning, and implementing STEM education system, nine campuses also earned the NCSE - Campus Certification, and 219 teachers have earned or are in the process of earning the National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST), further contributing to the District’s collective STEM expertise.

The journey to become STEM certified began in 2019 and the District’s goal was to make every campus certified to ensure each child had the opportunity to have STEM as part of their curriculum. “The reason this is significant is because we are the first in Texas and one of three in the nation to earn this recognition,” said Dr. Penny Tramel, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Learning. “We give credit to the hard work of Jennifer Culver, district science coordinator, who has worked side-by-side with all the teachers who put in the extra hours to achieve their certifications to help us achieve this goal. STEM education is dedicated to engaging students through meaningful learning experiences and developing cognitive thinking and a new way of looking at things that will impact students for the rest of their lives.”

About Little Elm ISD

One of Texas' fastest-growing school districts, Little Elm ISD is nestled neatly along 62 miles of shoreline on Lake Lewisville. The District encompasses 40 square miles in the southeast corner of Denton County and serves students who reside in the communities of Little Elm, Frisco, Hackberry, Lakewood Village, Oak Point, and The Colony. Little Elm ISD currently enrolls nearly 8,300 students in six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. While it still enthusiastically maintains that "small town" feel, Little Elm ISD embraces innovative programs, technology, and a rigorous curriculum that set it apart from larger communities and districts in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

About the National Institute for STEM Education

NISE is a research-based support system for campuses and teachers seeking to strengthen STEM instruction and outcomes. Based on 15 STEM Teacher Actions that evolved from STEM professional development originally created at Rice University, NISE’s Campus and Teacher Certificates help school leaders and teachers understand and apply research and best practices in STEM, 21st-century learning, and professional development. For information, visit http://nise.institute.