T-STEM
Purpose of T-STEM
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has developed the STEM Education Toolkit to support districts in developing a local STEM program that is aligned to the high-quality indicators identified by the state. The STEM tools are designed to support a district in planning and implementing a PK-12 STEM program aligned to the Texas STEM Framework.
TEA’s Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) initiative is an open-enrollment program that engages students in a rigorous STEM curriculum, preparing them for the global marketplace. STEM occupations are currently growing at a much higher rate than other occupations in the United States and worldwide. Addressing this rising demand, the T-STEM initiative seeks to increase the number of Texas students who study and enter STEM fields.
Students apply what they learn in real-world contexts with campus leaders leveraging business partnerships and STEM enrichment activities, such as clubs and competitions, to promote problem-based thinking. Venturing past the walls of the classroom creates an immersive, memorable learning experience designed to motivate and equip these future innovators for success in their chosen fields.
Students who graduate from the T-STEM program enter the workforce with proven, in-demand skillsets, making them top candidates in their chosen industry. High-growth STEM career fields and industries in Texas include:
- Cybersecurity
- Programming and Software Development
- Engineering
- Renewable Energy
- Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products
- Health Care, Biotechnology, and Life Sciences
- Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing
- Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense
Program Distinctions
- Reduces barriers to college access
- Offers the teaching and learning of subject matter through solving real-world problems
- Allows students to earn 15+ hours of dual college credit at no cost
- Provides academic and social support services through dedicated staff
- Develops critical STEM Fluency Skills needed for college and career success
- Provides work-based learning experiences at every grade level, including internships, apprenticeships, and other job training programs
- Creates a seamless transition from high school to employment through local partnerships with institutions of higher education and industry
- Addresses regional workforce needs in high-demand, high-wage fields
School Profile
LEE High School’s T-STEM excels with a school-within-a-school model.
T-STEM Interactive Blueprint
The TEA developed a roadmap of benchmarks, design elements, and products essential to the T-STEM model’s success. The T-STEM Blueprint outlines student success metrics, Outcomes-Based Measures, that are taken into consideration for designation.