The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (A.R.R.A.) is a two year economic stimulus package signed into law on February 17, 2009. The act invests heavily in education and includes funding for innovative programs that support school reform initiatives designed to close the achievement gap, address college affordability, and improve access to higher education. With the $34 million dollars in Title I A.R.R.A. funding the district received, $10.9 million was invested in developing and implementing school reform initiatives that focus on student achievement at high needs schools. The Hillsborough County Elementary Robotics Program is one such program. This program was implemented at eight Title I schools during the 2009/2010 school year and demonstrates not only the effective use of the A.R.R.A. funding, but is representative of the innovative programs that positively impact student achievement for Hillsborough County students.

Initiative: The Hillsborough County Elementary Robotics Program was developed during a training trip by district level math/science content supervisors to the Spectrum Labs facility in Pittsburg, Kansas. Spectrum Labs support the initiatives of Synergistic Labs at 50 elementary schools in the district. The four person math/science team developed a vision of utilizing robotics as a vehicle to help students grasp the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards which includes increased emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). By incorporating this STEM initiative into the classroom, students are given an opportunity to understand how the skills they learn in science and mathematics are applied to many different careers, including engineering.

Goals:

• To influence a shift in perception of students and teachers from viewing math and science as memorization subjects to viewing them as stimulating applied real world thinking subjects
• To increase student achievement in the areas of mathematics and science
• To increase student interest in STEM career fields
• To increase teacher comfort with math and science content

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* Demonstrate consistent and effective teaching methods, * Motivate students to become responsible learners