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Tesla STEM High School

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Coordinates: 47°38′55″N 122°2′15″W / 47.64861°N 122.03750°W / 47.64861; -122.03750
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Tesla STEM High School
Address
Map
4301 228th Ave N.E.

Redmond
,
WA
98053
Coordinates47°38′55″N 122°2′15″W / 47.64861°N 122.03750°W / 47.64861; -122.03750
Information
TypeHigh School
MottoInspire, Educate, Innovate
Established2012 (construction completed in 2013)
PrincipalAmie Karkainen
Faculty29.28 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment609 (2022–23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio20.51[1]
Color(s)Blue, White, Green
   
Websitetesla.lwsd.org

Tesla STEM High School[2] (officially Nikola Tesla Science, Technology, Engineering & Math High School, formerly STEM High School) is a magnet high school in Redmond, Washington operated by the Lake Washington School District. It serves as a lottery-selected choice program and offers a STEM-based curriculum.

Front of STEM High School
Rear of STEM High School
STEM High School interior
STEM High School classroom

History and facilities

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In February 2011, facing substantial sustained and projected future enrollment growth, the Lake Washington School District issued a levy measure to raise $65,400,000 in property taxes[3] from King County residents to fund the construction of expanded facilities at Redmond High School and Eastlake High School as well as the construction of the new STEM High School. The ballot measure passed, and preparations on these population expansion projects began immediately. In December 2011, the Absher Construction Company won the lowest bid for the STEM High School project at $24,080,000[4] and began construction work in February 2012.[5]

The school's faculty and programs began accepting ninth and tenth grade students in September 2012 for the 2012-2013 school year, but the students were located in the facilities of Eastlake High School until the new dedicated STEM High School was completed in January 2013. The school began admitting eleventh and twelfth grade students in September 2013 and September 2014, respectively. [6]

In 2014, STEM High School formally changed its name to Nikola Tesla Science, Technology, Engineering & Math High School, shortened to Tesla STEM High School.[7]

The two-story school occupies a 21-acre campus. Modular building techniques were used to construct the school due to permitting and time restrictions. The majority of the building was fabricated offsite, with four sections, including the common area, built on site.[8]

Students are admitted from across the district on a lottery basis with 150 students per grade for a total enrollment of approximately 600 students.[6][9]

Awards

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In 2017, two Tesla STEM students were awarded the President’s Environmental Youth Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.[10][11]

In 2021, students 3D printed thousands of masks for local hospitals.[12]

In 2021 and 2022, Tesla STEM won the Washington Sea Grant's Orca bowl, a marine science competition.[13][14]

In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Tesla STEM High School first in its annual "Best Washington High Schools" list and twelfth in its "Best U.S. High Schools" list.[15]

In 2023, four students won awards in the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals International Science and Engineering Fair,[16] and in 2024, two students and a teacher were honored with Regeneron Science Talent Search awards.[17][18] Tesla STEM also won first place in the regional National Science Bowl.[19]

In 2024, the school was rated the third best high school in the nation.[20]

Academics

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The school's course offerings and overall academic approach are focused on emphasizing the four STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students are required to take courses in science and math, as well as engineering and technology via indirect integration in other courses, through twelfth grade.[21] Key tenets of the school's curriculum include leveraging problem-based learning, a professional learning community, integrated curricula, scientific inquiry, and constructivist learning.[22]

In principle, the school's curriculum is designed such that ninth and tenth grade focus on foundation: building skills such as understanding and applying the engineering design process, collaboratively working in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) environment, as well as other critical thinking aspects. Eleventh and twelfth grade students focus on application: selecting a concentration of study and conducting independent research.[12]

In the 2014-2015 academic year, the school began four “Signature Programs," open to students from all comprehensive high schools in the Lake Washington School District: Eastlake High School, Juanita High School, Lake Washington High School, and Redmond High School. Eleventh graders are given the choice between selecting two signature labs: Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Design, or AP Psychology and Forensics. Twelfth graders may either take the Advanced Physics Lab (AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and AP Physics C: Mechanics) or Biomedical Engineering alongside Anatomy and Physiology.[22]

In 2023, the school had 100% participation in AP coursework.[23]

Athletics and clubs

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Athletics and sports programs are not offered at the school. Students who wish to participate in such programs must do so at one of the four aforementioned comprehensive high schools whose boundaries within which they reside.[24]

The school has nearly 40 clubs.[25] The TED-Ed club hosted TEDx independent events from 2016-2019.[26]

Courses and pathways

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Tesla STEM's course catalog for the 2021-2022 school year can be found here.[27]

A total of 12 AP courses are offered, including AP Computer Science Principles (9), AP Biology (10, optional), AP Environmental Science (10), AP Language and Composition (11), AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and AP Physics C: Mechanics (12, optional senior lab), AP Calculus AB (varies, 11th most common), AP Calculus BC (varies and optional, 12th most common), AP Computer Science A (elective), AP Chemistry (elective), and AP Statistics (elective).[27]

Typical learning pathways at Tesla STEM include the computer science pathway (AP CS Principles (9), AP CSA (10), Data Structures (11), Advanced Projects in Java (12)), the engineering pathway (Engineering 1, Engineering 2, Engineering 3), and the life sciences pathway (AP Biology (10), AP Psychology (11), Biomedical Engineering and Anatomy/Physiology (12)).[27]

Four signature labs are offered at STEM, with students being given the option to choose two of them. In 11th grade, students have the choice between Environmental Engineering / Sustainable Design and AP Psychology / Forensics, whereas in 12th grade students choose between the Advanced Physics Lab and Biomedical Engineering / Anatomy and Physiology.[27]

The school is partnered with nearby businesses to offer junior-year internships.[12]

Notable Alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tesla STEM High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Tesla STEM High". tesla.lwsd.org.
  3. ^ "King County Elections". www.kingcounty.gov. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  4. ^ "LAKE WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 414 BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING December 5, 2011" (PDF). 5 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Construction - Lake Washington School District". www.lwsd.org. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  6. ^ a b "Students settle in at Lake Washington's new STEM school". Sammamish Review. May 23, 2013. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  7. ^ "STEM High School formally named after Nikola Tesla". Redmond Reporter. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  8. ^ "Lake Washington STEM school combines modular and site-built construction to meet ambitious schedule". Building Design+Construction. June 10, 2013. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021.
  9. ^ School District Choice Schools webpage. Retrieved 2014-01-22
  10. ^ Stiffler, Lisa (June 13, 2017). "Student climate change project wins President's Environmental Youth Award — yes, that president". GeekWire.
  11. ^ Kunkler, Aaron (2017-06-13). "Tesla STEM students honored, talk shop on reducing CO2 emissions". Redmond Reporter. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  12. ^ a b c Cassidy, Benjamin (March 8, 2021). "This STEM School in Redmond Is One of the Country's Best". Seattle Met. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  13. ^ "Tesla STEM High School Wins First Place at First-Ever Virtual Orca Bowl Competition". Washington Sea Grant. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  14. ^ "Tesla STEM Students Win Statewide Orca Bowl Competition". Washington Sea Grant. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  15. ^ "Tesla STEM High School". U.S. News & World Report. 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  16. ^ "On the world stage – Five LWSD students take home top prizes at world's largest science and engineering competition". www.lwsd.org. 2024-05-10. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  17. ^ "Two Tesla STEM High School Seniors — and Their Teacher — Receive Honor". 425magazine.com. 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  18. ^ Stiffler, Lisa (May 21, 2022). "Meet the Seattle-area teen geeks that just won awards at an international science fair". GeekWire.
  19. ^ Chavez, Briana (2023-02-26). "Regional Science Bowl Competition is back in Richland". NonStop Local Tri-Cities/Yakima. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  20. ^ Clarridge, Christine; Lysik, Tory; Fitzpatrick, Alex (May 8, 2024). "Washington's top-ranked high schools". Axios.
  21. ^ "Academics - Tesla STEM High". tesla.lwsd.org. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  22. ^ a b STEM HS - About us. Retrieved 2014-01-22
  23. ^ Moy, Kristina (2024-05-01). "This WA high school named 3rd best in country, according to US News". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  24. ^ "LWSD's STEM school immerses students in science and math education". Redmond Reporter. March 13, 2013. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  25. ^ "Clubs - Tesla STEM High". tesla.lwsd.org. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  26. ^ "TEDx | Event Listing | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  27. ^ a b c d "COURSE CATALOG 2021-2022" (PDF). Tesla STEM High School. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
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