At the Dayton Regional STEM School, launched in 2009, educators focus on helping students develop the skills to fill rewarding jobs in the local aerospace, manufacturing, and health care sectors. Teachers use a project-based learning model in which students learn by engaging in real-world problem-solving and are encouraged to drive their own learning. This leads to a more “authentic, engaging, and challenging learning environment for every student,” the school wrote in its winning bid to become a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. Through partnerships with local businesses, students meet professionals working in the field and have opportunities for job-shadowing and internships. The school reports that 70 percent of its graduates choose a STEM major in college—a figure far higher than the national average.
- Achieved a 100 percent graduation rate for five years in a row, since 2016, compared with the Ohio state average of 75 percent.
- Designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2019.
- Ranked better than 96.2 percent of high schools in Ohio in 2019, based on state standardized test scores.