Highland Prep West and Highland Prep Academies are the first network of schools to earn Cognia STEM Systems Certification in the world. The STEM certification was conferred by the Cognia Global Commission.
To issue the certification, Highland Prep West and Highland Prep Academies participated in a thorough STEM system review. An Arizona team of Regional Accreditation Evaluators, led by Dr. Angela Chomokos and supported by Dr. Mike Jeffers, held the STEM Certification Review. Highland Prep Academies provided a vast amount of evidence, ranging from videos to write-ups. The evidence would then be evaluated in four areas: Culture of Learning, Leadership for Learning, Engagement of Learning, and Growth in Learning. After reviewing the collected evidence within those four areas, the resulting STEM score was an impressive 3.6.
Fostering Tomorrow's STEM Innovators and Leaders is Highland Prep West's mission, and it is something they have proved to be completely dedicated to. In conducting the review, the noteworthy practice that was found by the team: Highland Prep Academies has a rigorous academic program rooted in STEM college-preparatory practices for all students. The system embraces its Highland Prep Cross-Cutting Competencies Framework of collaborative problem-solving skills, technology and information literacy, thinking and metacognitive skills, and studying and learning skills throughout all curricular areas that led to 100% of its graduating seniors accepted into a 4-year college or university for the past six years.
Highland Prep West's ongoing commitment to providing high school students with a high-quality STEM education is impressive, to say the least. Students at Highland Prep West succeed as a result of their resilient and sustainable STEM-integrated teaching approach and this honorable accomplishment can attest to that.