Military connected students face unique instructional and social emotional challenges which have been greatly exacerbated by the global covid 19 pandemic

The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) received a $2 million Block Grant award from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) under the Competitive Grants: Promoting K-12 Student Achievement at Military-Connected Schools program (CFDA 12.556). The grant will fund the Code Up project to support the academic and social-emotional needs of military-connected students in eleven FCPS school communities through September 2027.

Code Up aims to address decreased math performance and readiness issues among these students following pandemic disruptions. It will implement STEAM-focused instruction, afterschool/summer enrichment programs, and immersive field trips and activities to cultivate excitement for STEAM learning. Participating students will apply math and science knowledge through instructional technologies to explore potential STEAM careers. Code Up staff will also receive professional development to support students' unique needs. The goal is to increase standardized test performance in math and science, as well as foster self-confidence and beliefs connected to future achievement through engaging with STEAM fields.

Fairfax county public schools fcps military connected students experienced a marked decrease in mathematics pass rates for the 2020-2021 school year when compared to pre pandemic levels, and gaps in academic performance are often manifested in disruptive behavior and a lack of readiness to learn. In order to address and remedy this concern, fcps proposes the creation of code up, a project targeted to support the military connected students at eleven fcps school communities. Through the creation and implementation of informative and engaging steam focused instruction, after school and summer enrichment programming, and immersive field trips and activities, students will cultivate an enhanced comprehension of, and excitement for, steam learning as measured by increased performance on standardized academic tests and enthusiastic interest in future steam related career paths. Participating students will make connections to steam fields of interest through authentic instructional learning, and successfully apply math and science knowledge and learned skills through the use of instructive technologies, thereby helping them to identify and engage with potential steam careers. Additionally, code up instructional staff will engage in the latest evidence based professional development that will enable them to support the unique needs of military connected students. In this way, increased academic performance in math and science will cultivate the positive feelings and attributes of enhanced self confidence and belief that are strongly correlated to future academic achievement and successful futures for our military connected students.