SOIL & Growing SOIL Final Report

SOIL & Growing SOIL Final Report
Sheli Smith, Ph.D., Monica Hunter, Ph.D.

Ketal Patel, Calvin Mires, Ph.D.
Growing SOIL Final Report

October 30th, 2015
Submitted to:
Fairfield County Educational Service Center
Submitted by
THE PAST FOUNDATION

Sheli Smith, Ph.D., Monica Hunter, Ph.D.
Ketal Patel, Calvin Mires, Ph.D.
Growing SOIL Project Team
Beth Witte
Jim Bruner
Kat Deaner
Dr. Herb Broda
Dr. Matthew Broda
Jim Dvorsky
Darin Hadinger
Ashley Bloom
Dr. Ellen Cahill
Know ledge Capture Team

Maria Green Cohen
Meghen Matta
Lisa Beiswinger
Kayla Galloway
Rachel Orsborn
Alyssa Reder
Bridge Program Directors & Staff

Beth Witte
Dr. Andrew Bruening
Kelly Preheim
Andrew Bloom
Ashley Bloom
Jim Dvorsky
Katie Sedin
Christy Jones
Chris Perry
Sirrus Lawon
Steve Boyle
Kim Mullen
Darin Handinger
Cari Ritzenthaler
Calvin Mires
Erica Noll
Caitlin Davis
Natika Washington
Zac Patterson

Copyright 2015 PAST Foundation
All Rights Reserved

Growing SOIL was made possible by

partnerships with:
Fairfield County Educational Service Center
Hocking College
Kelleys Island School District
COSI
Baldwin Road Jr. High School
BioMed STEM Academy High School
eSTEM High School
Metro Early College High School
Metro Early College Middle School
National Inventor's Hall of Fame Middle School
Starling Middle School
West High School
Westmoor Middle School
Fairfield Ridgeview Middle School
Fairfield High School
Federal Hocking Middle School
Federal Hocking High School
Lancaster High School
Millersport High School
Growing STEM Outdoor Innovation Lab (SOIL)

October 30 th , 2015 Final Report
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction...5
Section 2: Final Update......8
Section 3: Cohort 1: SOIL........10
Section 4: Cohort 2: Growing SOIL.......28
Section 5: Recognized Barriers & Potential Solutions.....35
Section 6: Recommendations.........37
Section 7: Conclusion.......39
Section 8: Professional Development Appendix..41
Section 9: Knowledge Capture: Growing SOIL Formative Evaluation Final Report..62
Section 10: Growing SOIL Knowledge Capture Appendix....76
INTRODUCTION
Between January 2014 and September 2015 through the generous support of Ohio Straight A
funds in rounds 1 and 2, SOIL (STEM Outdoor Learning Labs) was able to reach out across the state
and dynamically utilize space that is traditionally under-utilized at schools to increase the planning
and implementation of problem-based learning in grades 5 through 12. The program collectively
partnered with 16 school districts, stretching from Lake Erie to the Kentucky border, the Fairfield
ESC, COSI, Hocking College, and the PAST Foundation, along with numerous community
businesses and organizations. Growing SOIL funded in Straight A Round 2 brought on the growth
of the initial program by challenging the first cohort of 9 SOILabs to partner or buddy with other
local programs in order to more fully utilize the modules and labs created in Round 1. Thus,
another 9 buddy programs were established on top of the 15 anchor SOILabs by the culmination of
the second grant growing the reach of the program to 24 schools.
All 15 SOILabs participated in the same process, which followed the principles of design associated
with STEM education -- brainstorm, plan, build, evaluate, modify, and ultimately share. The
responsibilities within the grant were divided among the partners and participants to help insure
the timely completion and success of the program. Kelleys Island School District and the Fairfield
ESC provided fiscal oversight for both rounds of the funding. PAST Foundation provided the
programmatic content of the grant, which included professional development, for planning and
TPBL module development (Transdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning), SOILab construction
oversight, Bridge immersion programs at the prototyping field stations, and communication and

collaboration oversight among the participating schools. COSI
provided space and personnel for the authentic presentations as
well as brainstorming partners in the design of the labs. Kelleys
Island and Hocking College developed prototyping
environmental field stations for Bridge Immersion programs that
provided opportunities for teachers and students at the
participating schools in order to experience TPBL programs in
action.
The SOIL process was stepped, guiding each team through the
principles of design to plan, create, implement, evaluate, modify,
and share modeling what good STEM practice looks like at every
level of the program. Before a team was able to access the
funding set aside through the Straight A fund, they were required
to thoughtfully design and budget their own unique outdoor lab
fitting the product to their particular needs. In Straight A Round 1
nine programs -- 4 middle schools and 5 high schools, piloted the
program planning and creating SOILabs from Akron to Columbus.
_________________ __
SOIL Cohort 1
Baldwin Rd Junior High School
BioMed STEM Academy High
School
eSTEM High School
Metro Early College Middle
School
Metro Early College High
School
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Middle School
West High School
Kelleys Island Environmental
Field Station
The outdoor labs reflected environments from urban to rural,

public school and charter. Through internal evaluation, the
project team was able to identify constraints and changes that
would better future SOILab growth and amplify the impact of the
program. A second proposal was submitted to Straight A in
Round 2. After negotiations with Ohio Department of Education,
the proposal was revised to accommodate reduced funding.
Growing SOIL focused on expanding anchor SOILabs to 15 by
bringing on 6 more schools -- 2 middle schools and 4 high
schools -- rounding out the anchor labs creating a string of
SOILabs from Akron to the border of Kentucky. The second
SOIL Cohort 2
Fairfield Ridgeview Middle
School
Fairfield High School
Federal Hocking Middle School
Federal Hocking High School
Hocking College Environmental
Field Station
granted program also targeted reaching further into communities

to expand the impact of the cohort 1 SOILabs through increased
partnerships and buddy programs.
As we review the SOIL program looking at individual schools,
buddy programs, prototyping field labs, and the overall impact
educationally and within communities, we will also recognize the
constraints faced by the project some of the successful solutions
employed and some of the continuing obstacles that still require
SOIL & Growing SOIL

Partners
Fairfield ESC
PAST Foundation
COSI
Hocking College
__________________________
address to insure that this program continues to organically grow

and serve the surrounding communities and educational landscapes.
The report is set up to follow the principles of design. As the SOIL team worked with individual
teams and cohorts, we were conscious of the pattern used to model good planning, good practice
and authentic audiences. Thus the entire process associated with both SOIL and Growing SOIL
followed the principles of design from issuing the challenge of utilizing under-used space at
existing schools, to modeled immersive learning, to building and utilizing planned space. In each
phase of the project the SOIL team was there to support the individual schools and cohorts setting
up networks for the schools to use and processes for the schools to replicate.
Each quarter PAST has submitted a report to Ohio Department of Education chronicling the
process and deliverables for SOIL. We are proud to report that together SOIL and Growing SOIL
reached over 6250 students and more than 50 teachers, producing 100 replicable TPBL modules
(transdisciplinary problem-based learning) for use in SOILabs and classrooms across Ohio.
Moreover, though SOIL and Growing SOIL, 282 students and 20 teachers took advantage of the
opportunity to experience problem-based learning in immersive programs that featured
prototyping programs at two field stations, Kelleys Island Prototyping Education Field Station and
Hocking College Prototyping Field Station. Both programs immersed middle and high school
students in environmental programs that addressed authentic issues confronting the environment.
All quarterly reports are publicly available through Ohio Department of Education and will only be
highlighted in this final report.
Included in this final report is a report on the 5th quarter SOILab site visit charettes along with an
overview of the 15 SOILab and how each SOIL team has used the principles of design to critically
work though all phases of creating and sustaining the outdoor innovation labs. The initial tables
have been previously published in quarterly reports but provide an overview of the key benchmarks
for the two projects.
Final Update
Final Site Charettes
In Fall 2015 the SOIL project team made a final visit to each of the SOILabs to see what progress is
being made and what future plans are in the works (Table 7). The visits did not begin until the
academic school year had settled in and the programs had a chance to reengage students. Dr.
Herb Broda has led the charette team throughout the entire SOIL project providing continuity,
ingenuity, and expertise to the conversation, which ultimately helped each team stretch beyond
intial concepts into fuller utilization of space and content.
In the Appendix section the site visit forms review the sites in terms of
SOILab completion,
School faculty participation in the SOIL,
Future plans for the SOILab,
Continuing needs of the school faculty to fully engage the program,
Buddy program implementation, and
Observations by the SOIL project team.
Table 8 is a quick overview of programmatic success at each location in terms of the completion,
outreach to buddy programs if applicable, participation of faculty, and overall sense of success.
Table 7
General Management Overview
(September 2015)
Event
Date & Time
Objective
Additional Notes
Planning and organizing

site visits
9/14-9/22
To efficiently and effectively

visit the SOILabs
Herb Broda, Calvin Mires, Ashley Bloom, Jim Dvorsky, and Jim Bruner
Site Visits
9/24 9/25
To observe the uses and

growth of the SOILabs
Herb Broda, Jim Dvorsky, Calvin Mires, Jim Bruner
Planning and organizing

Virtual Brainstorms
9/
Prepare for summer Bridge

Programs
Calvin Mires, Ketal Patel

This culminates the active part of the two Straight A grants (Round 1 and 2) ,but does not end the
growth of the SOILabs individually. For example, in the instance of Baldwin Jr. High Schools
SOILab lost their administrator and all their teachers in both round 1 and round 2, yet in both
instances have continued to expand the program and get more teachers and students involved.
This reflects the power of the program in the face of adversity.
Although it will be difficult to capture the full impact of SOIL with simple numbers, the attention
that the program has gained regionally and nationally reflects a broad impact in driving resources
to the classroom, changing the landscape of STEM instructional strategies, and re-envisioning
where learning takes place.
Table 8: Programatic Overview by SOILab

SOILab
Baldwin Jr. HS
Biomed HS
eSTEM HS
Fairfield MS & HS
Federal Hocking MS & HS
Lancaster HS
Metro MS & HS
Millersport HS
NIHF MS
Starling MS
West HS
Westmoor MS

Completion
Yes
Yes
Yes
Outreach
Herbert Mills Elem
Mabel Schnee Elem
Summit Elem

Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

n/a
n/a
n/a
Metro Parks & Rec
Millersport Elem
Harold Arnold Elem
Starling Elem
MC2 HS
Valley View Elem

Broad Participation
Increasing
High
Low at HS,
High at Elem
High

High
Low
Low
High
High
Unknown
High

Overall Success
increasing
High
Mixed
High

High
Low
Low
High
High
Unknown
High

Cohort 1:
The first SOIL cohort consisted of 9 schools (Baldwin Junior
High School, Biomed STEM Academy, eSTEM High School,
Metro Middle and High Schools, National Inventors Hall of
Fame Middle school, Starling Middle School, West High
School, and Westmoor Middle School). Each SOILab was
awarded $10,000 to construct a SOILab on the property of
their school. However prior to construction each school was
required to identify a team that would plan the SOILab,
create a budget for the lab, take students to experience
immersive Transdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning (TPBL)
at the Kelleys Island Prototyping Environmental Field Station,
attend TPBL professional development, create planned
modules to implement in the SOILabs, and implement the
TPBL modules, as well as regularly report in a public forums
their progress, constraints, and future plans.
Between winter and summer 2014, these 9 schools
accomplished an amazing amount of planning, participation,
and construction, successfully creating 9 distinctive SOILabs
by summer 2014. Some of the distinctive attributes of SOIL
planning and implementation were that the project team and
the each of the SOILab teams focused on
Innovation of outdoor learning labs that resonated with
the needs of the individual schools so that no two
labs are identical,
Sustainability in planning so that the addition of the lab
_____________________
SOIL Project Team
Dr. Sheli Smith
Dr. Monica Hunter
Dr. Herb Broda
Dr. Matthew Broda
Kat Deaner
Beth Witte
Jim Bruner
Bridge Program Directors &

Staff
Beth Witte
Kelly Preheim
Dr. Andrew Bruening
Andrew Bloom
Ashley Bloom
Jim Dvorsky
Katie Sedin
Christy Jones
Chris Perry
Sirrus Lawon
Steve Boyle
_____________________
and utilization of underutilized space would not place

a financial burden on the school after the grant
tenure was concluded, and
Connectivity in usage of the SOILabs so that whether
or not individual teachers remained at the school the
use of the labs would continue.
The focus of Innovation, Sustainability, and Connectivity
helped keep all the teams focused as well as illuminated
constraints that were addressed in the round 2 of Straight A
funding. In round 2 of Straight A, SOIL was honored to
10

receive funding to grow the program. The dual focus of the
second grant Growing SOIL aimed at reaching into regions of
the state previously untapped and creating a second
prototyping environmental field station, as well as growing the
initial cohort of 9 schools by reaching deeper into the
community through partnerships and buddy program
outreach to grow the existing programs. Cohort 1 schools were
awarded an additional $4,500 to expand their programs and
bring on a buddy program to empower organic growth of the
SOILabs.
Growing SOIL got underway in Fall 2014 for Cohort 1 repeating
the steps of planning and implementation for growing the
programs they had established the prior spring 2014.
Throughout both SOIL and Growing SOIL the project team
utilized the information and guidance produced by in-house
evaluation to regularly monitor communication and fidelity to
the SOIL goals. In-house evaluation or Knowledge Capture also
helped the project team recognize constraints within the project
and external pressures that created constraints and obstacles to
success. A number of actionable changes observed in SOIL
became guiding criteria for Growing SOIL.

Growing SOIL Project
Team
Dr. Sheli Smith
Dr. Monica Hunter
Dr. Herb Broda
Dr. Matthew Broda
Darin Hadinger
Beth Witte
Kat Deaner
Ashley Bloom
Dr. Calvin Mires
Dr. Ellen Cahill
Jim Dvorsky
Fairfield ESC
Hocking College
Bridge Program Directors

& Staff
Kim Mullen
Darin Hadinger
Cari Ritzenthaler
Ashley Bloom
Calvin Mires
Andrew Bloom
Katie Sadin
Erica Noll
Caitlin Davis
Natika Washington
Zac Patterson
External Evaluation
provided by
Harkin Consulting LLC
___________________________
11
Table 2: Distinctive Characteristics of SOILabs

SOILabs
Lab Features In Process & In Planning
Baldwin Rd
Interior Courtyard with bog and water feature Greenhouse weather station garden beds
birdhouse with webcam live feed
BioMed STEM Academy
Nature trail outdoor classroom low ropes course storage shed
eSTEM High School
Wetlands Trail signage trees outdoor classroom story walk wetlands web cam
Fairfield Union
Benches for meeting area, pond reclamation new trail around outdoor space maple syrup
collection geocaching creating a video to market SOILab to other schools and community new
shelter house classroom survey of property, forestry plan
Federal Hocking
Creating prairie space signage for flora within designated prairie space benches in prairie space
to encourage small groups a biodiversity database weather station
Water feature in courtyard providing access for all students refurbishing the greenhouse indoor
greenhouse picnic table space herb gardens to augment culinary studies reclamation of pond
Metro
Raised garden beds outdoor classroom hydroponic vertical garden indoors precision agriculture
flight
Millersport
New outdoor covered learning space reclamation of wetland drainage weather station
National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle

School
Natural Habitat snake mound greenhouse bio-sculpture composters weather station tulip
garden birdhouses
Physics Hill with activity stations flower beds concepts trail with activity stations outdoor seating
area
West High School
greenhouse herb gardens outdoor seating area composter
greenhouse bat boxes outdoor seating area music steps outdoor scrabble game board
First presented in 2015 4th Quarter Growing SOIL Report (July 2015)
12
Table 3: Cohort 1 SOILab buddy programs
CHECKLIST
Cohort I School
Buddy School
Akron - National Inventors

Hall of Fame
Akron - Harold Arnold Elementary School
Reynoldsburg - Baldwin
Middle School
Reynoldsburg - Herbert Mills Elementary

School
Reynoldsburg - eSTEM High

School
Reynoldsburg - Summit Elementary

School
Columbus City Schools Starling Middle School
Columbus - Starling Elementary School
Columbus City Schools West High School
Cleveland - MC2 STEM High School
Columbus City Schools Westmoor Middle School
Columbus - Valley View Elementary

School
Charter Schools - Metro

Middle School
Columbus - Tremont Elementary School
Charter Schools - Metro High Columbus Metro Parks and Recreation

School
Program
Charter Schools - BioMed
STEM Academy
Rootstown - Mabel Schnee Elementary

School
funds expended to attract

and augment buddy school
programs
benefit from the funds expended for their

participation in SOILabs or SOILab
programs
First presented in 2015 4th Quarter Report (July 2015)
13

Social Studies, Math,
Engineering, Science, ELA
Social Studies, Math,
Language Arts
How does a community's

water availability impact it's
economic stability and
sustainability?
Invasive Species Removal
Reynoldsburg
Metro Early College
Food Availability
K-8th Grade
6th-8th Grade
10th Grade
Science, Math, Social

Studies, ELA
Studies, ELA
9th-12th Grade
9th-12th Grade

Studies, ELA
First presented in 2015 3rd Quarter Growing SOIL Report ( April 2015)
Columbus City Schools
7th Grade
Chemistry, Biology, AP
Politics, ELA
Educate and Inform the

Community about our
Wetland and Its uses.
What is an outdoor
innovation lab and how is it
used?
How do birds meet basic
needs for survival?
9th-11th Grade
Biology
Addressing the Emerald Ash

Borer in our outdoor lab at
Bio-Med
Bio-Med
7th Grade

Studies, ELA
Contaminants in local water

that could affect the
sustainability of an ecosystem
Reynoldsburg
Grade Level
Content Area
Name of Module
District
Growing SOIL Completed Modules (Page 1)
Table 4: TPBL Modules created for SOIL by SOIL teams
14
Federal Hocking Local School District
Science- Ecology
Economics
7th Grade
12th Grade
Millersport-Walnut Township
Millersport- Walnut Township
6th Grade-12th Grade
Biology, Math,
Economics, Science
(Middle School),
Chemistry
How do changes to Buckeye

Lake affect our community,
wildlife, and water quality?
Lancaster City Schools
How does the low water level

of Buckeye Lake affect the
local Economy?
Habitats Around Us
9th-12th Grade
Environmental Sciences
Erosion, Water Purification,

Waste Management, Air
Pollution
Grade Level
11th-12th Grade
8th Grade
10th Grade
Content Area
Science
Science
Science- Forestry
Name of Module
Water Quality
Topographic Maps
Maple Syrup
District
Fairfield Union
Fairfield Union
Fairfield Union
Growing SOIL Completed Modules (Page 2)
In addition to the TPBL project modules developed by Fairfield Union teachers and noted in this table, over the summer (2015) teachers from every
grade level at Fairfield Union created TPBL modules intended to take advantage of the SOILabs. Their work brings the number of replicable modules
to 100.
15
Table 5: Participation in Immersive Bridge Programs 2014 at Kelleys Island

Br id ge Prog ram Par ti cip ati on
SOILabs
Opportunities for Student

Participation
No. of students sent to

Kelleys Island Bridge
Programs
Opportunities for Teacher

Participation
No. of Teachers sent to Kelleys Island

Bridge Programs
Baldwin Rd Junior High

School
20
20
Biomed STEM Academy
20
20
eSTEM High School
20
17
Metro Middle School &

High School
40
39
National Inventors Hall

of Fame
20
19
20
18
West High School
20
19
Westmoor Middle
School
20
18
18
14
Open Programs in June

MC2 STEM Academy
na
Kelleys Island
7 na
20
Other
15 na
1
200
193
First reported in final 2014 report
16
Table 6: Participation in Immersive Bridge Programs 2015 at Hocking College

Br id ge Prog ram Par ti cip ati on
SOILabs & Buddy Schools
Opportunities for
Student Participation
No. of students sent

to Hocking Bridge
Programs
Opportunities for
Teacher Participation
No. of Teachers sent to Hocking

Bridge Programs
Baldwin Rd Junior High

School
Biomed STEM Academy
eSTEM High School
Fairfield Union Middle School

& High School
40
28
Federal Hocking Middle

School & High School
40
Kelleys Island
Metro Middle School & High

School
10
10
20
National Inventors Hall of

Fame
20
25
West High School
MC2 STEM Academy (buddy)
Walnut Township
Millersport
Extra Seats
12
25
200
89
First reported in Quarter 4 2015 report
17
Baldwin Rd. Junior High School

Design team attended January, February and March Planning workshops presenting their
plan in March 2014.

Design was for an interior courtyard at the school creating biomes. Students began
working on projects before construction started.
Baldwin Team participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
modules in June. Construction of the SOILab began in April and was completed in July.
20 students and 2 teachers participated in the Bridge immersion program at Kelleys Island
in 2014.
TPBL Topic: Contaminants in local water that could affect the sustainability of an
ecosystem

Students and teachers decided to expand the SOILab out into the side yard of the school
in Growing SOIL.

Students created growing basins from play pools expanding the SOILab beyond the
interior courtyard.

Cons traints :

Baldwin reached out to Herbert Mills Elementary School part of the Reynoldsburg STEM
feeder system as a buddy school to share their program and modules with.
High turnover of teachers and district strike slowed progress during Growing SOIL
Propose d Solutions :
Concentrated communication with principal and coordination of new teachers to get the
program up and running again. This has been successful
18
BioMed STEM Academy High School

Students and teachers decided enchance the SOILab with a shed to store tools in Growing
SOIL.
Design team attended January, February and March Planning workshops virtually
presenting their plan in March 2014.
Design was Nature trail outdoor classroom low ropes course storage shed
Biomed Team participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
20 students and 2 teachers participated in the Bridge immersion program at Kelleys Island
in 2014.
TPBL Topic: Addressing the Emerald Ash Borer in our outdoor lab at Bio-Med
Students found have the shed saved time and enabled them to expend more time at the
outdoor site.
Biomed reached out to local elementary school to partner during the school year.
19
eSTEM High School

plan in March 2014.

Wetlands Trail signage trees outdoor classroom story walk wetlands web cam
eSTEM Team participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
17 students and 1 teacher participated in the Bridge immersion program at Kelleys Island
in 2014.
TPBL Topic: Educate and Inform the Community about our Wetland and Its uses

Students and teachers created a second nature trail and signage that helps interpret the
wetlands near the Summit Elementary in Growing SOIL.

The initial SOIL trail has fallen into disuse, but the trail at the elementary school has been
incorporated into their school theme.
eSTEM reached out to adjacent Summit elementary school to partner during the school
year.
Cons traints :
Distance to wetlands and District wide strike cited as constraints
Use of bicycles acquired from Sheriffs department. Extending path up closer to school
building.
20
Metro Early College Middle & High Schools

Raised garden beds outdoor classroom hydroponic vertical garden indoors precision
agriculture flight
Metro Team participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
modules in June. Construction of the SOILab began in April and was completed in July. 39
students and 2 teachers participated in the Bridge immersion program at Kelleys Island in
2014. 10 students and no teachers particpated in the Bridge immersion program at Hocking
College in 2015.

SOIL is not complete. Aquaponics system is only partially system and not operational. Two
raised beds are actively attended.

There is one teacher using the aquaponics raised beds as part of her horticulture curriculum.
More teachers need to learn and engage with the SOIL facility.
plan in March 2014.
It appears that other schools and grade levels have not used the Outdoor Lab.
Cons traints :
Lack of facility development and teacher engagemet. Ohio State students designated to
construct facility fulfilled their academic requirements and left the project.
program up and running again. Need to find a champion for SOIL.
21
National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School

plan in March 2014.
Natural Habitat snake mound greenhouse bio-sculpture composters weather station

tulip garden birdhouses
National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School participated in P3 online professional
develoment in May and built TPBL modules in June. Construction of the SOILab began in
April and was completed in July. 19 students participated in the Bridge immersion
program at Kelleys Island in 2014. 5 students particpated in the Bridge immersion program
at Hocking College in 2015.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School was able to leverage the SOILab to
attract a donation of a weather station from the EPA.
The SOILab components continue to grow in use holistically throughout the entire school.
The fully functional weather station includes state of the art equipment that collects and is
able to disseminate data about the weather patterns in urban downtown Akron. This
information will be ava ilable for sharing amongall of the SOILabs and their buddies.
22

plan in March 2014.
Physics Hill with activity stations flower beds concepts trail with activity stations
outdoor seating area
Starling Middle School participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built
TPBL modules in June. Construction of the SOILab began in April and was completed in
July. 18 students and 1 teacher participated in the Bridge immerrsion program at Kelleys
Island in 2014. 1 student and no teachers went to the Bridge immersion program at
Hocking College in 2015.
Lab used by teachers for outdoor reading, class discussions, science and math lessons.

Most usage has occurred around the building with little use for the trail or hilltop areas.
Other schools were not mentioned, but it appears that multiple grade levels have used the
lab for a change of pace and place.
Constraints:
High turnover of teachers
Proposed Solutions:
program up and running again.
23
West High School

plan in March 2014.
greenhouse herb gardens outdoor seating area composter
West High School participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
19 students participated in the Bridge immerrsion program at Kelleys Island in 2014.
No visit to the site was possible.
The greenhouse is primarily used by science but in its second year is branching into the
humanities.
The science teacher has been coordinating with Starling Middle School in creating vertical
alignment between the two SOILabs.
24

plan in March 2014.
greenhouse bat boxes outdoor seating area music steps outdoor scrabble game
board
Westmoor Middle School participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and

built TPBL modules in June. Construction of the SOILab began in April and was
completed in July.
The SOIL facility was well-maintained and in obvious use.
The facility was used with 6-7 teachers and their classes teaching courses from math,
science, and ELA teachers.
The prinicipal is looking forward to incorporating other schools like Valley View Elementary
School into the curriculum.
Constraints:
Roof needs to be secured from access by students and vandals.
Proposed Solutions:
If roof can be secured, SOIL facility could possibly be expanded.
25
Cohort 1 Highlights from Quarterly Reports

October 30th, 2014 Quarterly Report
NIHF has transformed the outdoor balcony space above the
parking structure into a beautiful outdoor lab space. There
are three huge garden beds along with a green house
structure and weather lab available for student use. The
science department and visual arts department have
partnered to create a beautiful space for student
exploration. NIHF has multiple community partners
engaging in the project: NOVA Foundation, Cuyahoga Falls
National Park, and Helen Arnold Elementary School.
January 30th, 2015 Mid- Year Report
26

April 30th, 2015 Quarterly Report
Baldwin Junior High
Starling Middle School students

and teachers work side by side to
ready the built up beds for
planting.
Baldwin Junior High students

explore the properties of soil
preparing to get topsoil ready
July 30th, 2015 Quarterly Report

Sp ring Photo A lbu m H ig hlig h ts of S OILa b s
W es tm oor
New portable greenhouse
joins Westmoors SOILab
features
eS TEM
Signage around the wetlands
employed the combined efforts of
the FabLab, biology, and English
27
Cohort 2: Growing SOIL

Through the generous support of Straight A: Round 2, Growing SOIL responded to recognized
constraints of SOIL and recommendations to
Create support to expand the existing 9 SOILabs,
Plan and construct 6 new SOILabs in the southeastern region of Ohio,
Support the creation of a second prototyping environmental field station,
Provide teachers with P3 online professional development, and
Provide the bridge immersion opportunities for students and teachers from the SOILab
schools.
Each of the cohort 2 schools (Fairfield Union Middle and High Schools, Federal Hocking Middle and
High Schools, Lancaster High School, and Millersport High School) were awarded $10,000 to plan,
construct and implement programs around a SOILab just as the Cohort 1 schools had done the
year before. Cohort 2 took part in planning workshops, public presentations, and site charettes.
From lessons learned in SOIL and the change in the timeline of the Straight A Round 2 grants, the
second cohort was brought on board by first meeting cohort 1 and having a chance to observe
what had gone before them as well as question and gain insight through the regularly scheduled
Virtual Brainstorms. Initial charrettes were able to take place in the fall. Also in the second round,
the timing of the online professional development was moved forward to help prepare the teachers
well in advance for the summer immersion programs.
By adjusting the schedule in response to lessons learned and the 18 month grant period, Cohort 2
was better prepared for the planning aspect of the program and better prepared to reach into the
community for partners in their endeavor. Reaching into the community was a major goal of
Growing SOIL and the project team could see the difference between the two cohorts by adding
the additional 6 months and adjusting the planning to emphasize leveraging funding thorugh good
planning.
28
Fairfield Union Middle & High Schools

plan in March 2015.
Benches for meeting area, pond reclamation new trail around outdoor space maple
syrup collection geocaching creating a video to market SOILab to other schools and
community new shelter house classroom survey of property, forestry plan
Fairfield Union participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
modules in June. 28 students and 4 teachers particpated in the Bridge immersion program
at Hocking College in 2015.
Teacher are using TPBL modules for implementation of language arts activities. An outdoor
cart is used with a variety of small equipment items such as magnifiers and measurement
devices.
Most grade levels use space for some form of instruction.
Two elementary schools that serve the middle school are planning field trips to the site.
Cons traints :
Sharing ideas among enthusiastic staff that does not have staff meetings.
Suggested to focus once a month at a team meeting on sharing lab usage ideas and other
resources.
29
Federal Hocking Middle & High Schools
Design team attended January, February and March Planning workshops presenting
their plan in March 2015
Creating prairie space signage for flora within designated prairie space benches
in prairie space to encourage small groups a biodiversity database weather station
Fairfield Union participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
modules in June. 9 students and 1 teacher particpated in the Bridge immersion
program at Hocking College in 2015.
Lab comprised of several small projects, involving four staff members who have
committed to the outdoor learning areas..
The several small projects are works in progress with labor for some projects still being
arranged, and with praire needing to be planted for the spring.
N/A
Constraints:
Several projects need to be completed to finish outdoor lab. Teachers have expressed
interest in using lab, but little evidence that they are.
Proposed Solutions:
Working out labor to finish projects, and training for teachers to understand best how to
use SOIL lab.
30
plan in March 2015.
Water feature in courtyard providing access for all students refurbishing the greenhouse
indoor greenhouse picnic table space herb gardens to augment culinary studies
reclamation of pond
Lancaster participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL
modules in June.
Pond area and seating area have been greatly utilized by science classes, including solar
collector projects. Art classes conducted in courtyard.
Lab receives excellent use.
Lab is used well through the building and is growing into more content areas.
31
plan in March 2015.
New outdoor covered learning space reclamation of wetland drainage weather station
Millersport participated in P3 online professional develoment in May and built TPBL modules
in June. 25 students and 1 teacher particpated in the Bridge immersion program at Hocking
College in 2015.
The outdoor pavillion has been constructed but there is no seating.
There has been little to no usage of the pavillion since there is no seating.
None
Cons traints
The pavilion is not used due to lack of seats without clear reason for elimination of benches
from the project
Propose d
Donations or other funding to build benches and teacher development for increased use of
the lab
32
Cohort 2 Highlights from Quarterly Reports

October 30th, 2014 Quarterly Report
Fairfield Union
Fairfield Union hosted an initial site visit on
Wednesday, October 23rd. The school already uses the
outdoors for some instructional purposes and is
excited to expand and improve its use. The school is
looking to enhance three main areas: a courtyard area
in the middle school building, a wetland located
between the middle school and high school buildings
and an already existing land lab in great need of
upgrades and repair. The school already has plans to
reach out to a few community businesses to ask for inkind donations as well as other services and expertise.
The school planning team will meet again before the
next SOIL meeting in January.
Lanca ster City Schools
Lancaster High School hosted a site visit on October
22nd. The school had a wide range of staff
participate from administration, curriculum
coordinators to teachers. The school is looking to
transform three main areas on the school site. The
first is a pond area about 300yards in front of the
school building, could be used for multiple research
projects as well as general nature observation. The
second area is a courtyard space that already
contains a greenhouse that is mostly used for
storage. The teachers are interested in reclaiming
the courtyard space but would have to make some
decisions about the green house in terms of rehab
or demolition. Lastly, there is a small stream located
on site. The art teacher would like to create a
sculpture garden outside as well as engage the
industrial arts teachers in building seating near the
stream.

33

July 30th, 2015 Quarterly Report
Sp ring Photo A lbu m H ig hlig h ts of S OILa b s
Fe de ral H ocking
Hoop House under
construction
Lan ca ste r
The existing pond on Lancaster
campus that students plan to
reclaim in the coming semester.
Fa irfield U nion
Fairfield Union has an ambitious
SOILab program that involves
every grade k-12
34
Recognized Barriers & Potential Solutions

Funded initially in January 2014 and then again in fall 2015, SOIL and Growing SOIL have
successfully used innovative, fast paced facilitation and STEM design to deliver robust professional
development for administrators and teachers, engaging immersion programs that model good
STEM problem-based learning, and ongoing support to assist in the continued organic growth of
STEM Outdoor Innovation labs across Ohio. By participating in both rounds of the Straight A
program, SOIL was able to grow innovation and learn to grow communication and collaboration
between schools and communities.
Through the internal evaluation or knowledge capture we were able to recognize internal and
external barriers. Through modification Growing SOIL was able to address internal issues. One of
the barriers identified by teachers and administrators was the scheduling of the online professional
development. Thus we modified the timeline introducing Cohort 2 to the planning process and P3
in the fall of 2014, rather than waiting for the spring as the project did with Cohort 1. This
modification worked better for participation and reinforced the belief that stakeholder voices were
heard and acted upon.
Table 9
Faculty Retention in SOILAB teams

Principal
Lead Teacher
Partner
Teacher
Percentage
still in place
NO
NO
NO
Biomed STEM HS
YES*
YES
YES
100
eSTEM HS
YES
YES
66
Metro MS
YES
NO
NO
33
Metro HS
YES
YES
NO
66
National Inventors Hall of

Fame MS
NO
NO
YES
33
Starling MS
YES
YES
66
West HS
NO
YES
33
Westmoor MS
YES
NO
NO
33
Cohort 1 SOILabs
Baldwin Jr High School
*,YES,represents,those,team,members,s8ll,at,SOILab,school
35

Some barriers were combined internal and external situations. Within Growing SOIL stakeholders
noted that with the initiation of PARCC testing, holding the Bridge immersion programs in the
fourth quarter during the school year was problematic. The PARCC testing was an external barrier
that the SOIL project team attempted to ameliorate by moving the Bridge immersion programs to
June to accommodate the testing period. This modification was not successful. After moving the
programs teachers complained that the rescheduled programs fell after the school year during their
vacation. They were uninclined to participate and thus did not market the programs for their
students. In our quarterly report for July we recommended that future marketing directly target the
parents through PTOs and other public announcement venues.
The remaining barriers fell directly in the External environment outside of the project teams control
and continue to affect the success of the program. One of these potential threats is the retention
of administrators and teachers at the different schools. Table 9 reflects that only 3 of the 9 schools
(33%) have over half of the original faculty still in place. Only one school still has all of the original
team. This problem is amplified when we compare participation to retention. Middle schools had
better participation overall across the two years of immersion programs, 172 MS/110 HS, yet the
programs are more vulnerable to teachers movement out of the school and thus the curtailment of
the program, unless the administration of a school continues to push the program. This is evident
at Baldwin Rd. Junior High School where the administrations excitement about the opportunities
has driven the ongoing development despite the lack of teacher retention.
Finally, the dilema of how to expand participation beyond the initial schools partnering in the grant
due to interpretation of the Financial Impact Tables (FIT) hampered reaching beyond the
immediate project. Schools not listed in the grant were turned away from participation in the
Bridge Immersion programs because of the required financial reporting within FIT. Thus the prepaid seats in the June programs went unfilled. This change from Cohort 1 in SOIL reduced the
bridge program participation from 193/200 to 89/200, almost halving the participation in Growing
SOIL.
Through the recognition of barriers, the SOIL project team was able to change some timeing and
types of deliverables to achieve the projects goals and outcome, as well as ameliorate other
external barriers that affected the project but could not be completely overcome. The following
recommendations are for the continued organic growth of SOIL.
36
Recommendations
Each quarter the SOIL project team created a set of recommendations to help maneuver the
project across the dynamic landscape of planning, building and modifying the SOILabs. Also each
quarter during Growing SOIL the project team received a set of recommendations from the
external evaluator to assist in the modifications needed to achieve maximum success in SOIL. The
following are recommendations, both internal and external made during the course of Growing
SOIL and the solutions that were proposed for future and implemented to increase the
opportunities and success of Growing SOIL.
1. Constraint: Although written, verbal, and personal visits were made to each of the Cohort 2
schools to recruit teachers and students for the Bridge Programs at Hocking, this was not as
successful as the first year. Cohort 1 schools, however, were eager to participate in the
unexpected opportunity of a second year Bridge Program and either sent students or
invited their buddy school to send students. Knowledge Capture noted that teachers from
Cohort 2 wanted to be more involved with recruitment now that they know what to expect.
In addition, not being able to reach beyond the direct participants in the project hindered
open recruitment.
Recom m enda tion: Put more energy into directly appealing to parents through
established advertisements and media and leverage teachers who have already participated
in a bridge program hybrid. Once the schools within the project have been recruited and
the vacancies identified, schools outside the project be given the opportunity to participate.
By doing this, the project will help grow the endeavor.
2. Cons tra in t: Running the field programs after the end of the academic school year impacted
teacher participation.
Recom m enda tion: A possible solution is to target specific month, some within the
traditional school year and some not to attract the maximum number of teachers. For
example some of the programs might run in October and some in June. Thus schools with
the ability to afford substitutes could send teachers and students during the school year
while others could take advantage of the summer months.
3. Cons tra in t: Although the Virtual Brainstorms are widely advertised only a few SOILab teams
take advantage of them. It is important to note that these are the same schools who took
full advantage of the Bridge Programs.
Recom m enda tion: Along with the schedule of Virtual Brainstorms advertise guest
speakers who address various aspects of the SOILabs in an effort to both attract participants
37

and continue to encourage widespread use of the labs as well as continued development of
new TPBL modules. The Virtual Brainstorms can also be used to continue to promote the
2016 Summer experience and ongoing professional development available through P3.
4. Cons tra in t: Without falling victim to the blame game there is a perception gap between what
is desired by teachers for improved educational environments across the academic year and
what is required to accomplish the aspiration.
Recom m enda tion: Promote low risk participation in immersive learning for teachers as a
means to demonstrate how to engage students in learning while problem-solving as a more
common form of professional development. This delivery and instructional strategy negates
the perception that a concept must be delivered through lecture before it can be applied.
By immersing teachers in this low risk ride along the aspiration becomes attainable
producing improved educational environments and students with the skills needed to
become critical thinkers, collaborators, and communicators.
The external evaluation recommendations were as follows.
1. Harness student interest through formal and informal opportunites to interact with the
individual SOILabs.
Res pon se: A number of schools began running design challenges and projects that
engaged students and helped market the upcoming summer bridge programs. These
schools were consistently more engaged across all facets of the project.
2. Increase administrator support to forster awarenewss and recruit community partners.
Repons e: Regular discussions at the Virtual Brainstorm and direct emails were sent out to
administrators but need more interaction between the Project Lead Agency and districts to
reinforce the importance of the project design, implementation, and community
participation. Without the Lead Agency commitment, participating districts do not perceive
the importance of full participation.
3. Create new tools and reporting timelines to help districts anticipate data needed to
communicate both programmatic and fiscal information.
Res pon se: Tools for communication exist at the programmatic level but did not appear to
be carried through to the Lead Agency level. Basecamp, Virtual Brainstorms, regular
meetings and presentations, and site visits encouraged communication between the SOIL
project team and the SOILab teams but more can and should be done to take that
communication throughout the vertical rise of the organizational hierarchy.
4. Design templates to help participating schools track number of direct impact.
Res pon se: A questionnaire has been developed by the Fairfield ESC to assist schools in
38

continuing to track impact quantitatively through the foreseeable future. Qualitative impact
will be more difficult to quantify without continued interaction at the levels only seen during
the project.
Continued growth of SOIL is expected and potentially quantifiable across specific aspects of
implementation use of SOILabs, use of modules, changes in critical thinking and problem solving
among students attending schools with SOILab or buddy schools. However, many of the future
outcomes cannot be predicted due to the organic nature of the growth. For example, the
partnership that is developing between Metro Early College High School and the food science
company Coalesceence where students are studying the herbs grown in the SOILabs in terms of
food science and restaurant procurement. Yes, the growing number of community partners can be
quantified but the impact on education and where these partnerships take the schools learning
labs cannot.
Conclusion
The PAST Foundation is grateful for the opportunity to help establish two prototyping
environmental field stations that have the potential to continue to provide schools and teachers
with dynamic learning programs that can be taken back to home SOILabs and shared out with
buddy schools. We fully recognize that through the generous support of the Straight A Funds,
PAST was able to realize the growth of STEM learning throughout Ohio, engaging teachers in new
instructional strategies and ways to deliver relevant and rigorous learning. It is vitally important to
the continued transformation of learning in Ohio that opportunities like Straight A provide
education and community the opportunity to come together and create innovative pathways of
learning. In a time of dynamically changing educational landscapes,changemaker opportunities to
innovate pay forward exponentially.
By enabling SOIL to grow, the project was able to take advantage of lessons learned and the
longer timeline. In the second year Cohort 2 focused on leveraging funding and in Fairfield Union
and Millersport both SOILabs expanded their efforts substantially through community participation.
National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School from Cohort 1 also used the second year to expand
their SOILab partnering with the EPA and adding a state of the art weather station to their lab. In
all instances, the SOILab teams fully grasped the importance of sustainability as seen in their FIT
reports. By making sure their plans included all the tools they would need and by partnering with
community organizations the SOILabs are amazingly self sufficient. Seed companies and the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources are providing seeds to a number of the labs. Shared resources
such as probes and weather stations are enabling the programs to continue to grow into the future.
39

Although there are identified constraints, SOIL appears to be quite healthy in the majority of sites
and will continue to serve the students in and around all 15 of the anchor SOILabs for years to
come. It is our hope that the same will be true for the prototyping field stations. In the final survey
of the anchor SOILab schools, the positive response to continuing to take advantage of the
immersive experiences was unanimous.
In conclusion, learning how to fully take advantage of all space in the quest to expand learning for
todays student is vitally important to schools, teachers, students and community.
Providing opportunities that enable and empower both students and teachers in the
transformation of their own teaching and learning is critical to accelerating the transition to
powerful instructional strategies and 21st century skills.
Providing opportunities that have well articulated structure and opportunities for organic
growth that resonates with individual communities is crucial to success.
Providing the tools to sustain and grow programs is fundamental to changing the view and
implementation of state and federal funding.
SOIL and Growing SOIL provided these mechanisms, processes, and tools.
40
Growing SOIL Final Report

Appendix
Site Visit Forms- Cohort 1

Baldwin Road Jr. High School
eSTEM High School
Metro Early College Middle School & High School
Site Visit Forms- Cohort 2
Fairfield Union Middle School & High School
Agendas/Sign In Sheets
Quarterly TPBL Planning PD October 2nd Agenda
Quarterly TPBL Planning PD October 2nd Sign in Sheet
41
Baldwin Road Junior High

Sep 24, 2015 Site Visit
Final Build Site Visit

School: Baldwin Road Junior High
Address: Reynoldsburg, OH
Date: 9/24/2015
Committee Members & Community Partners Present:
Seth Dunn - new SOIL coordinator
Chelle Watts - Principal
1. Is there STEM Outdoor Innovation Lab complete? Why or why not?
Phase 1 is complete. BRJH is expanding the SOIL-based concept into the community and creating
inviting space for the community to come to BRJH (see below).
2. How many staff members participated in the planning and build of the Outdoor Lab? What was
their level of involvement?
All in all, there were eleven staff members associated with the SOIL development and
implementation. Three or four were "on point", while others served as helpers. The time devoted
to SOIL was volunteer and not financially compensated, indicating the true commitment these
3. Are there any future additions planned for the lab?
BRJH plans several expansions. Roughly $500 worth of treated 2x12 boards were donated to the
school from T3 Lumber and these will be used in the construction of several raised beds. Presently,
much of the SOIL facility is located in a small courtyard space enclosed by the school structure.
Outside of the structure are several "mobile beds"--small, wading pools made into planting beds.
Baldwin plans to replace or supplement these with raised beds for community use.
They
are also staff
interested
in developing
4.
Additional
development
needs:an aquaponics system.
Associated with their plans for community gardens, Baldwin Road staff want to understand what is
necessary to create and sustain a safe, well-maintained and inviting garden to be used by the
community.
They also recognize that they lack the insight needed to develop and maintain an aquaponics
system
like some guidance in this area of expertise.
5. Notesand
andwould
observations:
BRJH has actually reached beyond its own boundaries and has solicited support from Blacklick Plaza
(Reynoldsburg) and from the city of Reysnoldburg itself, via the mayor. Students are involved in
the beautification of Blacklick Plaza and are implementing raised flower beds.
A SOIL Club exists at the school with Seth Dunn as its sponsor/leader and 10-20 students
participating. Seth indicates that the club is growing.
6. Attachments:
42

Mobile Garden Beds
Courtyard SOIL Facility (Note "natural seating" and elevated plant bed)
43

Student Experiments -- Exploring Natural Herbicides (left) and Fabrication of Composting Bin (right)
Koi Pond
44

"The Bog", a favorite and serene place for students to do quiet work
45
Final&Build&Site&Visit&
School:&eSTEM&High&School
Address:&8579&Summit&Road,&Reynoldsburg,&OH&43068
Date:&9/25/2015
Committee&Members&&&Community&Partners&Present:Jim&Bruner&&&Calvin&Mires&from&The&PAST&
Foundation,&Madeline&Schultz,&eSTEM&Chemistry&Teacher,&and&Summit&Elemenrary&was&listed&as&a&
community&partner,&but&representatives&from&this&&group&wasn't&present.
1.&Is&there&STEM&Outdoor&Innovation&Lab&complete?&&Why&or&why&not?&Yes.The&Growing&SOIL&facility&
was&well]maintained&and&in&obvious&use,&next&to&Summit&Elementary.&The&original&Round&One&SOIL&
facility&was&in&significant&disuse&and&ill&repair.&There&was&no&sense&of&pride&or&interest&in&either&SOIL&
facility&on&the&part&of&Ms&Schultz.&It&was&a&pleasant&surprise&to&hear&the&Summit&principal&on&the&PA&
system&refer&to&the&students&of&SummitElementary&as&"Children&of&the&Wetlands"
2.&how&many&staff&members&participated&in&the&planning&and&build&of&the&Outdoor&Lab?&What&was&
their&level&of&involvement?&The&level&of&engagement&on&the&part&of&eSTEM&was&negligible&]&again,&
distance&from&the&school&was&cited&as&a&main&reason.&There&was&some&evidence&that&the&SOIL&path&
and&observation&deck&were&in&limited&use,&but&it&was&not&clear&if&this&was&by&High&School&or&
Elementary&students.&The&Elemntary&School&Butterfly&garden&was&well]maintained&and&in&obvious&
use.
3.&Are&there&any&future&additions&planned&for&the&lab?&No.&There&was&no&stated&plans&for&expansion&
or&growth.&I&cited&the&existence&of&a&well]designed&and&well]maintained&greenhouse&and&earth&
science/biology&greenhouse&within&the&school&premises.&Indeed,&there&was&very&little&evidence&that&
the&Nature&center&(aka&Yurts)&were&even&in&use,&although&well]maintained.
4.&Additional&staff&development&needs:&PD&for&staff&to&integrate&the&wetlands&biology&into&their&
curriculum.
5.&Notes&and&observations:&It&was&obvious&there&was&a&significant&disconnect&from&the&SLOIL&and&
Growing&SOIL&facility&on&the&part&of&eSTEM&]&although&the&Summit&Elemntary&School&was&obviously&
still&engaged.
46
47
Metro Middle and High School


School: Metro Middle and High School
Address: Columbus, OH
Date: 9/24/2015
Andrew Bruening - SOIL coordinator
SOIL is not complete. Aquaponics system only partially assembled and not operational. OSU
students enlisted to construct and initiate system apparently have fulfilled their academic
requirements and have left the project. Other than two raised beds that appear to be actively
tended, there is little evidence that a SOIL facility exists at Metro School.
There were initially approximately ten staff members associated with the SOIL program, but all
except Andrew Bruening have left for other schools. Dorothy Sutton is currently using the raised
beds as part of a horticulture curriculum.
Not at this time. Andrew is the only SOIL participant at Metro and his time is very limited over the
next year, given his commitments to Metro and The PAST Foundation.
4. Additional staff development needs:
Need to get teachers engaged with the SOIL facility, which has not happened to date. Ten new
teachers are not aware of the SOIL facility.
5. Notes and observations:
There is little evidence that SOIL is active at Metro. Considering that nearly $29000 has been spent
over the last two years on this facility, the lack of a facility and teacher engagement is a huge (and
costly) disappointment. Given that Andrew is the only SOIL participant at this time and his
availability is extremely limited, there currently is no champion for SOIL. Hence, it is quite likely
6. Attachments:
48

Raised Garden Beds -- Vegetables (left) and Flowers (right)
Assembled Plumbing of Aquaponics System (currently be used to hold classroom notes)
49

Additional Parts to be Assembled to the Aquaponics System
50
Starling School

School: Starling K-8 School
Address: Columbus, OH
Date: 9/24/2015
Andrew Bloom - SOIL Coordinator
Yes, definitely. The vision of creating an inviting and often utilized outdoor space for students and
teachers has been fulfilled. There have been some false starts, such as the establishment of a short
walking path and a "Physics Area" that have not been utilized. However, picnic tables, flower beds
and surrounding area have been popular and regularly used.
In addition to Andrew Bloom, two other teachers helped with this project. The Outdoor Club at
Starling also provided manpower to complete the project.
Starling would like to add a butterfly garden and are working with Robin Dugan of COSI. The
Outdoor Club also has plans to improve the area.
4. Additional staff development needs:
Adoption of the space by the students for lunch and reading has been quick. A few of the teachers
have realized the value of the SOIL and have utilized it as an extension of their classroom, but
Andrew would like to see a broader and more coordinated use by all the grades.
5. Notes and observations:
There seems to be pride among the students, staff and surrounding community for the SOIL facility,
and many people have contributed their time in planting and maintaining the garden beds. Though
some of the beds needed to be rebuilt, it was obvious that both vegetables and flowers had be
cultivated in these beds.
6. Attachments:
51

Starling School
The Addition of Picnic Tables Increased the Utility of this SOIL
One of Several Raised Plant Beds
52
Final&Build&Site&Visit&
School:&Westmoor&Middle&School
Address:&3001&Valleyview&Dr,&Columbus,&OH&43204
Date:&9/25/2015
Committee&Members&&&Community&Partners&Present:Jim&Bruner&&&Calvin&Mires&from&The&PAST&
Foundation,&Paul&Bailey,&Principal,&Westmoor&Middle&School.&The&school&listed&Kemba&Financial&
Credit&Union&as&a&community&partner,&as&well&as&Westmoor&Elrmentary,&but&representatives&from&
neither&of&these&groups&were&present.
1.&Is&there&STEM&Outdoor&Innovation&Lab&complete?&&Why&or&why&not?&Yes.The&SOIL&facility&was&wellX
maintained&and&in&obvious&use.&There&was&a&palpable&sense&of&pride&on&the&part&of&Paul&Bailey.
2.&how&many&staff&members&participated&in&the&planning&and&build&of&the&Outdoor&Lab?&What&was&
their&level&of&involvement?&Paul&Bailey&stated&that&on&average&6X7&teachers&and&their&classes&use&the&
SOIL&facility.&These&teachers&include&math,&science&and&ELA&teachers.&It&was&obvious&upon&inspection&
that&the&SOIL&facility&was&wellXused.
3.&Are&there&any&future&additions&planned&for&the&lab?&Yes.&Paul&Bailey&stated&several&times&that&
expansion&of&the&SOIL&facility&cannot&go&on&without&steps&to&secure&the&roof&from&access&by&students&
and&theft/vandals.
4.&Additional&staff&development&needs:&PD&for&staff&to&integrate&the&teachers&from&Westmoor&
Elementary&school&into&their&curriculum.
5.&Notes&and&observations:&It&was&pleasing&seeing&the&pride&the&principal,&the&school,&the&students,&
and&the&maintenance&staff&take&in&the&space.&The&Growing&SOIL&additions&were&quite&striking&and&
were&all&accounted&for.
6.&Attachments:&
53
54
TPBL%Implementation%Site%Visit%
School:Fairfield%Union
Address:
Date:%September%25,%2015
Committee%Members%&%Community%Partners%Present:
Liz%Henwood
Rachel%Thomas
1.%How%has%the%lab%been%used?
1.%Much%of%the%focus%currently%is%on%getting%the%outdoor%land%lab%completed%at%the%back%of%the%
property.%Teachers%are%using%outdoor%space%around%the%school%for%language%arts%activities,%and%
general%change%of%pace.%An%outdoor%learning%cart%that%is%loaded%with%a%variety%of%small%equipment%
items%such%as%magnifiers%and%measurement%devices%is%just%now%being%put%into%service.%
2.%What%grades%have%utilized%the%Outdoor%Lab?%Have%any%other%schools%used%your%Outdoor%Lab?
2.%Most%grade%levels%are%going%outside%for%some%form%of%instruction%or%outdoor%classroom%utilization.%%
The%courtyard%area%receives%regular%usage.%The%two%elementary%schools%that%serve%the%middle%school%
are%also%planning%field%trips%to%the%site.%%
3.%Have%teachers%used%the%TPBL%modules%developed%in%Spring%2015?%Why%or%why%not?%%
Rachel%has%definitely%used%TPBL%and%mentioned%that%several%other%teachers%have%also.%
4.%Additional%staff%development%needs:
Now%that%site%is%in%place,%there%is%a%need%for%specific%activities%and%the%sharing%of%ideas%among%staff.%
They%do%not%have%full%staff%meetings,%but%do%meet%as%grade%level%teams.%I%suggested%that%they%focus%
perhaps%once%a%month%at%a%team%meeting%on%sharing%lab%usage%ideas%as%well%as%resources%that%other%
content%areas%might%be%able%to%use.%
55
5.%Notes%and%observations:%
Much%of%the%focus%of%this%school%has%been%on%the%reviving%of%an%existing%large%wooded%outdoor%
learning%area%with%two%ponds%and%a%historic%covered%bridge.%The%area%had%been%heavily%used%many%
years%ago%as%an%outdoor%education%land%laboratory.%During%the%last%year%there%has%evolved%
tremendous%community%interest%in%revitalizing%this%area.%The%result%has%been%a%transformation%into%a%
setting%that%is%almost%parkYlike.%It%is%a%magnificent%outdoor%learning%area.%A%serious%concern,%
however,%is%the%walking%distance%from%the%school.%Given%that%the%school%has%only%45%minute%periods,%
it%will%be%difficult%to%make%visits%to%the%site%frequently.%%Work%on%this%area%has%consumed%much%of%the%
work%of%the%SOIL%planning%committee.
The%funding%has%provided%two%heavy%duty%outdoor%learning%carts%that%are%stocked%with%equipment%to%
use%for%field%work.%These,%hopefully%will%encourage%usage%around%the%periphery%of%the%building.
6.%Attachments:%
56
School:%Lancaster%High%School%
Address:
Date:%9/25/2015
Nathan%Conrad
Mont%Goss
Shannon%Fish
Lab%is%receiving%excellent%usage.%The%pond%area%and%seating%has%been%greatly%utilized%by%sicence%
classes.%%The%environmental%science%classes%have%recently%done%solar%collector%projects%on%the%site.%
The%art%instructor%continues%to%have%her%students%work%in%the%courtyard%area.
Several%teachers%in%the%building%are%using%the%site%for%outdoor%learning%activities.%The%FFA%instructor%
has%taken%on%the%project%of%repurposing%the%greenhouse%in%the%courtyard%area.%A%wonderful%seating%
area%has%been%placed%at%the%front%of%the%building%to%facilitate%the%use%of%the%lawn%area%for%teaching.
The%environmental%science%teacher%is%a%strong%TPBL%advocate.%The%comment%was%made%that%problem%
based%learning%is%being%done%throughout%the%building.
The%principal%feels%that%there%is%a%definite%need%to%share%outdoor%learning%practices%building%Xwide.%
He%feels%that%there%now%is%a%need%to%show%examples%of%how%outdoor%activities%can%be%incorporated%
into%a%variety%of%content%areas.%
57
5.Notes%and%observations
This%school%has%implemented%the%SOIL%Project%very%effectively.%The%administrator%has%a%great%
enthusiasm%for%the%project%and%is%very%proud%of%the%work%that%his%staff%has%done.%The%outdoor%
teaching%meeting%areas%have%been%beautifully%done%utilizing%stone%foundation%blocks%from%the%old%
high%school%building.%The%teachers%that%I%spoke%with%were%very%enthusiastic%and%were%eager%to%
encourage%others%to%be%more%invovled%in%outdoor%learning%also.
6.%Attachments:%
58
School:%Millersport
Address:
Date:%9/25/2015
Jeff%Stought
The%only%item%that%has%been%completed%is%the%outdoor%pavilion%that%is%near%the%school%nd%parking%lot.%
However,%there%is%no%seating%in%the%pavilion.%
2.%The%principal%stated%that%there%has%been%little%or%no%usage%of%the%pavilion%since%there%is%no%seating.%%
No%reference%was%made%at%all%to%TPBL.
Perhaps%ideas%sfor%specidic%outdoor%activities%would%be%useful.
5.%Notes%and%observations:%
Unfortunately%the%result%has%only%been%an%empty%shell%of%a%pavilion.%I%discussed%with%the%principal%
the%idea%of%going%to%a%retailer%such%as%Lowes%to%seek%a%grant%or%donation%of%product%in%order%to%get%
benches%for%the%pavilion.%Im%sure%that%teachers%would%use%the%pavilion%if%it%had%seatingit%is%near%a%
small%wetland,%and%is%right%outside%of%the%science%wing%of%the%school.%It%was%not%clear%why%the%
benches%were%eliminated%from%the%projectsupposedly%several%expected%donations%did%not%come%
through%and%the%full%amount%of%the%grant%went%to%construction.%
59
!
!
TPBL!Quarterly!Planning!!
Professional!Development!
Agenda!for!Fairfield!County!ESC!
October!2nd,!2015!
!
9:00AMI9:15AM:!Welcome!and!Introductions!!
!
9:15AMI10:15AM:!Introducing!the!Design!Cycle!
!
10:15AMI12:00PM:!Developing!a!Back!map!and!designing!
problems!projects!products!for!your!students.!
!
12:00PMI12:15PM:!Sharing!your!big!ideas!and!back!map!work.!
!
12:15PMI1:00PM:!Lunch!on!your!own!
!
1:00PMI1:45PM:!Design!2!week!project!plans!and!project!management!in!the!
classroom.!
!
1:45PM!!2:45PM:!Developing!Project!Snapshots!and!aligning!standards.!!
!
2:45PMI!3:00PM:!Share!out!and!closing!comments!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
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60
61
GROWING SOIL
FORMATIVE EVALUATION
FINAL REPORT
During the 2014-15 academic year, The PAST Foundation Knowledge Capture (KC)
Program conducted formative evaluation of the implementation process for (15)
schools participating in the Growing SOIL Project during the period beginning August
2014 through June 2015, funded by a Straight A Grant. This report provides a
summary evaluation for Cohort 1 schools (n=9), and Cohort 2 schools (n=6).
Formative evaluation has been reported on a quarterly basis (October 30, 2014, and
January 30, April 30, and July 30, 2015). This report constitutes the final report of year
1 implementation for Growing SOIL. The report provides a summary view of all
evaluation activities conducted over the 2014-15 academic year, as well as a final
analysis of pre- and post-data gathered during year 1 of the project.
The KC Program involves an iterative approach to documenting projected-related
professional development (PD) as well as workshops, planning sessions, and related
activities, working with the PAST Implementation Team to inform real time modification
of implementation design. The KC Program employed a range of methods that
include both qualitative and quantitative data collection to identify unique dimensions
of the implementation process and experience across the (15) individual schools. The
evaluation design also involved identifying key opportunities to gather data that
demonstrates and defines important milestones and benchmarks of project
implementation in ways that could better support project participants. Evaluation of
implementation strategies, including particular challenges encountered and
achievements gained, helps to identify and maximize unanticipated beneficial
outcomes for teachers and students.
Quarterly reports issued in October 2014, January, April and July 2015 provided
detailed progress reports including evaluation based on observation of project
planning activities, both on-site, and in professional development settings.
Additionally, focus groups and pre- and post-surveys were also conducted with both
62

Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 team members. See the Appendix to this report, Table A:
Chronology of Knowledge Capture Activities 2014 - 2015.
This final report is organized to provide a summary overview of evaluation activities
conducted during the year, followed by discussion of key issues identified during
successive phases of work conducted by Cohort 1 and Cohort 2.
FORMATIVE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES
Table 1: Knowledge Capture Formative Evaluation presents an overview of research
activities including a brief description of the process involved, type of analysis and
reporting process.
TABLE 1: Knowledge Capture Growing SOIL Form ative Evaluation M ethods
Research
Activity
Observation of
Growing SOIL
Project Activities
Growing SOIL Team

Focus Groups
Growing SOIL
Pre- and Post- Surveys
Formative Evaluation
Monthly Meetings
Process Conducted
by Evaluation Team
Evaluation Product
Observe school team interaction, planning sessions,

Bullet Point Report providing
site tours, and presentations; participate in event debrief with the PAST
summary of emerging themes;
PAST Implementation Team.
report distributed to the PAST
Implementation Team to inform
implementation strategies.
Conduct small group discussion with Cohort 1 teachers
Qualitative analysis to identify
regarding school design for building engagement strategies
challenges and barriers to
within the school and with community partners; identify
attaining project goals; narrative
challenges, benefits, and gains experienced during different
analysis submitted in quarterly
phases of project implementation with both Cohorts 1 and 2;
grant reports.
explore Hocking Field School experience with Cohort 2 teachers.
Design and administer online survey for individual team
Qualitative and quantitative
members to give feedback on implementation components and
analysis submitted with
describe perceptions of program success, challenges, and ideas
quarterly grant reports.
about sustaining the project into the future.
Monthly Implementation Team meetings to coordinate
1 1.5 hr. monthly meetings
modifications to implementation schedules; review logistics of
held at the PAST Foundation
evaluation team involvement in project implementation
Office coordinated and
activities; review interim stages of analysis of qualitative and
conducted by Knowledge
quantitative data to inform implementation strategies; planning Capture.
and review of quarterly report preparation (October 2014 and
January, April, and July 2015).
These four types of evaluation activities are further described in the following section,
characterizing methods and purpose of each type of activity. Figure 1, Knowledge
Capture Formative Evaluation for the Straight A Grant Program, was developed for to
63

PAST FOUNDATION KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE (KC) PROGRAM
Your district has received a packet of information regarding confidentiality protocols for
conducting interviews, focus groups, and surveys. The packet includes essential information
about the KC Program, informed consent documents, a description of the purpose of the
implementation evaluation, constraints on use of data, as well as important details about
voluntary participation.
Know ledge Capture Protocols
Assessing effectiveness of each grants implementation design, the KC team will conduct
focus groups and surveys with project teams at strategic points during the 2014-15 academic
year. Additionally, one-on-one interviews may be conducted with administrators and others
from within the district to gain insight on first-hand experiences with the implementation
process. This type of formative evaluation helps shape essential modification of
implementation strategies in ways that better meet the needs of individual districts and
schools involved in each project.
Know ledge Capture (KC) Interviews, Focus Groups and Surveys
FIGURE 1: Knowledge Capture Formative Evaluation Information to School Districts
MATH MATTERS
FAST FORWARD
GROWING SOIL
FAIRFIELD EDUCATION
SERVICE CENTER
STRAIGHT A GRANTS
Tasked with supporting

implementation
THE KNOWLEDGE
CAPTURE PROGRAM
The field team will conduct observation of initial meetings, workshops and training sessions
held during fall 2014 for all three projects. Through observation of the implementation
process, the KC team will provide important feedback to the implementation team as work is
underway. This feedback identifies effective processes to advance implementation that meets
all aspects of program goals. Feedback empowers modification to better meet the needs of
individual schools or districts in achieving strategic outcomes that fully maximize the success
of the STRAIGHT A Grant Program.
Know ledge Capture (KC) Field Observations
The PAST FOUNDATION w orks w ith schools and districts to support school transformation in a range of
w ays. A key component of the w ork is conducted by the K now ledge Capture team, w ho document the
unique challenges and successes of program implementation. The K C team w orks w ith educators w ithin
schools from district-level administration to the classroom. K C provides insight about implementation
processes from the experience of program participants. K C data supports effective models of change
for use w ithin the educational system.
64

inform all project participants about the role of Knowledge Capture and approach to
formative evaluation of the implementation of the Straight A Grant. This information
was circulated to all project schools during September 2014. Additionally, a virtual
Q&A session was offered to all participants to provide an opportunity to discuss the
formative evaluation process and provide any additional information essential to inform
all participants of the approach to formative evaluation for the Growing SOIL Straight A
Grant.
Observation of Project Activities: Gathering data in the early stages of formative
evaluation is initiated with observation of planning sessions with the PAST

Implementation Team, as well as implementation workshops and during on-site visits
with school teams. Data developed from observation of planning sessions and on-site
tours throughout the course of the school year provided the opportunity for the
evaluation team to gather details on the implementation process, track modifications
to the implementation design, and develop a coordinated plan for engaging with
implementation activities related to key project goals.
Focus Groups: The SOIL team members were invited to participate in focus groups at
strategic points in the implementation process. Cohort 1 (C1) team members

participated in a structured dialogue to provide C1 participants with the opportunity to
explore strategies for partnership building, and to share insights on achievements and
new developments at the start of the fall 2014 school term. Cohort 2 (C2) teacher
focus groups were conducted during the Hocking Field School held during June 2015
to garner feedback on the field school experience for teachers, as well as insights
gained through their observations of student learning in an outdoor setting.
Pre- and Post-Surveys: Surveys provided the opportunity for individual school team
members to give feedback to the PAST Implementation Team on aspects of the

implementation process including planning sessions, resources, and PD workshops.
These surveys were conducted via a secure online web-based platform,
SurveyMethods. Information to project participants about the survey and web link
was distributed to team members via BASECAMP email notification. The June 2015
survey was also open to participants to complete as part of the activities slated for the
final presentation day at COSI on June 6.
65

Form ative Evaluation M onthly M eetings: Members of the Knowledge Capture team
met monthly with the Implementation Team and the Growing SOIL Fairfield County
Educational Service Center grant manager to review and coordinate modifications to
implementation. Discussions included reviews of interim stages of analysis of
qualitative and quantitative data intended to inform ongoing implementation
strategies. Time was also allocated to plan and review coordination of quarterly report
preparation.
Analysis of data collected during the course of the project was reported in the quarterly
reports as shown in Table 2: Overview of Growing SOIL Formative Evaluation
Reporting 2014-2015.
TABLE 2: O verview of Growing SO IL
Form ative Evaluation Reporting 2014-2015
SOIL Cohort
Cohort 1
Cohort 1
Cohort 2
Cohort 2
Cohort 2
Cohort 2
Cohort 1
Cohort 1, 2
Evaluation Mode
Date Conducted
Report Submitted
Pre-Partner Development Focus

Group
Post-Implementation Survey
Pre-Planning Survey
Planning Sessions Observations
September 20, 2014
October 30, 2014
December 6, 2014
January 12-14, 2015
February 20,
March 20-21
May 19-20, 2015
June 6 and 12, 2015
January 30, 2015

January 30, 2015
April 30, 2015
June 1-6, 2015
July 30, 2015
October 2-13, 2015
October 30, 2015
Site Visit Observations

Teacher Focus Groups/Hocking
Field School
Post-Partner Implementation
Survey
Growing SOIL Final Participant
Survey, Cohort 1 and Cohort 2
July 30, 2015

July 30, 2015
Summary Overview 2014-15: Evaluation of Cohort 1 and Cohort 2

During the successive phases of implementation, the Knowledge Capture Team was on
the ground documenting various implementation activities. In this work, Growing SOIL
participants were observed as they worked to advance progress toward establishing
their outdoor learning labs, and generating new curriculum to create outdoor learning
experiences envisioned for each of the Growing SOIL schools. Additionally,
participants also contributed to the process for gathering strategic and highly
informative data through voluntary participation in focus groups, and in completing
surveys. Table 3: Growing SOIL Formative Evaluation Research Activities 2014-2015
presents key data collection points for both Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 during year 1
66

implementation. Formative evaluation activities are listed by month and year, and
include the number of Cohort participants engaged in each activity.
TABLE 3: Growing SOIL Formative Evaluation Research Activities
2014-2015
Month
Formative Evaluation
Number of
Participants
COHORT 1
2014
September
Cohort 1 Focus Group
Cohort 1 School Site Visits (6)
32
2014
December
Cohort 1 Post-Implementation Survey
10
Cohort 1 Presentation Observation
12
Cohort 1 Post-Partner Survey
2015
June
COHORT 2
2014
October
Cohort 2 Orientation Observation
16
School Site Visits (6)
14
2015
January
Cohort 2 Orientation Observation and PreDesign Survey
15
2015
February
Cohort 2 Workshop Observation
17
Cohort 2 Workshop Observation
20
Cohort 2 Presentation Observation
16
School Site Visits (6)
10
Cohort 2 Focus Group
Cohort 2 Interview
2015
March
2015
May
2015
June
COHORT 1 and 2
2015
June
2015
October
Final Presentation Observation
10
Growing SOIL Final Survey Cohort 1 and 2
10
In this effort, Growing SOIL participants helped to build both the quantitative record,
and equally important qualitative account essential to understanding the process in
terms of the creative and innovative strategies that each team developed as the work
was underway. As in any undertaking, the plan as initiated was modified at different
points in successive phases of effort to better meet the needs of the participants to
support their vision, and to provide a path to success for all the Growing SOIL schools.
67

Growing SOIL: Cohort 1 Program Evaluation Overview 2014-15
In the fall of 2014, teachers from the nine schools in Cohort 1 (C1) were invited to
attend a work session to launch the second phase of work funded by the Growing SOIL
Straight A Grant. Orientation for C1 was conducted on September 20th and included a
focus group dialogue with (7) participants. The issues raised during the discussion
reflected work completed through June 2014 (during the spring term of the prior
grant), as well as early planning for the fall 2014 term. C1 team members were also
invited to complete a post-survey following the December 6 presentations (n=10). The
following sections present major areas of interest to the group at the start of the fall
term and at the close of the fall term, offering a comparative view of the project
implementation process focused on building partnerships to expand use of the
outdoor lab beyond the home school student population. This review of issues focuses
on goals for Cohort 1 including: 1) Integrated Curriculum for the Outdoor Lab; 2)
Student Engagement; and, 3) Building Community Partners.
Integrated Curriculum for the Outdoor Lab
Interest among the faculty in usage of the outdoor lab increased as the school SOIL
site took shape. In September, teachers reported that the lab had become a focal
point on the school grounds, including the idea of creating a new school identity,
triggering a different and positive view of the school by teachers, students, as well as
members of the community. Teachers described differences in instruction, as outdoor
learning was merged with classroom instruction. In particular, school-wide challenges
were identified as a way to engage other teachers, and to begin initiating curriculum
development for different grade levels. School-wide challenges also fostered
integration of content areas for teachers who began collaborating across grade levels,
with lower grade level teachers working with upper grade level teachers in new ways,
building a new framework for curriculum design for outdoor learning. Teachers also
noted that these new teaching partnerships across grade levels created increased
enthusiasm as use of the lab space grew.
In December, C1 Growing SOIL team members reported that curriculum design (n=6)
and continuing to build teacher buy-in (n=7) were important aspects of their team
efforts to meet goals for increasing use of the outdoor lab. Survey respondents also
reported that they had made progress with curriculum integration (n=7), and 50% of
68

the teachers reported that they had used science curriculum with students in the
outdoor lab (n=5). Over half of the 10 respondents said that they had successfully
collaborated with other teachers in developing outdoor lab projects (n=6).
A key factor identified in September and in December centered on the fundamental
need for common planning time or other ways to provide teachers with the opportunity
to collaborate on projects for the outdoor lab. In particular, teachers noted the critical
role of the building administrator in supporting collaboration by providing
opportunities for teachers to work together on projects, as well as with their new
community partners.
Student Engagement
Focus group participants reported that student engagement grew in diverse ways.
While some teachers reported that students had participated in various construction
and implementation activities, by mid-September there were clear signs that students
were exhibiting a sense of ownership by taking on tasks outside of classroom activities
(such as weeding) to maintain the outdoor lab site.
Teachers also described ways in which they planned to expand student exposure to
the outdoor lab through partnerships across elementary, middle and high schools. The
opportunity to build experiences for younger students to be mentored by older
students was also identified as an important new experience for increasing student
interest in the outdoor lab across grade levels.
In December, seven of the ten teachers commented that student interest remained
high following completion of design and construction. Four teachers noted that
students continued to stay involved with site maintenance, demonstrating students
ongoing sense of ownership of the outdoor lab space.
Building Community Partnerships
In September, focus group participants reported on various ways in which they had
approached new partnerships with community organizations, including efforts to
educate the community more broadly about the outdoor learning lab. Inviting parents
and others in the community to the school to tour the outdoor lab was viewed both as
a means to build parent awareness, and also to build potential for strategic
69

partnerships with local organizations including master gardeners, birding groups,
native plant groups, and resource agencies, as well as open up possibilities for interest
from local businesses. University partnerships were also sought to engage content
expertise, as well as to explore the potential for establishing mentor programs
involving college students.
In December, nine of the ten survey respondents reported that they had established
community partnerships, and eight said these partnerships involved goals for building
sustainability for the outdoor lab facility. Two respondents identified the need for
administrative support in building community relations, suggesting that outreach about
the outdoor learning lab could include information on ways in which local residents and
businesses could play an important role in collaborating with students and teachers to
continue to build and strengthen the viability of the program for the long term.
Growing SOIL: Cohort 2 Program Evaluation Overview 2014-15
The launch of Cohort 2 (C2) planning began in January of 2015 for team members from
six schools. Participation in the initial two-day planning workshop was impacted by
weather conditions and constraints on travel to Columbus. Virtual participation was
offered for those unable to attend the workshop, and a pre-planning survey was
conducted to allow all Growing SOIL C2 participants (those at the workshop as well as
those participating virtually) to provide the PAST Implementation Team with insight on
initial perceptions about the project and goals for creating an outdoor lab envisioned
by each school team. A total of 13 individuals (86%) of the 15 participants in the
January workshop completed the pre-planning survey. The following discussion
focuses on 3 key aspects for C2 goals: 1) Student Engagement; 2) Teacher
Engagement; and, 3) Community Engagement for Sustaining the Outdoor Lab.
Student Engagement
In January, more than half of the C2 survey respondents (n=8) defined the top goal of
the Growing SOIL project as increasing meaningful engagement in learning
experiences to achieve a real world application for students. Six survey respondents
also said that learning outside of the classroom formed an approach with potential for
engaging students in new ways. Additionally, four respondents suggested that
beneficial outcomes of the Growing SOIL program would stem from creating new
70

curriculum for outdoor learning, and increasing creative uses by students of outdoor
spaces on the school campus. Three survey respondents specifically cited the
opportunity to develop transdisciplinary problem based learning (TPBL), and two
suggested that collaboration among teachers could be beneficial in creating student
projects and establishing different kinds of uses of outdoor learning areas.
In February and March during planning workshops, teachers continued to build
strategies to engage students, expanding ideas about specific ways students can
participate in design and implementation including during early stages of physical
construction of the outdoor lab facility. As curriculum development and experience
with students in the outdoor lab occurred, teachers expressed their views on the value
of working outdoors with students, including exposing students to working with
community partners, and in creating opportunities to work with students from other
schools within the district. As an example, one school involved elementary students in
creating maps and designing field guides to lead tours for visitors to the school.
Additional efforts to initiate outreach and build interest in the opportunity for students
to attend the Hocking Field School were also reported to include reaching out to
parents with the dual outcome of raising awareness of the outdoor learning program,
as well as the opportunity for students to participate in the summer immersion field
school.
Student ownership of projects has been a highlight of the experience in year 1 as
characterized by teachers in June during the Hocking Field School. Student
involvement in year 1 evolved over the course of the year as the design teams
progressed with their planning process. Some students were involved in providing
input regarding what they would like to learn about in the outdoor lab (i.e., getting an
8th graders perspective). And, as noted above, student involvement increased as
construction and actual class projects were initiated at the school outdoor lab site.
Teachers commented on the continuing role of students projected for year 2
implementation, including involving students in designing informational components of
the outdoor site with projects such as creating outdoor signs for different components
of the school grounds, cataloging micro-scale biodiversity of outdoor areas, and
managing the outdoor space.
71

Teacher Engagement
Similar to the C1 group, C2 survey respondents in January (n=6) identified the
challenge of building teacher buy-in among the school teaching staff. In March, during
the PD workshop, C2 teams described strategies they were applying to build staff buyin, and reported that they were seeing growing interest from colleagues about the
outdoor learning space. One C2 team reported that they were encouraged by
increased collaboration among teachers in taking on various aspects of implementing
the plan for the outdoor lab through formation of sub-committees, providing all the
teachers in the school a way to engage and give input to the Growing SOIL project.
Engaging teachers and building confidence in the value of outdoor learning for
students increased as teachers gained experience in working with students outdoors.
Notably, teachers at one school reported that initial observations of students working
in the outdoor lab has provided teachers with new insights and awareness of specific
gaps in student knowledge made apparent in the outdoor lab setting in comparison to
student demonstration of knowledge within the classroom setting. Teachers at that
same school also reported that student ability to use ecological vocabulary had
increased, largely gained from their experience outside the classroom.
During the Hocking Field School, each week teachers had the opportunity to
participate in structured dialogs about strategies for engagement with the Growing
SOIL project for the long term. Four key strategies were identified by teachers
concerning staff buy-in and ways to sustain teacher engagement:
Communicate information about the Growing SOIL program to all newly hired
teachers for the 2015-16 academic year.
Create multiple outdoor spaces to encourage teachers to envision ways to work

with students outdoors.
Work with other teachers to share strategies for integrating outdoor learning
with lesson plans.
Share ideas gained during the field school with other teachers at their home
school, including potential curriculum design for particular projects related to
ecological aspects of the school site.
72

Community Engagement for Sustaining the Outdoor Lab
In the pre-planning survey in January, C2 team members stated that creating TPBL
curriculum and outdoor learning experiences for students will open connections to the
community, and provide students with a meaningful application of problem based
learning in a real world context.
In May, site visits were conducted by the PAST Implementation Team and documented
by the Knowledge Capture Team. Each of the six schools developed a unique design
to meet learning priorities as well as maximize existing school features and other
potential resources through collaboration with partners, including business and local
organizations. Common aspects of the project planning experience provide a context
for considering particular elements of the process experienced during year 1 for
students, teachers, and their community. In describing the work completed to date,
and outlining ideas and plans for future implementation, the following were noted by
school teams:
Positive community response has generated in-kind donations and
arrangements for discounted costs for materials supplied by community
partners, leveraging grant funds to purchase additional equipment and/or
provide for construction costs (3 school sites).

Unexpended funds have helped to extend the design of the outdoor lab to
include access to lab areas for disabled students, as well as nurture creative
approaches for further development of no-cost solutions (3 school sites).
Linking the SOIL program with existing technology at the school site and/or
tech support to create remote, real time imaging of student projects being
conducted in the outdoor lab will increase continuity between the indoor and
outdoor environments, and can also potentially extend outdoor lab learning
resources to students at other schools (4 school sites).
The project is providing a unifying element, linking the outdoor environment
of the school with the broader community landscape (comparing seasonal
changes, awareness of plant and animal life cycle processes through
observation and study in the outdoor lab, etc.). Students are also
experiencing historical connections with existing but unused outdoor features
of the school that are being renovated and repurposed through the SOIL
program (3 school sites).
73

Students are engaging in implementation of the SOIL program, including
construction of lab features, renovating or restoring school site features, and
documenting outdoor wildlife and other resources to support curriculum
development (4 school sites).
Teachers are providing input to ideas for allocation of funds to support a
range of uses (3 school sites).
Use of local media is providing critical messaging to build community support
of the outdoor lab project, increase awareness of the benefits for student
learning, and potentially expand interest of new community partners (3 school
sites).
Growing community interest in the project achieved surprising results from the
perspective of teachers who successfully gained community involvement in the form of
donated materials and supplies, or in-kind work, allowing design teams to scale up
implementation to include additional equipment, or to incorporate planned future
renovation or construction by the close of year 1. Additionally, teachers who attended
the Hocking Field School during June also expressed interest in communicating the
value of the summer program experience for students to the community to encourage
continued involvement and support of community partners.
Cohort 1 and Cohort 2: Final Observations
During October 2015, C1 and C2 schools were offered the opportunity to provide an
update on their progress through an online survey. Respondents addressed key goals
for the project including use of the outdoor lab, curriculum development and
integration with classroom/outdoor learning experiences for students, and observations
about student benefits from outdoor experiences. Ten Growing SOIL participants
across both cohorts completed the survey. The full survey report is presented in the
Appendix to this report.
All project participants (n=10) stated that they had used their SOIL outdoor lab since
initiating the project, and all ten project participants also reported that other teachers
were using the outdoor lab. Six of the ten Growing SOIL participants were able to
implement TPBL modules, with five teachers stating that they had used both pre- and
post-assessment rubrics, or only a pre-assessment rubric.
74

Collaboration among teachers remains a goal with eight project participants indicating
they plan to reach out to teachers at other Growing SOIL schools in the future.
Additionally, seven project participants said they were planning to attend a future
professional development workshop to continue to gain skills in developing
transdisciplinary problem based learning modules for use with the outdoor lab.
However, just under half of the respondents (n=4) indicated that they had participated
in the virtual brainstorm sessions as a means of reaching out to collaborate with other
teachers. Two respondents who had not participated in the virtual sessions stated that
they had not joined the virtual brainstorms due to their focus on working with teachers
in the building, or lack of familiarity with how virtual groups work.
Growing SOIL project participants were also asked to comment on the student summer
field school at Hocking College. Half of the respondents reported that students at
their school attended the field school (n=5). Of the five, four said that teachers from
their school also attended the summer program. Additionally six Growing SOIL
participants thought that teachers would be willing to attend summer field schools in
the future. Finally, seven project participants stated they had observed positive
student impacts associated with higher grades, increased engagement, or collaborative
learning.
Across the 2014-15 project year, the Straight A Grant supported 15 schools in nine
districts to innovate new types of learning experiences for teachers and students alike,
creating positive momentum to initiate collaborative actions to advance these schools
and their students to a 21st century context for holistic, integrated learning. Growing
SOIL team members engaged in this effort reported from first-hand experiences on
ways in which the process supported their capacity to expand learning beyond the
classroom walls, introducing students to innovative ways to learn, and guiding teachers
to innovative ways to teach. Teachers were not only able to build outdoor labs, but
also build outdoor learning communities, engaging students in real world learning, and
growing wider community involvement and support for student success in their
education.
75
Knowledge Capture
APPENDIX
Growing SOIL
SOIL Chronology of Knowledge Capture Activities

2014 - 2015
Cohort 1 & 2
Growing SOIL Final Participant Survey Report
October 2015
76
Growing SOIL Chronology of Knowledge Capture Activities

2014-2015
KC
Staff
MH,
MGC,
MM
MH,
MGC,
MM
Date
Event
Participants
9/17/14
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
1, 2
9/20/14
SOIL PD Workshop Focus Groups
BP*
Cohort 1 (n=7)
BP
SOIL School Principal
OBSV**
SOIL Team, PAST Consultants, PAST PD

Team Member
OBVS

Team Member
MH,
MGC, LB
9/20/14 Principal Interview
MM
9/22/14
MM
Cohort Product
West High School Site

Visit
Metro High School/
9/22/14 Metro Middle School
Site Visit
Project
PAST SOIL Staff, Grant Manager
Review
MM
9/22/14
Starling Elementary
Site Visit
OBVS

Team Member
MM
9/22/14
Westmoor Middle
School Site Visit
OBVS

Team Member
MM
9/25/14
National Inventors
Hall of Fame Site Visit
OBVS

Team Member
MM
9/25/14 BioMed Site Visit
OBVS
MM
9/30/14
Westmoor Site Visit

(Follow up)
OBVS
MM
10/3/14
Growing SOIL Cohort

2 Orientation
BP
MH, MM,
KC Formative
10/20/14
AR
Evaluation Meeting
1, 2

Team Member
Team Member
5 Growing SOIL Teams
Project
Review
BP

Team Member
Federal Hocking Site

Visit
BP

Team Member
10/22/14
Fairfield Union Site

Visit
BP

Team Member
10/22/14
Walnut Township Site

Visit
BP

Team Member
MM
10/21/14 Lancaster Site Visit
MM
10/21/14
MM
MM
*BP=Bullet Point Report, **OBSV= Observation,
77
KC
Staff
Date
Event
MH, MM,
KC Formative
11/17/14
AR
Evaluation Meeting
MM
1, 2
1/9-10/15 Growing SOIL PD
MM
1/9 Growing SOIL PD 1/15/15 Pre-Design Survey
MH, MM,
AR
2/17/15
MM
2/20/15
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
MH, MM,
AR
Growing SOIL
Workshop
KC Formative
3/16/15
Evaluation Meeting
MM
3/20/15
Growing SOIL
Workshop
MM
3/21/15
Growing SOIL Cohort

2 Presentations
MH, MM,
AR
MH, MM,
AR
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
KC Formative
5/18/15
Evaluation Meeting
Fairfield Union Site
5/19/15
Visit
KG
1, 2
Cohort 1
12/6/14- Presentations - Post1/08/15 Implementation
Survey
MH, MM,
KC Formative
12/17/14
AR
Evaluation Meeting
MM
Cohort Product
4/6/16
PAST PD Team, Grant Manager, Guests;

Cohort 1 (n=10), SurveyMethods (web
based)
Project
Review
BP

based)
1,2
2
1,2
Project
Review
BP
Project
Review
BP
1,2
BP
1, 2
1,2
2
2
LB
5/20/15 Millersport Site Visit
MH, RO
BP
BP
5/19/15 Lancaster Site Visit
Virtual
Project
Review
KG
LB
Participants
Federal Hocking Site

Visit
Cohort 1 Post Survey
6/1-6/6/15
Launch
Growing SOIL MS
6/4/15
Focus Group
5/20/15
2
1
2
Project
Review
Project
Review
BP
Team Member
BP
Team Member
BP
Team Member
BP
Team Member
BP
based)
BP
6 members of 3 SOIL Teams
78

KC
Staff
Date
MH, MM,
AS
6/6/15
MGC
6/12/15
Event
Growing SOIL Final
Presentation
Growing SOIL HS
Interview
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
KC Formative
Evaluation Meeting
MH, MM,
6/15/15
AR
MH, MM,
7/20/15
AR
MH, MM,
8/27/15
AR
MH,
10/2Launch SOIL Final
MGC,
10/13/15 Participant Survey
MM
Cohort Product
1,2
OBVS
BP
1, 2
1, 2
1, 2
1, 2
Participants
PAST PD Team, Grant Manager, Guests
1 HS SOIL Team member
Project
Review
Project
Review
Project
Review
BP
Corhort 1 and Cohort 2 (n=10),

SurveyMethods (web based)
79
STEM Outdoor Innovation Lab Final Participant Survey - Oct 2015
* 1. This is an anonymous survey. The PAST Foundation uses survey data to assess professional development needs in
the transition to STEM TPBL education and the implementation of STEM Outdoor Innovation Labs. Completing this
survey will give you the opportunity to share your insights and concerns anonymously.
Your participation in this research is voluntary. You may choose not to participate. By checking the response below
that states you agree to participate in this survey, you confirm that you have read and understand the PAST
Foundations Online Survey Anonymity Protocols provided for your review on the PAST Foundation website. You
may review these protocols at any time on the PAST Foundation website (https://pastinnovationlab.org/irb-201401-006eth-growing-soil/).
m I agree to participate in this anonymous survey

2. Did you use your SOIL Lab?
m Yes m No
If not, can you tell us why?
___________________________________
3. Do any of the other teachers in the school use the SOIL Lab?
m Yes m No
If yes, please tell us what grade levels and/or subjects
___________________________________
4. Did you implement the TPBL module you planned?
m Yes m No
___________________________________
5. If you did implement your TPBL module which assessment rubric did you use?
[--Please Select--]
6. Have you reached out to others through the Virtual Brainstorms?
m Yes m No
___________________________________
7. Will you reach out to other Growing SOIL schools in the future?
80

m Yes m No
8. Did your students attend the Summer Immersion Bridge Program?
m Yes m No
___________________________________
9. If your students attended the Summer Immersion Bridge Program in Cohort 1, did you send students both years?
m Yes m No
If no, did they attend in 2014 or 2015?
___________________________________
10. Did teachers accompany your students to the Bridge Program?
m Yes m No
___________________________________
11. If teachers accompanied your students to the Bridge Program, do you believe they would go in the future?
m Yes m No
12. Have you identified any change in your students who have participated in SOIL? This could be in engagement,
commitment, collaboration, or grades.
m Yes m No
13. Do you plan to take advantage of the Professional Development workshops?
m Yes m No
___________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to answer 13 questions. Your answers are confidential. The aggregated information
provided will be included in the final report.
81
Growing SOIL - Cohorts 1 and 2

Final Participant Survey Report
October 2015
This document provides a review of the survey responses for the Growing SOIL Final Participant Survey.
The survey was launched on Friday, October 2, 2015, and closed on Tuesday, October 13, 2015. The
survey had (10) total respondents.
The survey consisted of a total of (13) questions regarding Growing SOIL implementation during 2014-15.
Question 1 asked for consent to participate in the anonymous survey. A total of (11) questions (Q2-4, 613) allowed participants to choose a Yes/No response, presented in bar chart format in this report. For
Question 5, participants selected the assessment rubric they utilized from a drop-down menu. Responses
are presented as a bar chart.
Of the Yes/No questions, the survey design provided a comment box for respondents to expand their
response to the question. Respondents selecting No could follow up with If not, can you tell us why?
A table showing the follow-up responses for Questions 3, 4, 6, 8, and 13 is shown below each bar chart.
Question 1: Assent to participate in anonymous survey. (n=10)
Question 2: Did you use your SOIL Lab? (n=10)
Yes (n=10)
No (n=0)
82

Question 3: Do any of the other teachers in the school use the SOIL Lab? (n=10)
Yes (n=10)
No (n=0)
If yes, please tell us what grade levels and/or subjects (n=4)

Q3: If yes, please tell us what grade levels and/or subjects
(n=4)
Grade Level
Subject
5
Biology
Special Ed
Sciences
Science
Social Studies
7-12
9-12
All
NA
Math
Language Arts
Art
Agriculture/FFA
Physical
Education
Multiple
83

Question 4: Did you implement the TPBL module you planned? (n=10)
Yes (n=6)
No (n=4)
If not, can you tell us why? (n=4)

Q4: If not can you tell us why? (n=4)
Delay in project implementation
Working on other TPBL modules
Respondent is administrator
Planned unit written for class not taught by respondent
Lack of PD time to work with teachers before implementation
84

Question 5: If you did implement your TPBL module which assessment rubric did you use? (n=5)
Both (n=4)
Pre-assessment (n=1)
Post-assessment (n=0)
85

Question 6: Have you reached out to others through the Virtual Brainstorms? (n=9)
Yes (n=4)
No (n=5)

Q6: If not, can you tell us why? (n=2)
Currently working with others in my
building face-to-face
Have not explored using virtual
brainstorms to reach out to others
86

Question 7: Will you reach out to other Growing SOIL schools in the future? (n=10)
Yes (n=8)
No (n=2)
87

Question 8: Did your students attend the Summer Immersion Bridge Program? (n=9)
Yes (n=5)
No (n=4)

Response
# of
Respondents
Post school-year schedule was not

conducive to participation
No interest in attending Bridge Program
If offered during the school year allow 3-6

months to get School Board approval
88

Question 9: If your students attended the Summer Immersion Bridge Program in Cohort 1, did you send
students both years? (n=5)
Yes (n=1)
No (n=4)
If no, did they attend in 2014 or 2015? (n=3)

One respondent indicated students were sent in 2014 only
Two respondents indicated they did not send students either year
89

Question 10: Did teachers accompany your students to the Bridge Program? (n=7)
Yes (n=4)
No (n=3)

One respondent cited schedule conflicts and distance as a barrier
Two respondents said their students were unable to attend
90

Question 11: If teachers accompanied your students to the Bridge Program, do you believe they would go
in the future? (n=7)
Yes (n=6)
No (n=1)
91

Question 12: Have you identified any change in your students who have participated in SOIL? This could
be in engagement, commitment, collaboration or grades. (n=9)
Yes (n=7)
No (n=2)
92

Question 13: Do you plan to take advantage of the Professional Development workshops? (n=9)
Yes (n=7)
No (n=2)

Still determining what type of Professional
Development would be most effective
Pursuing other Professional Development
opportunities
93

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SOIL & Growing SOIL Final Report

Sheli Smith, Ph.D., Monica Hunter, Ph.D.

Growing SOIL Final Report

Fairfield County Educational Service Center

THE PAST FOUNDATION

Know ledge Capture Team

Bridge Program Directors & Staff

Growing SOIL was made possible by

Growing STEM Outdoor Innovation Lab (SOIL)

The outdoor labs reflected environments from urban to rural,

granted program also targeted reaching further into communities

SOIL & Growing SOIL

address to insure that this program continues to organically grow

School faculty participation in the SOIL,

Future plans for the SOILab,

Continuing needs of the school faculty to fully engage the program,

Buddy program implementation, and

Observations by the SOIL project team.

Date & Time

Planning and organizing

To efficiently and effectively

To observe the uses and

Herb Broda, Jim Dvorsky, Calvin Mires, Jim Bruner

Planning and organizing

Prepare for summer Bridge

Calvin Mires, Ketal Patel

Table 8: Programatic Overview by SOILab

Bridge Program Directors &

and utilization of underutilized space would not place

Bridge Program Directors

Table 2: Distinctive Characteristics of SOILabs

Lab Features In Process & In Planning

BioMed STEM Academy

Nature trail outdoor classroom low ropes course storage shed

eSTEM High School

Lancaster High School

National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle

Starling Middle School

West High School

greenhouse herb gardens outdoor seating area composter

Westmoor Middle School

Table 3: Cohort 1 SOILab buddy programs

Akron - National Inventors

Akron - Harold Arnold Elementary School

Reynoldsburg - Herbert Mills Elementary

Reynoldsburg - eSTEM High

Reynoldsburg - Summit Elementary

Columbus City Schools Starling Middle School

Columbus - Starling Elementary School

Columbus City Schools West High School

Cleveland - MC2 STEM High School

Columbus City Schools Westmoor Middle School

Columbus - Valley View Elementary

Charter Schools - Metro

Columbus - Tremont Elementary School

Charter Schools - Metro High Columbus Metro Parks and Recreation

Rootstown - Mabel Schnee Elementary

funds expended to attract

benefit from the funds expended for their

First presented in 2015 4th Quarter Report (July 2015)

How does a community's

Metro Early College

National Inventors Hall of Fame

Science, Math, Social

SOIL & Growing SOIL Final Report

SOIL & Growing SOIL Final Report