Through this comprehensive PD plan, you will be encouraged to learn about new educational trends and implementation of new standards, develop confidence you and your students, and engage in meaningful collaboration of innovative ideas, skills and expertise with your peers and University professors to positively affect student outcomes. We are eager to embark on this innovative journey with you.
Rebecca Grella, Ph.D. Program Founder/Director
Jacob Mulderig Project Co-Director
Meet Our Team
Dr. Dianna Padilla
Professor of Ecology and Evolution
Wanda Ortiz-Rivera
Asst. Sup. Secondary Education
Adrienne Davis
Dr. Ross Nehm
Asst. Professor of Ecology and Evolution
Ann Palmer
Asst. Sup. Elementary Education
Dr. Izzy Galante
Dr.Nicole Galante
School of Professional Development
Jennifer Costa
Science Department Chairperson
Dr. Nina Gottlieb
Chief NYSLS/NGSS Educator
President/Shared Spaces PD
Program Evaluator
Dr. Vincent Leone
Coordinator of Funded Programs
The STEPD-UP Program is a New York State Education supported Professional Development (PD) opportunity in the Brentwood Union Free School district. STEPD UP is an innovative approach to bridging the gap between the Stony Brook University and Brentwood Union Free School District.
The program will provide teachers with strategies and techniques to help our “struggling” groups of learners engage in project-based learning with real world tasks, open-ended investigations, and the engineering and design process. During learning, teachers will also take advantage of their background knowledge in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies and embed these engagement routines and strategies into their lessons to help children access the grade level content knowledge as defined by the learning progressions in the new NYS K-12 COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS.
From a regional perspective, Long Island is among the national leaders in STEAM related workforce opportunities, both in the short- and long-term. In the short-term, the workforce in the Long Island region was set to grow 2.6% (35,900) from the years 2016-2018, the most recent data available from the New York State Department of Labor. As part of this broad landscape, professional, scientific, and technical services were expected to grow 2.5% (2,010) in that timeframe. That 2.5% growth is higher than 68% of all other industries (26/82) in the region (https://www.labor.ny.gov/stats/lsproj.shtm).
WELCOME TO STEPD-UP
Project Based Learning
A key to future STEM careers and leaders...
By directly incorporating local businesses and individuals practicing in science and technology fields, our program works to promote sought after job related skills such as: Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Teamwork Skills, Leadership Skills and Computer/Information Technology Skills. Additionally, educators will see firsthand what job-specific skills are needed in industry. The infusion of the new standards at every level of our program ensures that we are providing students with best practices for learning.