George Mason partners with the Shenandoah Valley educational institutions to launch lab school focused on data literacy

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The Virginia Board of Education approved funding for George Mason University to launch the Shenandoah Valley Rural Regional College Partnership Laboratory School for Data Science, Computing, and Applications (DSCA).

Padhu Seshaiyer. Photo by Office of University Branding

This is a collaborative partnership between the university and Frederick County Public Schools, as well as six rural and rural-fringe school districts in the Shenandoah Valley including Clarke County, Fauquier County, Page County, Shenandoah County, Warren County, and Winchester Public Schools, along with Mountain Vista Governor's School and Laurel Ridge Community College.

This recently approved Virginia Lab School, one of 14 in the state and the second for George Mason, will support 10th through 12th grade students through academic programming that fosters data literacy and showcases the latest innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Programming will cover data science and computing, research opportunities, apprenticeships and internships, experiential and project-based learning, certifications and microcredentials in data analytics, opportunities to earn an associate's degree and college credits, as well as work-based learning opportunities. Students begin preparing for the lab-school during their sophomore year, with programming starting in their junior and senior years.

"The vision is to create a data literate workforce empowered with skills, knowledge, and the mindset necessary to solve problems in a data driven world," said George Mason mathematical sciences professor Padhu Seshaiyer who will lead the effort.

But how do you foster data literacy?

Seshaiyer said that traditionally courses start by teaching students key STEM theories and models, followed by guidance on applying these concepts to problem-solving. In contrast, the DSCA lab school will reverse this approach by guiding students through identifying the initial question they wish to address motivated by a real-world problem and then navigating the data to find solutions.

"If you want to know the best place to swim in the Shenandoah River, what data do you need to determine the answer?" Seshaiyer gave as an example. "Students might first collect samples to measure bacteria upstream versus downstream or look up information on public databases."

This, he explained, would be followed by students cleaning and processing the collected data before interpreting the numbers. "This is a very powerful step where students would be able to visualize the data so they can better understand and explain the process," he said. "It helps build their competencies of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity."

Seshaiyer emphasized that project-based learning will be a large part of DSCA lab school.

The school's physical location will be in Frederick County and run by George Mason in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education and Frederick County Public Schools. George Mason will offer programming for students, teachers, and parents from all partnering divisions. Courses will take place online through George Mason, Laurel Ridge Community College, and the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC), beyond the students' regular coursework within their respective districts.

Seshaiyer brings invaluable leadership to the lab school as a member of two boards appointed by the state-the Virginia STEM Education Advisory Board and the Virginia Board of Workforce Development-that host important conversations about closing the gaps between the educational enterprise and workforce development. He also currently serves as the chair of the U.S. National Academies Commission on Mathematics Instruction and has been selected to represent the United States at the General Assembly at the International Congress on Mathematics Education. He also served as the higher ed lead for the implementation of the first-ever Virginia high school data science standards, course and curriculum.

"We need to be thinking about data in the age of artificial intelligence," said Seshaiyer. "While there are algorithms that can help clean and analyze data, they also can come with certain biases."

"This information fuels innovation, decision making, and the digital landscape," said Cody W. Edwards, the interim dean of George Mason's College of Science and SMSC executive director, who is collaborating on the project. "It's therefore important to have a handle on the reliability of this data. Without reliable data, we cannot acquire meaningful insights."

"Providing students at the DSCA lab school options to enhance their data science experience will greatly enhance Virginia's STEM workforce," said Edwards.

The DSCA lab school will officially begin fall 2025 with online offerings starting in the 2024-25 academic year.

George Mason is also working with Northern Virginia Community College and Loudoun County Public Schools to launch the Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy, which will incorporate employability skills, innovative teaching and learning methods, and experiences co-designed with industry partners, researchers, and instructional faculty.