Cleveland Avenue Elementary School

STEM Learner Cross-Cutting Competencies

As STEM Educators at CAE it is our goal to provide our students with multiple opportunities to
learn more about themselves and the world around them so they become self-starters, life-long
learners and caring global citizens.

The CAE STEM Learner must display the following cross-cutting competencies:

1. Cognitive Competencies
Among the many cognitive competencies, we highlight three in this paper: academic
mastery, critical thinking, and creativity. These three are grouped together because they
incorporate either knowledge in core academic subjects or the skills that relate to how
one processes this knowledge. A STEM literate learner at CAE is able to use concepts
from science, technology, engineering and mathematics to understand complex
problems and to innovate with others to solve them.

a. Academic Mastery
Learning academic content is fundamental to education, and mastery of such
content serves as the basis for higher-order thinking skills as well as the impetus
for improved interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. Academic content
includes instruction in subjects such as mathematics, science, reading, and social
studies.

b. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Critical thinking includes inductive and deductive reasoning, as well as making
correct analyses, inferences, and evaluations. These competencies are important
for deeply understanding academic content, and they also relate to later career
performance.

c. Creativity, Innovation, & Imagination

2. Interpersonal Competencies
We highlight 4 interpersonal competencies: communication collaboration self-
regulation and vision for the future.

a. Written & Oral Communication

b. Collaboration
c. Self-Regulation
d. Vision for the Future
3. Intrapersonal Competencies
Intrapersonal competencies can be conceptualized as the attitudes and behaviors that
influence how students apply themselves in school and a range of other settings. For
example, being motivated and the ability to persevere leads to better performance in a
number of contexts and on a variety of tasks. STEM Learners are able to see their
failures as opportunities for growth, learn to understand their own metacognition
processes by continually reflecting and evaluating their own learning experiences. Also,
STEM learners should be able to put empathy into action while understanding the
interdependences of all living systems.
a. Grit
b. Resilience
c. Hope & Optimism
d. Empathy & Global Stewardship