SEPTEMBER 2021

Office of Shared Accountability

Applied Research and Evaluation

DATA BRIEF

KID Museum Invent the Future Challenge Program

2020–2021 Data Summary

Prepared By
Natalie Wolanin, M.Ed.
 850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, Maryland 20850
301-740-3000

Monifa B. McKnight, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent of Schools

Mr. James N. D'Andrea

Chief of Staff, Office of the Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Kecia L. Addison

Director, Office of Shared Accountability

Published for the Office of Shared Accountability

Copyright © 2021 Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, Maryland
 KID Museum Invent the Future Challenge Program
2020–2021 Data Summary

Background
Since 2017, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has
partnered with KID Museum to provide a district-wide STEM
initiative to broaden middle school students' access to hands-on,
project-based learning experiences. The major goals of the
initiative are to develop the creative problem-solving, adaptability,
and technical skills of students. The KID Museum's Invent the
Future Challenge is a middle school focused STEM program where
students experience working through an iterative invention cycle:
developing an idea, designing plans, making a physical prototype,
and adapting when challenges arise (KID Museum, 2019).

Fifteen schools participated with a class and/or club led by a

teacher sponsor(s). Some schools had more than one class and/or
club of participating students. Teachers at selected schools were Methodology
identified as Innovator (N=2) or Champion (N=9) teachers and
collaborated with KID Museum staff to refine the curriculum,
Analysis
implement strategies, and contribute to an online teacher forum.
Descriptive statistics were used to analyze
The Invent the Future Challenge program included six Virtual the data.
Invention Studio Workshops and independent class/club meetings,
which culminated in a Virtual School Showcase at the end of the
Participants
2020-2021 school year. Students were also invited to view the
online Challenge Summit in June, which featured guest speakers This data summary includes and analyzes 15
and where awards were presented to school showcase teams middle schools (20 clubs/classes) that
within various categories. participated in the funded Invent the Future
Challenge. The MCPS schools were:

Purpose Argyle
The purpose of this data brief is to provide information on who Banneker
attended, the demographic characteristics of student participants, Briggs Chaney
and whether teachers used the KID Museum lessons. This data will
Roberto Clemente
help identify needed areas for recruitment as well as program
Gaithersburg
development.
Frances Scott Key
Research Questions Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Montgomery Village
RQ1: How many MCPS students participated in the Invent the
Future Challenge program, by class and club format, in 2020- Neelsville
2021? Parkland
Shady Grove*
RQ2: What were the demographic characteristics of students
participating in the Invent the Future Challenge program? Silver Spring International
Sligo
RQ3: What was the attendance at the club/class meetings,
Virtual Invention Studio Workshops, and Virtual School
Takoma Park
Showcase? Did they differ by class or club format? White Oak
*Shady Grove included 10 students from Redland Middle School
RQ4: Which of the KID Museum virtual curricular lessons did
teachers implement during class or club meetings? 1
 KID Museum Invent the Future
Challenge Program
The Findings

RQ1: How many MCPS students participated in the Invent the Future
Challenge program in 2020-2021, by class or club format?

434
The # of MCPS middle school students
who participated in this program

A total of 434 students from 15 schools, participated in the Invent the Future Challenge program. Schools could have
more than one class or club. In ten of the schools, students participated by joining a club; in four schools, students
participated during a class within the instructional day (e.g. science class, technology, or computer science elective).
In one school, both class and club formats were available for student participants. Among the 20 total classes/clubs,
the format was split with nine classes (221 students) and 11 school clubs (213 students). Two-thirds (65%) of the
students in classes were in 7th grade.

• Class Format Only: 4 schools (7 total classes)

• Club Format Only: 10 schools (10 total clubs)
• Class and Club Format: 1 school (2 classes and 1 club)
*Three schools had more than one class and/or club of students

Students
Argyle n=34
Grade 6 (n=119) 27.4%
Banneker n=18
Briggs Chaney n=6
Grade 7 (n=226) 52.1%
Roberto Clemente n=27
Gaithersburg n=6
Grade 8 (n=89) 20.5%

Frances Scott Key n=19

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. n=12
Montgomery Village n=16
Neelsville n=14
Parkland n=75
Shady Grove n=78
Silver Spring International n=14
Sligo n=37
Takoma Park n=51
White Oak n=27
0 20 40 60 80 2
 KID Museum Invent the Future
Challenge Program
The Findings

RQ2: What were the demographic characteristics of students who

participated in the Invent the Future Challenge program?

[1] Gender

39% 61%
Female Male

There was also a higher percentage of male participants than female by class format (65% vs 35%) and club format (56% vs 44%);
however, female students were more strongly represented in the club format.

[2] Race/Ethnicity

34%

Item 1
0
Hispanic/Latino

Black or African American 30%

25

White 16% 50

Asian 16%
75

Two or More Races 4%

100

One-third of the student participants were Hispanic/Latino, with a slightly higher percentage within the class format
(37%); just under one-third were Black or African American (30%), with a higher percentage within the club format (35%).

[3] Services Received

Free or Reduced-Price Meal System

(FARMS)
50%

English for Speakers of Other Languages

(ESOL)
12%

Special Education 9%
3
 KID Museum Invent the Future
Challenge Program
The Findings

RQ3: What was the attendance at the Club/Class Meetings, the Virtual
Invention Studio Workshops, and Virtual School Showcase? Did they
differ by class or club format?

Club & Class Meetings

In addition to the workshops, students met in their respective formats (class or club) to work on their
projects or participate in a KID Museum curricular lesson. Fifteen of the 20 classes/clubs submitted
usable attendance data on their meetings outside of the workshops. Each class/club held between
two and 26 meetings. The average number of meetings, whether class or club, was 11.

Overall, 42% of students attended 100% of their meetings and 54% attended 90-100% of the meetings.
A much higher percentage of students in a class setting attended the meetings; 67% attended all the
meetings and 81% attended at least 90% of the meetings. In a club setting, 16% of students attended
all the program meetings and 26% attended at least 90% of the meetings.

Mean Number of % Attendance to 100%

Program Meetings of Program Meetings

Total 11.33 Total 42.3%

Club 11.40 Club 16.3%

Class 11.46 Class 67.4%

0 5 10 15 0 25 50 75
*Note, this does not include the six virtual workshops
4
 KID Museum Invent the Future
Challenge Program
The Findings

Six Virtual Invention Studio Workshops Mean Workshop Attendance

As part of the Challenge program, students and

their teachers attended six Virtual Invention Total 4.7
Studio Workshops. Attendance data was
received from 16 of the 20 classes/clubs (N =
354 students); the mean workshop attendance
was 4.7 workshops. Just over 50% of students
Club 4.1
attended all six workshops. However, a much
higher percentage of students in a classroom
setting attended all six workshops (73%) Class 5.4
compared to the club setting (38%).

0 2 4 6

Virtual School Showcase

51%
There was a total of 11 virtual school
showcases where student participants
presented their final product. Some
showcases were school-specific and some
included students from multiple schools.
All schools had at least one student who
of students participated in a
participated in a school showcase. Of the
school showcase
434 students, over half (51%) participated
in a school showcase; a slightly higher
percentage of club students participated in
55% in Club
a showcase (55%) compared to students
46% in Class from a class (46%).

5
 KID Museum Invent the Future
Challenge Program
The Findings

RQ4: Which of the KID Museum virtual curricular lessons

did teachers implement during class or club meetings?
Lesson Implemented
School is Missing Lesson Data or Information
Innovators and Champion Teacher Schools
Note: Schools may have more than one club and/or class

School (number of classes/clubs)

Clemente (1)
Silver Spring (1)
Shady Grove (3)
White Oak (1)
Gaithersburg (1)
Banneker (1)
Briggs Chaney (1)
Sligo (1)
Argyle (1)
Takoma Park (2)
Parkland (3)
Neelsville (1)
Montgomery Village (1)
Francis Scott Key (1)
Dr.Martin Luther King Jr (1)

Implementation Rate 100% 100% 100% 90% 90% 90% 90% 80% 80% 80%
Note. The implementation rate is based on schools who submitted lesson data (N=10)

Analysis
Eight of the 10 schools who submitted data on the virtual curricular lessons, implemented all 10 lessons (80%). Of
those eight schools that implemented all the lessons, four were led by Innovator and Champion teachers, who were
expected to implement all 10 lessons. Lessons 1-3 had the highest implementation rate (100%) among those with
lesson data. Lessons 4-7 had a 90% implementation rate and Lessons 8-10 had an 80% implementation rate. Most of
the classes/clubs implemented several of the lessons interspersed between the six KID Museum Virtual Workshop
visits. However, five of the 13 classes/clubs with lesson data, implemented all the lessons, or all but the first lesson,
after the six Virtual Workshop visits. In addition, four class/club cohorts combined some of the lessons and
implemented some lessons over two days. 6
 Summary

A total of 434 students from 15 middle schools participated in the Invent the Future Challenge
program. Most of the students were Hispanic/Latino or Black or African American (64%) and
half received FARMS services. Regarding program attendance, a higher percentage of students
who participated during a class, versus a club, attended all six of the KID Museum Virtual
Workshops (73% vs. 38%) and all their program meetings (67% vs. 16%). Additionally, one half
of all the students participated in an end-of-year Virtual School Showcase. Finally, the vast
majority of the schools (80%) implemented all ten of the KID Museum virtual lessons, and they
all implemented Lessons 1-3.

250

200

150
226
100

50 119
89
50%
of program participants
0 received FARMS services
Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Program Participants by Grade Level

80% 2x
of participating schools
Students were two times
more likely to attend all
the Virtual Workshops in
implemented all ten
a class setting vs. club
virtual lessons
setting

Office of Shared Accountability

Applied Research and Evaluation 7
 References

KID Museum (2019). KID Museum Invention Studio. Retrieved from https://kid-
museum.org/field-trips/invention-studio/

Office of Shared Accountability

Applied Research and Evaluation 8