Inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs) can be viewed as opportunity structures for students underrepresented in STEM. By opportunity structures, we mean an education that provides not only access to high quality STEM curriculum and instruction or "opportunity to learn," but also the capacity to create learning environments where students can build STEM social capital and the dispositions, knowledge, skills, and networks to be successful in STEM college majors and careers. This is a cross-case analysis of case studies that describe the design and implementation of eight "exemplar" ISHSs. Beginning with 10 hypothesized critical components, we found evidence for all 10, but present in unique patterns of prominence, depending on the school context. Further inductive analysis located an additional four emergent critical components that complete the picture of how these successful ISHSs were able to achieve their goals. Importantly, across schools, four components stood out as foundational: a flexible and autonomous administrative structure; a college-preparatory, STEM-focused curriculum for all; well-prepared STEM teachers and professionalized teaching staffs; and supports for students in underrepresented groups.

Increasingly, STEM focused high schools are used prepare students for college STEM majors and launch them into STEM careers. Yet a new focus on STEM education at the elementary levels suggests that the importance of STEM education is much broader than a preparation for workforce needs in high school or college. This paper describes a case study designed to articulate the mission and design of an effective and nationally recognized STEM‐focused elementary school. As described through the six most impactful components of STEM‐focused elementary school design at Walter Bracken STEAM Academy, the case study emphasizes the school's strong and inclusive school leadership, with staff organized into grade level groups empowered to innovate and honing their teaching practices. External partnerships are leveraged to broaden student learning opportunities. Students at Bracken engage in active learning opportunities and multidisciplinary lessons where STEM is used as a way of thinking and as a way to coherently combine content into active learning opportunities that are engaging for learners. By organizing the structural components of an exemplary STEM‐focused elementary school, we hope to deliver actionable reforms for elementary schools wanting to increase their STEM‐focused offerings.

Rural schools face challenges that are often different than nonrural schools. Resource constraints are particularly acute in rural schools, and they struggle to offer advanced courses and extracurricular programs. The purpose of this paper is to present a descriptive, instrumental case study of an inclusive rural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics school that has successfully dealt with challenges and offers an innovative and productive learning environment, despite limited resources. For this study, a variety of on‐site and off‐site data collection techniques were used such as focus groups, classroom observation protocols, and surveys. Wayne School of Engineering (WSE) overcomes resource barriers by matching their schedule to the local community college, upgrading the rigor of their high school classes and facilitating student transition to college. WSE also requires extracurricular research projects that help students see the relevance of their in class learning, build 21st century skills, and connect to partners outside of the school. Faced with limited budgetary, technological, and logistical resources, WSE administrators, teachers, and students work collectively to overcome these barriers and provide high‐quality education by finding ways to blur the lines of traditional secondary schools.