The National Science The National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Foundation’s Math and Science
Partnership (MSP) ProgramPartnership (MSP) Program
James E. Hamos, Ph.D., Elizabeth VanderPutten, Ph.D., Kathleen Bergin, Ph.D.
Program Directors, MSP February - March, 2006
The National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation Act of 1950
Mission: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes
The National Science FoundationOriginal Responsibilities The NSF Act authorizes and directs NSF to initiate and support:
• Basic scientific research and research fundamental to the engineering process,
• Programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential,
• Science and engineering education programs at all levels and in all fields of science and engineering, and
• An information base on science and engineering appropriate for development of national and international policy.
Additional Responsibilities through later Legislation • Fostering the interchange of scientific and engineering
information nationally and internationally,• Maintaining facilities in the Antarctic and promoting the U.S.
presence through research conducted there, and• Addressing issues of equal opportunity in science and
engineering
The National Science FoundationNSF oversees about 25,000 active awards directly supporting more than 190,000 people – teachers, students, and researchers at every education level and across all disciplines in science and engineering
Merit review results in about 10,000 new awards each year from over 40,000 proposals submitted by the research and education communities.
FY2007 Presidential Request: >$6.0 Billion; >$800 Million for education-related activities
Directorate for Education and Human Resources funds projects devoted to:
• K-12, undergraduate and graduate education• Educational Research, including research on learning• Informal Science Education• Human Resource Development, attending to issues of diversity (racial, ethnic, disabilities) in science & engineering
President’s Initiative to StrengthenPresident’s Initiative to Strengthenand Reform K-12 Educationand Reform K-12 Education
No Child Left BehindNo Child Left Behind
Too many teachers teaching out of field
Too few students taking advanced coursework
Too few schools offering challenging curricula and textbooks
NSF’S RESPONSE
Establish a research & development program in which:
• higher education – NSF’s core constituency – accepted a critical role and responsibility for furthering K-12 education reform.
• higher education’s involvement – especially that of STEM faculty – in the teacher professional continuum also would undergo reform.
• there would be a strong emphasis on developing effective partnership models, resulting in institutional change that could be implemented, expanded and sustained.
Math and Science Partnership
The MSP program seeks to improve K-12 student achievement through a sharp focus on three inter-related issues:
• Ensuring that all students have access to, are prepared for, and are encouraged to participate and succeed in challenging and advanced mathematics and science courses;
• Enhancing the quality, quantity and diversity of the K-12 mathematics and science teacher workforce; and
• Developing evidence-based outcomes that contribute to our understanding of how students effectively learn mathematics and science.
Partners in MSP Projects
MSP ProgramDistinctive Features
• The role of science, engineering and mathematics faculty
• The role of partnerships
• Commitment to identified institutional change
• Emphasis on research and evidence
• A collaborative learning laboratory
FY ’02, FY ’03 & FY’04 MSP CompetitionsFY ’02, FY ’03 & FY’04 MSP CompetitionsComprehensive, Targeted & Institute
Partnership Projects and RETA Projects
Comprehensive Projects – Mathematics and/or Science, entire K-12 spectrum; 12 awards
Targeted Projects – Mathematics and/or Science, focus on narrower grade bands in K-12; 28 awards
Institute Partnerships – Content and leadership; 8 awards
Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance Projects – over 30 awards
The total investment in these projects and other elements of the NSF MSP program is ~$600 million
- States in which partnerships are active
- Lead institutions / Comprehensive partnership projects
- Lead institutions / Targeted partnership projects
- Lead institutions / Institute partnership projects
Math and Science Partnership ProgramNational Distribution of Partnership Activity
MSP Projects – Key Features
MSP Projects:• offer challenging courses and curricula for
students
• provide solutions to issues of teacher quality, quantity and diversity
• are partnership-driven involving mathematics, science, and engineering faculty
• have evidence-based design and outcomes
• provide evidence for likely institutional change and partnership sustainability
Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance
Adding Value to the MSP EvaluationsNorman Webb, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Alternative Approaches to Evaluating STEM Education Partnerships Gordon Kingsley, Georgia Institute of Technology
Assessing Teacher Learning About Science TeachingPatrick Smith, Horizon Research, Inc.
Building Evaluation Capacity of STEM ProjectsCathy Callow Heusser, Utah State University
Causal Inference in Instructional Workforce ResearchMary Kennedy, Michigan State University
Design, Validation and Dissemination of Measures of Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics
Heather Hill, University of Michigan
Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance
Distributed Leadership for Middle School Mathematics EducationJames Spillane, Northwestern University
Envisioning Quality Science AssessmentsStuart Elliott, National Academy of Sciences
Facilitating Mathematics/Science PartnershipsJay Labov, National Academy of Sciences
Leadership Content Knowledge and Mathematics Instructional Quality in the MSPs
Barbara Nelson, Education Development Center
Longitudinal Design to Measure Effects of MSP Professional Development in Improving Quality of Instruction in Mathematics and Science Education Rolf Blank, Council of Chief State School Officers
MOSART: Misconception Oriented Standards-based Assessment Resource for Teachers
Philip Sadler, Harvard University
Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance
MSP Motivation Assessment ProgramStuart Karabenick , University of Michigan
Online Technologies to Enhance MSP Teacher Quality ProgramsGlenn Kleiman, Education Development Center
Redesign of the AP Biology Course, Examination, and Teacher Professional Development Experience
Howard Everson, The College Board
Research on MSP Teacher Recruitment, Induction, RetentionEdward Britton, WestEd
The Effect of STEM Faculty Engagement in MSP: A Longitudinal Perspective
Xiaodong Zhang, Westat, Inc.
MSPnetJoni Falk, TERC, Inc.
An electronic learning community for the Math and Science Partnership Program - www.mspnet.org
Project Showcase: News clippings, Press Releases, Reports and Multimedia presentations
Library: Educational Change & Policy, Professional Development, Teaching & Learning, MSP 5 Key Features, MSP Project Papers
Resources: Useful Websites, MSP Toolbox/Materials, MSP Program Information, NSF News, ED News, Related Programs
Conferences: MSP Conferences, RETA Conferences & Workshops, STEM Conferences
State Coordinators for ED MSPs have their own space on MSPnet
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