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