Library

Abstract: Over the past six years, the $9.3 million NSF-funded NebraskaMATH grant has impacted more than 700 teacher leaders across the state. The NebraskaMATH Final Report, published in 2015, showcases the scope of the grants three core programs, Primarily Math, New Teacher Network and Nebraska Algebra, as well as the programs that grew from them. The report tells some of the stories of NebraskaMATH and its impact on mathematics teaching and learning in Nebraska.

Abstract: "The problem of how to improve elementary student science achievement in the United States is multi-faceted. To be effective, interventions must consider challenges associated with teaching, learning, and implementing instructional changes at a large scale. In this paper, we present findings from a study of an educative curriculum materials-based intervention that has three central design principles: 1) the materials are aligned with current knowledge about how people learn; 2) the educative components support teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge, and facilitate instructional implementation; and 3) the instructional activities use low-cost, readily available materials amenable to large-scale implementation. Our findings indicate that student learning gains are greater in classes where teachers implement the intervention than in comparison classes. In addition, the extent of materials implementation and fidelity to the pedagogical approach embodied in the materials are positively associated with student achievement gains. Implications of these findings for supporting implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards are discussed."

Abstract: This document is a final report on data from the external evaluation of The Leadership Collaborative (TLC). The TLC was a project during 2008-2012 by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and 25 member universities and colleges. Institutions pursued advances in their education of prospective middle and high school teachers in the subjects of science or mathematics. The project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant from NSF's Mathematics-Science Partnership program, Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance projects (MSP-RETA): "Promoting Institutional Change to Strengthen Science Teacher Preparation", grant #0831950.

Abstract: "This analysis gives an overview of efforts to implement engineering in K-12 through NSF's MSP program. These projects are employing many of the best practices in teacher preparation, professional development, curriculum development, and partnerships that characterize NSF's MSP program in general. Many programs had a focus on alignment of instruction and assessment of mathematics and science to meet state and national standards. Some programs had a focus on teacher preparation to meet the gap in prepared teachers, with alternate certification of engineering professionals or recruitment of undergraduate engineering majors. Some inculcated engineering content into preservice teacher education. Some projects provided support to minimize high turnover of new teachers. Industrial partners provided support to develop curricular materials or to serve as mentors."

Abstract: This paper discusses the design of the case studies of the effects of the SCALE partnership on district policy and organization. (See Appendix A. for an overview of SCALE). Part I discusses the SCALE theory of action -- how the partnership goes about producing change -- which then becomes the focus of evaluation. Part II discusses research methods. But first what are the case studies?

The case studies are intended to study the effects of SCALE on district policy and organization, especially instructional guidance. (See Appendix A. for description of the SCALE research and evaluation). This is an area "downstream" from the focus of the Building a Partnership (BP) team, which examines partnership dynamics and the formation of partnership initiatives. And it is "upstream" from the focus of targeted studies and indicators, which examine outcomes of SCALE interventions on instruction and student achievement. Like BP, the case studies use mainly qualitative methods in tracking organizational change and dynamics, but like targeted studies and indicators, they are mainly concerned with effects inside the partner school districts."

The paper and its accompanying slides are both available in PDF format. Click on the file links above.

Abstract: This paper is a synthesis of case studies of four districts that implemented multifaceted reforms aimed at offering rigorous instruction in mathematics and science for all students. The districts-urban or urbanizing and ranging in size from medium to very large-were partners with three universities in System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE), a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project. Rigorous instruction for all students requires depth and breadth of impact. To achieve these ambitious goals, the districts adopted and adapted a combination of policies (formal and informal) under a common theory of action jointly articulated and developed by and for the partnership.
This paper describes the partnership, the common theory of action, evaluative criteria derived from the theory, implementation in each district, and the effectiveness of the reforms measured against the theory of action. The paper concludes by suggesting models for effective district policy in other districts.

Abstract: This guiding framework arose out of a need to:

"(a) provide guidance for evaluation planning and evaluation activities to NSF's MSP projects and other projects, and to groups submitting proposals to NSF programs;

(b) have a consistent framework by which to assess project-level evaluation; and

(c) develop a document about project-level evaluation, grounded in the expertise and experience of the scholarly community having that expertise."

..."This document includes the following major sections:

(a) A statement about high quality evidence of project effectiveness and efficiency.

(b) A description of the DIO [Design-Implementation-Outcomes] Cycle of Evidence as a guiding framework for planning, gathering, and using evidence.

(c) The relationship of the DIO Cycle of Evidence to other frameworks used in evaluating projects.

(d) The role of context in establishing evidence of project effectiveness.

(e) Resources to help projects learn more about planning, gathering, and using evidence.

(f) A glossary of terms and abbreviations used throughout this document. (g) Appendices that contain supplemental resources."

Abstract: "The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released its first national impact report assessing the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, which was established in 2002 to integrate the work of higher education with K-12 to strengthen and reform mathematics and science education. The document reports progress on improving teacher quality, quantity and diversity; developing challenging courses and curricula; emphasizing evidence-based design and outcomes; and promoting institutional change. It highlights examples of partnerships at all levels of education in communities across the country, and outlines impacts on student proficiency and benefits of professional development for teachers."

Abstract: Strengthening America by advancing academic achievement in mathematics and science
"The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released its second national impact report for the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program, which was established in 2002 to integrate the work of higher education with K-12 to strengthen and reform mathematics and science education. The document identifies progress on improving teacher quality, quantity and diversity; developing challenging courses and curricula; emphasizing evidence-based design and outcomes; and promoting institutional change. The report highlights examples of partnerships at all levels of education in communities across the country, and includes examples of positive impacts for students and benefits of professional development for teachers." Related Document: MSP Impact Report, Jan. 2007

Abstract: "This study addresses the impact of a multi-institutional collaboration among disciplinary science faculty to develop undergraduate content courses for future elementary teachers in biology and geology. We report evidence of faculty change in three key areas: (1) Knowledge and beliefs about science teaching and learning; (2) Knowledge and beliefs about K12 teachers and teaching; and (3) Knowledge and beliefs about collaborative practices of effective groups. We also describe evidence of institutional changes initiated and implemented by the faculty as a consequence of the curriculum development project."

Abstract: The AMSP has funded more than 50 Partnership Enhancement Program grants as a means of initiating and furthering partnerships between K-12 and higher education institutions working to address local mathematics and science education challenges. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect and activities of 10 PEP awards during 2005-06 in terms of leadership and overall structural characteristics that lead to successful outcomes. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that "distributed" leadership, that is, leadership responsibilities that are shared across institutional levels, provides an ideal structure for promoting and encouraging teacher leadership and successful university-school partnerships.

Abstract: For the last quarter century, the focus on education reform has been directed at the K-12 sector. With the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (the so-called No Child Left Behind Act), policy and legislation has turned to the role of postsecondary education as a lever for school reform. In conjunction with demands for improved teacher preparation, a number of organizations have issued public calls for colleges and universities to increase the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates to combat a perceived loss in U.S. technological and scientific expertise (Cordova, 2006; National Academies, 2005; Business Higher Education Forum, 2005).

One major response to these demands is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Math Science Partnerships (MSP) program, which has provided $600 million for institutions to create and sustain partnerships between K-12 and higher education to improve STEM teaching and learning in both K-12 and higher education. Symposium presenters include two STEM faculty involved in MSPs, a policy scholar involved in research on alignment and teacher preparation, and a researcher with the NSF-funded Change and Sustainability in Higher Education (CASHE) project (National Science Foundation, 2005).

Objectives Presenters will share experiences and research on advances in policy and practice resulting from the NSF MSP initiative, including the challenges of defining and maintaining partnerships across distinct educational sectors; the roles involved in creating and sustaining curricular changes that align with local, state, and disciplinary standards; the nature of university reward systems, and the challenges of managing partnerships for change within and across different types of IHEs.

Abstract: This document provides a brief description of the Inventory of Teaching and Learning (ITAL) developed and currently being implemented as one component of an external evaluation of the Georgia Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM). The Georgia PRISM program is a cooperative partnership between four regional higher education institutions and their surrounding school districts. The PRISM external evaluation is a longitudinal (2003- 2008), mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) effort to document change processes and outcomes in K-16 science and mathematics. The change model includes emersion of K-12 teachers and higher education faculty in professional development and in-service education programs, learning communities, and faculty institutes. The ITAL is a web-based survey of teaching and learning practices designed to reflect reformed (inquiry-based and standards-based) teaching and learning environments/practices and more traditional learning environments/practices. Included in this document are: (a) a brief description of the historical development of the ITAL; (b) a summary of the current (third) form of the ITAL items and their empirical classifications on three measurement dimensions; and (c) some suggested uses of the ITAL. More detailed descriptions of the methodology used to develop the ITAL can be found in Ellett, Monsaas, Payne, & Pevey (2005; 2006) and Ellett & Monsaas (2007).

Abstract: "The growing interest in distributed leadership reflects an effort to reconceptualize leadership in schools by exploring how leadership is spread across a variety of roles and to explore the process of leadership. Using case studies of four schools in three districts, this paper explores how leadership is distributed in school districts and asks about the role of teacher leaders in particular. It proposes that teacher leaders and districts can share three leadership tasks: procuring and distributing materials, monitoring improvement, and developing people. The district and teacher leaders play complementary roles. Districts tend to be distant forces, and teacher leaders are more personal. How effective teacher leaders do at people development will depend on the time they have, the knowledge they have, and their monitoring responsibility. These conditions depend partly on their administrative support. We suggest that districts may have more opportunity to influence teaching practice than past research had indicated."

Abstract: "In this paper, we will address three concerns about PD as it currently operates in school districts, outlining the complexity of the problem:

• Decentralized operations within large school districts and inadequate resources in small districts have led to the fragmentation of PD.
• PD often is expensive, but there are few tools to document its cost and yield.
• PD is not linked to teacher evaluation or ongoing policies of accountability for student performance.

This paper provides a framework for districts to manage this complexity and to use the considerable resources expended on PD in a more purposeful, strategic, and effective manner. Section I describes the current state of PD in districts. Section II discusses lessons from the literature regarding ways to make PD strategic and systematic. This lays the groundwork for three sections that present three strategic approaches to PD:

• Section III discusses PD that focuses on improving the effectiveness of individual teachers.
• Section IV discusses PD that focuses on building school capacity to identify and solve problems of teaching and learning.
• Section V discusses PD that focuses on supporting the implementation of curricula, assessments, and other programs adopted by the district."

Abstract: The Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) Institutes supported by the National Science Foundation's MSP program are designed to provide high quality professional development to the participating teachers. Perhaps more importantly they serve as models and standards for professional development nationwide and conduct research on effective and innovative ways to increase teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge and to improve student learning. The work of the Institutes is being disseminated through the MSPnet, and it is anticipated that at the conclusion of each project the research findings will be described in scholarly publications. In addition, we believe that the publication in this Special Issue of the "Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations" of refereed papers describing work in progress and preliminary research findings will have great value to the field.

Abstract: The report describes the creation and institutionalization of a mathematics Workshop series for K-8 principals that resulted as an unanticipated spin off from our MSP project.

Abstract: This article describes three challenging yet accessible mathematics courses designed especially for middle school teachers and offered by the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The descriptions found in this article are based on the courses as we have taught them as part of the Math in the Middle Institute Partnership (M2), a National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership (MSP) program that works with practicing teachers. As a grant funded MSP, we take seriously the responsibility to share information about our program and the courses we have created. Readers are directed to our web site for a wealth of information about our program and specifically to our course materials for a link to additional information about the courses described in this article as well as other courses that we offer.

Abstract: "Twin strategies of Institutes on the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics and support for faculty through mini-grants are shown to be effective in stimulating college science and mathematics faculty to modify their introductory courses to include more active learning strategies. The institutes were designed to provide faculty who are normally not familiar with the literature with an opportunity to learn about how students learn. Mini-grants provide faculty with incentives to become involved. The strategies are sustainable and spread beyond those faculty initially involved in the initiative."

Abstract: The Math and Science Partnership Management Information System (MSP MIS) presents annual findings from the MSP MIS for Comprehensive, Targeted, and Institute MSP projects for 2002-03 through the 2010-11 school years. Key Findings include: - What organizations were involved in the MSP program? - What were the contributions of the individuals involved in the design and delivery of MSP activities? - What MSP activities were targeted to IHE recipients? - What MSP activities were targeted to K-12 recipients? - What challenges did MSP projects face?

Abstract:

Abstract: "Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) play an important role in math and science education by providing undergraduate instruction, operating teacher training programs, and providing in-service training for K-12 teachers. The National Science Foundation funded System-Wide Change for All Learners (SCALE) project sought to effect change in its partner IHEs by creating a "transformative culture" in IHEs through the creation of "cross-cultural working teams" that worked at the intersections among K-12 districts, colleges of education, and colleges of mathematics, science, and engineering (SCALE, 2005). As part of the SCALE IHE Case Studies line of work, this document provides findings on the effects of the SCALE project, along with the Department of Education-funded Quality Educator Development (QED) project, at the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) between May 2004 and May 2007. This case study includes two inter-related accounts of SCALE/QED activities: (a) evaluation findings for each of the SCALE/QED activities undertaken at CSUDH, and (b) exploratory analysis of how specific aspects of the institutional context influenced SCALE/QED activities."

Abstract: "Research on reform implementation in both higher education and K-12 has found that policy directives are frequently adapted and transformed by individual agents at the local school or IHE level (Coburn, 2001; Spillane et al, 2002). The process of interpreting policy interventions and adapting them to one's own local situation is sometimes called sense-making, where institutional actors "make sense" of their environment and select appropriate actions. ...

This paper addresses these issues by integrating cultural model theory from cognitive anthropology into an evaluation design, in order to understand the specific constituent elements of the social and cultural context of teaching, and how they shape the tacit understandings of IHE faculty or K-12 teachers. The research described here is based on an exploratory analysis of the National Science Foundation-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners (SCALE) project's activities at a West Coast comprehensive university between 2004 and 2007. This project is part of the NSF Math & Science Partnership program."

Abstract: This report of the NSF-funded SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides preliminary findings about SCALE activities at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). This interview-based study focuses on the structural and behavioral dynamics influencing the implementation of the four core SCALE strategies for effecting change in IHEs: (1) improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education; (2) improve collaborations between STEM and education faculty regarding pre-service programs; (3) improve collaborations between IHE faculty and K-12 districts regarding in-service training; and (4) improve institutional policies and practices at the IHE level that support faculty engaged in pre- and in-service activities. The case study methodology used attends closely to the diverse contexts that influence individual faculty practice within an IHE and analyzes observed program effects and outcomes in light of these contexts. Preliminary findings indicate that through summer professional development institutes that are co-constructed and co-facilitated by IHE faculty and K-12 personnel, SCALE is expanding upon and enhancing existing reform efforts underway at CSUN. Through the science immersion institutes and the math institutes for LAUSD teachers, SCALE is engaging STEM faculty in both learning and modeling inquiry-based pedagogy. Moreover, by actively training STEM faculty in these pedagogical methods, SCALE is beginning to influence participating faculty's conception of their own teaching and of K-12 issues. Another preliminary effect of SCALE was to further develop and foster a cohort of STEM disciplinary faculty who are engaged in pedagogical reform and K-12 education. The effects of a cohort of like-minded colleagues also include providing faculty with the benefits of professional networks and resources. While these changes cannot be attributed to policy change, both respondent testimony and related research findings indicate that the presence of collegial support and professional communities is a crucial aspect of institutionalizing a "culture" of reform. Despite the reform-ready atmosphere at CSUN, there remain significant institutional barriers to improving STEM instruction that may limit the ultimate efficacy of SCALE and similar efforts. The high teaching load at CSUN and an increasing pressure to conduct research and publish scholarly articles make participation in "service" activities such as SCALE challenging. Other factors that may inhibit the long-term efficacy of SCALE include the limited number of STEM majors, a complex regulatory atmosphere regarding teacher certification and professional development in California, and contentious faculty relations within and between some CSUN departments.

Abstract: "This report of the NSF-funded SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides findings about SCALE activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) between May 2003 and August 2007. Our methodological approach is to analyze the SCALE project through the lens of institutional culture, which enables us to situate the intervention within its local cultural context and thus to systematically observe the "black box" of reform implementation. This qualitative case study used a repeated cross-sectional design, and data included interviews, official university and SCALE documents, and observations of SCALE meetings. Non-random sampling procedures were used to identify 42 interview respondents, with whom 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted in early 2006 and late 2007. The interviews were analyzed using an inductive approach based on coding each transcript with a structured coding paradigm comprised of key elements of the cultural context of an IHE. Preliminary findings were constantly compared to other sources of data, and additional analytic procedures included causal network analyses, and an exploratory analysis of cultural models. The SCALE project at UW-Madison was comprised of 9 primary activities, involving 25 STEM faculty, 8 education faculty, 15 graduate students, and 14 academic staff as designers and implementers, and 867 K-12 math and science teachers as participants in professional development activities. Without measurable objectives with which to evaluate the SCALE project it is difficult to make a definitive statement about the relative success or failure of the project, but in light of the size and complexity of UW-Madison, the effects of the SCALE project must be considered modest. However, the SCALE project was successful in creating a small but noticeable shift in participant cultural models for teaching and learning, and the technical and social milieu in which they operate. Other outcomes include improving local K-12 teacher STEM pedagogical content knowledge, creating and reinvigorating inter-disciplinary committees focused on reforming pre-service curricula, and further developing a cohort of faculty and staff committed to STEM education. Limitations to this evaluation include a relatively small sample size and the lack of a longitudinal cohort due to respondent attrition, and rival explanations for the findings may include other non-SCALE factors that led to observed changes."

Abstract: Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) play an important role in math and science education by providing undergraduate instruction, teacher training programs, and in-service training for K-12 teachers. The National Science Foundation-funded System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project sought to effect change in its partner IHEs by creating a "transformative culture" through "cross-cultural working teams" that operated at the intersections among K-12 districts, colleges of education, and colleges of mathematics, science, and engineering (SCALE, 2005). The SCALE goals for IHEs are to: a) improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education; b) improve collaboration between STEM and education faculty regarding preservice programs; c) improve collaboration between IHE faculty and K-12 districts regarding in-service training; and (d) improve institutional policies and practices that support these activities. As part of the SCALE IHE Case Studies line of work, this document provides findings on the effects of the SCALE project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) between March 2005 and August 2007. Case studies of two other SCALE IHEs--the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison)-- have been produced. A cross-case analysis of the three IHE case studies will present a diagnostic approach to evaluating STEM education interventions in complex organizations.

Abstract: "In a 2010 case study of Virginia's MSP, the authors describe school principals as "the ultimate determiners of the work of the Mathematics Specialists in their school." To cultivate greater support among these school-based leaders, workshops (referred to as Principal Institutes) were held for middle school administrators during 2011-12 as part of the current NSF-funded MSP grant. The Institutes included a two-day session in October, followed by a one-day session in March, and culminated with another two-day session in June (five days in all). In addition, project leaders, with co-sponsorship from the Virginia Math and Science Coalition, offered a set of three-day workshops for principals in schools outside the MSP grant. Each was comprised of a two-day session in October/November, followed by a one-day session in January/February. The Institutes were "oversubscribed" within one day of advertising, prompting the Virginia Department of Education to fund an additional six offerings. In all, the Institutes will reach 270 principals instead of the 90 originally proposed. Both types of Institutes (the three- and five-day) sought to build administrators' capacity in two areas primarily: (1) understanding what good mathematics instruction looks like; and (2) understanding administrators' roles as mathematics instructional leaders. This brief report provides feedback on the Institutes, drawn largely from interviews conducted by Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) with six principals who attended the five-day sessions. In addition, HRI interviewed three principals from the three-day Institutes and analyzed survey responses from over 70 participants in these Institutes."

Abstract: The Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP), a comprehensive MSP project, resulted in significant improvement in mathematics achievement for students in the Milwaukee Public Schools, with a substantial achievement gap reduction between the school district and the state. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Milwaukee Area Technical College shared in the leadership for this student success as core partners to this unique collaboration among a large urban district, a four-year urban university, and a two-year technical college. The MMP final report (NSF Grant No. 0314898) includes a summary of project goals, activities, and findings. Also included are appendices on the MMP Continuum of Professional Work for Mathematics and an overview of the MMP Toolkit.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present the findings of a quantitative study focused on primary mathematics teachers who participated in an intensive professional development program and then had leadership responsibility for the implementation of a new primary mathematics curriculum in their district. The study examines the effect of the professional development on teachers' and students' mathematical knowledge. Results indicate that effective implementation of a new curriculum can improve students' mathematical knowledge, but that the effect of the curriculum implementation on student mathematical knowledge is enhanced when teachers improve their mathematical knowledge for teaching and are simultaneously involved in the leadership activities of the curriculum implementation.

Abstract: "Concerns about American competitiveness and innovation have led to increasing scrutiny of science, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Leaders in the higher education, business, and legislative communities have all issued calls for expanded opportunities and training in STEM fields to improve the skills of the U.S. workforce. Older arguments for change, including stronger alignment of K-12 and higher education curriculum and the overall reform of teacher preparation, are incorporated within these recent calls, and share similar policy and implementation challenges. This analysis identifies the National Science Foundation Math Science Partnerships program as an emblem of the challenges of engaging K-12 and higher education in major reform efforts within a dynamic policy environment."

Abstract: "In K-16 partnerships, the National Science Foundation Math Science Partnerships provide substantial support to improve of teaching and learning in K-16 and higher education, highlighting evidence-based research to promote partnership."

Abstract: "Efforts to support Teacher Specialist programs are taking root across the Commonwealth of Virginia as school divisions look for ways to raise student achievement by improving mathematics instruction. For the purposes of this report, we will define instruction as what teachers do. Instruction consists of the interactions involving teachers, students, and content. To frame our work and to guide our research we asked the question, "What interventions or deliberate efforts to improve instruction will be enhanced by a Mathematics Teacher Specialist, and what preparation is necessary to take on this role?"

Abstract: "Over the past five years I have sought to better understand student thinking and learning in the context of topics central to trigonometry, including angle measure, the unit circle, trigonometric functions, periodicity, and the polar coordinate system. While each study has provided unique insights into students' learning of trigonometry, a common theme connects the studies' findings: quantitative reasoning plays a central role in students' trigonometric understandings. In this chapter, I first describe a coherent system of understandings for trigonometry that is grounded in quantitative reasoning. Against this backdrop, I compare students' quantitative reasoning in the context of trigonometry in order to illustrate the role of quantitative reasoning in the learning of a particular mathematical topic."

Abstract: In 2003, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit received a grant under the National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership program to establish the Math Science Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania (MSP). The MSP brings together regional K-12 school districts, institutions of higher education, and intermediate units with the goals of increasing K-12 students' knowledge of mathematics and science, improving the quality of the K-16 educator workforce, and creating sustainable partnerships among participants. To achieve these goals, the MSP has instituted a variety of activities, including leadership academies, fellowship programs, and networking opportunities, to enact three key intervention strategies: professional development for content and leadership, curriculum alignment and pedagogical and course refinement, and support for and dissemination of research-based resources and tools. As RAND's involvement with the MSP comes to an end (the MSP will continue through 2010), the findings presented here provide preliminary evidence regarding the MSP's progress. The analyses draw on five years of qualitative and quantitative MSP data, including interviews, surveys, participation records, student achievement assessments, and other sources. The findings suggest that MSP partners are making progress toward the three MSP goals, although statistical analysis did not find evidence that the MSP was directly responsible for this progress.

Abstract: Drawing upon survey data of 19 MSP grantees and 130 non-MSP NSF grantees in STEM-related disciplines from three Mid-Atlantic States, this study employs a mixed-method approach to explore to what extent demographics, institutional norms and practice, and self-perceptions about importance of research, teaching and service differ between the MSP program grantees and other NSF grantees during the 2007-08 academic year. Guided by Hora and Millar's (2008) institutional context framework (ICF), the study also examined faculty's own assessment of values of MSP or other education outreach programs on various aspects of their scholarly lives and their institutions. Findings show that the MSP participants had more females, non-Asian minorities, considerably more years of prior K-12 engagement experience, and were more likely to be in institutions where teaching was emphasized more for promotion and tenure. In addition, the study provides strong evidence of positive impacts of educational outreach work to the higher education institutions' communities, the institutions and the faculty. Findings suggest that higher education faculty reward structures should find ways to value service-oriented scholarship.

Abstract: As part of the partnership with the American Physical Society (APS), APLU contracted with the disciplinary society to document how and why APS became involved in physics education reform as a possible guide to other disciplinary societies interested in seeding reform for STEM education in their discipline. Popkin reports that early in its history, APS focused on promoting physics research, publishing journals, and organizing meetings. As early as 1915 the Society did appoint a committee "to consider how the Society can be made useful to teachers in colleges and secondary schools,'" but APS generally declined to address educational and pedagogical issues except in marginal fashion. In the 1980's this began to change with the creation of APS' Department of Education and Outreach, which was in response to a growing awareness of educational problems facing the nation. One of the projects of this new department was a reevaluation of introductory undergraduate physics curriculum, which forged a partnership between the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT - which had spun off from APS in 1930), the American Institute of Physics (AIP), and APS.

Abstract: Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education (PROM/SE) has published two new issues of The PROM/SE Research Report - "Dividing Opportunities: Tracking in High School Mathematics" and "Dividing Opportunities: Tracking in High School Science."

These reports examine the extent of tracking in the 30 high schools that are part of PROM/SE. These schools represent over 14,000 seniors from nearly 18 districts. The reports reveal startling facts:

1) PROM/SE districts offer an incredibly large number of distinct high school math and science course titles and there is substantial variation across districts. For math, the number of courses offered by districts varied from 10 to 58. For science, the number varied from 7 to 55.

2) Analysis of the 14,000 students' course selections and the order in which they took these courses showed the number of sequences varies appreciably by district. For math, there were over 200 distinct course math sequences in some districts while in others there were less than 30. Most districts had closer to 60 sequences. For science, sequences ranged from over 100 to less than 30, with most districts closer to 50.

3) Though there are not overt curricular tracks, the large number and types of math and science courses offered implies that many students are encountering wildly discrepant learning opportunities within and across districts.

These issues and past issues of the PROM/SE Research Report are available for downloading from www.promse.msu.edu in the "research and results" section.

Abstract:

Abstract: Promoting Institutional Change to Strengthen Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation provides an analysis of the final reports from 23 of the 25 institutions in the TLC. For their final reports, TLC Team Leaders were asked to respond to a series of targeted questions about their institutions' involvement with the TLC. The final reports were reviewed, answers distilled, and common themes or core ideas across the institutions were identified. Each reported successful outcome was coded as a program improvement, program restructuring, or campus-wide change.

Abstract: The report highlights data collected from over 4,100 K-12 teachers in nearly 60 participating school districts in Michigan and Ohio. PROM/SE surveyed K-12 mathematics teachers about their knowledge of mathematics for teaching and how they acquired it. Key findings reveal significant differences among grade bands and in participating districts in teachers' feelings of preparedness to teach nearly 50 mathematics topics. Data reveal that elementary and middle school teachers do not feel well prepared to teach higher math topics which most likely impacts their ability to lay critical foundations for their students' later, higher math success. Long-term and systematic solutions for K-12 districts, professional development, and teacher preparation programs are discussed. Key recommendations for districts are provided, including: recognizing that teachers need professional development that focuses on specific topics in the mathematics school curriculum to offer them a deep understanding of these topics; assigning the most mathematically sophisticated teachers to foundational high school courses such as first year algebra; and creating induction programs for beginning teachers that emphasize the teaching of specific mathematics content.

Abstract: Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education (PROM/SE) has published volume 6 of The PROM/SE Research Report titled "Opportunities to Learn in PROM/SE Classrooms: Teachers' Reported Coverage of Mathematics Content." This report examines the pattern of reported mathematics content coverage in elementary grades classrooms in the PROM/SE districts. In these PROM/SE districts about 2625 teachers (about 525 teachers at each of the five grade levels) reported on their mathematics content coverage. Our results indicate that there is great variation across classrooms in the mathematics content coverage, suggesting the presence of enormous inequalities in opportunities to learn mathematics content. This surprising variability extends not only between districts but also across the hallway within the same school. This issue and past issues of the PROM/SE Research Report are available for downloading from www.promse.msu.edu in the "research and results" section.

Abstract: Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education (PROM/SE) has published volume 5 of The PROM/SE Research Report titled "Variation Across Districts in Intended Topic Coverage: Mathematics." This report explores the extent to which implementing curriculum at the local level has created mathematics curriculum standards (grade level learning expectations) with vastly different learning expectations that in turn undermines any 'intent' to provide to all students an equal opportunity to learn mathematics. Given the cumulative nature of knowledge, especially in mathematics, differences in learning opportunities lost at a specific grade may not be gained at a later time. These disparities are not just experienced by children who live in poverty. This affects children who live in wealthy suburbs that surround urban areas as well. Data from across districts nationally are examined. This issue and past issues of the PROM/SE Research Report are available for downloading from www.promse.msu.edu in the "research and results" section.

Abstract: Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education (PROM/SE) has published volume 7 of The PROM/SE Research Report titled "Content Coverage and the Role of Instructional Leadership."
This study examines the variation in reported science content coverage among 53 PROM/SE districts in Michigan and Ohio. Variation is also described among schools within participating districts and among classrooms within the same school. Data point to extensive variation in the amount of time allocated to science instruction at district, school, and classroom levels across elementary and middle grades. In a subset of 5 adjacent school districts, striking variation is noted in the coverage of topics addressed when compared to the science curriculum of high achieving TIMSS countries. Similarly notable variability is found in the number of instructional days devoted to science topics in schools within the same district and in classrooms within the same school. Findings reflect the importance of instructional leadership at all levels of the educational system to ensure that district intentions and school-level implementation are aligned in promoting coherent and consistent enactment of rigorous standards. The need for strong instructional leadership by district superintendents as well as building principals is discussed in detail.
This issue and past issues of The PROM/SE Research Report are available for downloading from www.promse.msu.edu in the "research and results" section

Abstract: The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes the development, implementation, and sustainability of exemplary partnerships and the institutionalization of its effective programs, policies, procedures, and activities to advance high-quality mathematics and science education. NSF encourages the engagement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in these partnerships that also involve the departments or schools of education at institutions of higher education (IHEs). The MSP Program is about deepening the knowledge and understanding of mathematics and the sciences for K-12 students, for preservice students, and for in-service educators. It also is about making the changes needed to support and sustain that outcome (e.g., changes in teaching practice at all levels, curricular change at all levels, changes in institutional practice and policies, or increased use of evidence).

Abstract: While many designers of teacher leader programs aim for sustainability, a variety of challenges and limited resources often undermine their efforts. The MSP-Knowledge Management and Dissemination (MSP-KMD) project presents a cross-case analysis, drawing on four cases, that highlights the strategies of MSP project leaders to sustain their teacher leader programs. The cross-case analysis features key ideas that current and future program designers might implement to leverage limited resources in sustaining essential aspects of their teacher leader programs. Each of the four cases focuses on the teacher leadership program of a single MSP, and provides detailed descriptions of the issues and strategies that influenced project leaders' efforts to sustain their teacher leader programs.

Abstract: In the spring of 2005, SCALE's Research and Evaluation team began conducting a set of IHE case studies to determine (a) whether positive and sustainable improvements are underway to facilitate the provision of high-quality professional learning opportunities in math and science to pre- and in-service K-12 teachers by STEM and education faculty and the IHEs (as organizations), and (b) whether these improvements can be attributed, at least in part, to SCALE implementation. This case study report presents an initial description and analysis of institutional change efforts underway at one of SCALE's IHE partners, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).

Abstract: "The major focus of this study is on ways in which MSPs have engaged STEM higher education faculty in focusing on the quality of STEM undergraduate education, strengthening their teaching practices, and expanding the scope of their work to encompass a K-16 perspective, including the improvement of K-12 STEM education and the preparation of future teachers. "

Abstract: In 2004, the University System of Maryland was awarded its second National Science Foundation grant to engage in a three-year study to document curriculum transformation, faculty engagement, and sustainable change among higher education institutions involved in Math and Science Partnership (MSP) grant projects. The title of this grant is Change and Sustainability in Higher Education (CASHE). The primary focus of this project is to study ways in which MSPs have engaged science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education faculty in focusing on the quality of STEM undergraduate education, strengthening their teaching practices, and expanding the scope of their work to include a K-16 perspective, including the improvement of K-12 STEM education and the preparation of future teachers. CASHE also focuses on the impact that MSPs have had on campus culture, policies, and priorities, and the extent to which such resulting changes in higher education will likely be sustainable beyond the life of these grants.

Abstract: "Teaching is a critical consideration in investigations of primary school leadership and not just as an outcome variable. Factoring in instruction as an explanatory variable in scholarship on school leadership involves moving away from views of teaching as a monolithic or unitary practice. When it comes to leadership in primary schools, the subject matters. More sophisticated constructions of teaching are necessary that take into account the subject matter (e.g. mathematics or literacy) and the dimension of teaching (e.g. content and teaching strategies). This paper explores how the practice of leadership in primary schools is structured differently depending on the school subject."

Abstract: "Taking a distributed perspective has the potential to offer fresh insights into how school leadership and management contributes to the school improvement process. In this paper the authors examine various methodological approaches to studying school leadership and management from a distributed perspective, comparing and contrasting what is learned about school leadership and management from each approach. Exploring these different approaches we identify two dimensions along which to consider the epistemological challenges they raise about measuring how school leadership is distributed across school staff - data source (top down and bottom up) and data focus (the organization as designed or the organization as lived). We also explore whether these approaches capture variation between schools and between activity-types in the distribution of responsibility for leadership work. The primary goal of this paper is to consider different ways of studying how the work of managing and leading schools is distributed among people in schools and the methodological and epistemological tradeoffs involved in this work."

Abstract: "Purpose - This paper is concerned with the epistemological and methodological challenges involved in studying the distribution of leadership across people within the school - the leader-plus aspect of a distributed perspective, which it aims to investigate. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines the entailments of the distributed perspective for collecting and analyzing data on school leadership and management. It considers four different operationalizations of the leader-plus aspect of the distributed perspective and examines the results obtained from these different operationalizations. The research reported in this paper is part of a larger study, an efficacy trial of a professional development program intended to prepare principals to improve their practice. The study involved a mixed method design. For the purpose of this paper a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, including an experience sampling method (ESM) principal log, a principal questionnaire (PQ), and a school staff questionnaire (SSQ) was used. Findings - While acknowledging broad similarities among the various approaches, the different approaches also surfaced some divergence that has implications for thinking about the epistemological and methodological challenges in measuring leadership from a distributed perspective. Approaches that focus on the lived organization as distinct from the designed organization, for example, unearth the role of individuals with no formal leadership designations in leading and managing the school. Research limitations/implications - Limited by the data set, the paper focuses on only four operationalizations of the leader plus aspect of the distributed perspective rather than taking a more comprehensive look at how the leader plus aspect might be operationalized. Originality/value - The primary value of this paper is that it will prompt scholars to think about the entailments of different ways of operationalizing the leader plus aspect when using a distributed perspective."

Abstract: "In this paper, we take a distributed perspective to examine how the work of leading and managing the schoolhouse is distributed across people. Beginning with the leader-plus aspect of a distributed perspective, the paper examines which school actors take on leadership and management work. Comparing and contrasting different types of leadership/management activities, we argue that individuals who take responsibility for the work depends on the activity-type. By examining how leadership is distributed, we show that co-performance of leading and managing activities are not unusual in schools."

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of relationships among participants in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program and how those relationships change. The data were collected from a convenience sample of MSP participants who attended the MSP Learning Network Conference held on January 25, 2010. Examination of current interaction rates for veteran participants indicates substantial interactions across groups, including STEM to Education, and each of these IHE groups to K--12. The highest interaction rates were reported for innovation and research and preparation of articles and presentations between STEM and education faculty. Whereas discussions regarding pedagogy and professional development were the most frequent when relationships between IHE faculty and K-12 teachers were reported. The data show substantial interactions among participants which is aligned with the MSP mission and values. The fact that interactions are frequently reported to occur both among faculty within the IHE environment and across IHE/K-12 boundaries is very important. Even if the data are influenced by the particular sample that attended the Learning Network Conference, the findings should be celebrated.

Abstract: This document contains four brief reports that illuminate key strategies employed in the Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP). They are intended to be read along with the main report, The Appalachian Math Science Partnership: A Multi-State Umbrella Partnership Promoting Local Mathematics And Science Reform. The reports included in this document are: I. The Regional Program Coordinators: Making Connections and Developing Local Leadership II. Baseline Improvement Sites and the Program Improvement Review: Promoting School-wide Involvement in Math and Science Reform III. The Partnership Enhancement Program: A Strategy for Supporting Locally Designed Partnerships IV. Motivating Change in Institutions of Higher Education Through Collaboration with K-12 Partners

Abstract: The Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP) is a project within NSF's Math Science Partnerships (MSP) initiative. Funded at $23 million over five years, the AMSP involved 51 school districts and nine higher education institutions in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The AMSP faced two significant challenges in its effort to live up to the vision of the MSP initiative and to its own hopes and goals. First, its service area, Appalachia, comprises some of the most isolated and stressed communities and school systems in the United States. Second, the mere scale of the partnership--60 organizations in several states--defied easy implementation. Yet despite these challenges (indeed, working to address them directly), the AMSP built upon existing leadership capacity in the region and created not only effective partnerships, but ultimately formed what we view as the foundation for a sustainable regional "improvement infrastructure" for science and mathematics. In this set of five papers, we portray the evolution, design and strategies of the AMSP. We believe that the design principles the AMSP adhered to, the responsiveness of AMSP leaders to local needs and issues, and the strategies they devised to make good on their promise have relevance for others who invest in the improvement of science and math education, particularly in rural regions. This paper, entitled "The Appalachian Math Science Partnership: A Multi-State Umbrella Partnership Promoting Local Mathematics And Science Reform," is the core document of the set of five and stands alone. It provides background on the initiative and on the regional landscape, gives an account of how the AMSP's overall design as an "umbrella partnership" formed, describes the major strategies and components of the partnership (including the benefits they produced and lessons learned from their implementation), documents the core values and design principles underlying the umbrella partnership, and offers our conceptualization of the AMSP as a regional improvement infrastructure. The four papers identified as AMSP Close-ups (a single document) are companions to this core document. They illuminate in more detail key strategies of the larger partnership.

Abstract: Designers of professional development programs aimed at deepening teacher content knowledge strive for sustainability in the face of a variety of challenges and limited resources. The MSP-Knowledge Management and Dissemination (MSP-KMD) project presents a cross-case analysis, drawing on four cases, that highlights the strategies of MSP project leaders to sustain their efforts at deepening teacher content knowledge. The cross-case analysis features key ideas that current and future program designers might implement to leverage limited resources in sustaining essential aspects of their programs. Each of the four cases focuses on a single MSP's program to deepen teacher content knowledge, and provides detailed descriptions of the issues and strategies that influenced project leaders' efforts to sustain their work.

Abstract: Today's professional societies, teacher organizations, accrediting bodies, and government agencies are actively promoting the teaching of computational thinking (CT) skills. Although the discourse about the essence of CT continues, a concerted effort has already helped make computer science a high school graduation requirement in many US states. The idea of procedural thinking and programming for children has been floating around for more than three decades, but its successful entry into learning standards as a competency area for everyone is very recent. Yet, because CT is often linked to electronic devices and equated with thinking by computer scientists, a decade-long discourse has yet to produce ways to separate it from programming and computers. Moreover, the lack of such separation continues to preclude us from capturing the essence of CT in a way that narrows down its skill set and links it to cognitive competencies that can be taught to young students. This article aims to do this by building on a viewpoint previously published in this column to advance the state of computational science education.

Abstract: This article introduces a new perspective on computational thinking, including its definition, cognitive essence, and curricular issues

Abstract: A booklet summarizing a technology approach to integrate math and science education. This booklet is the 2003-2008 Progress Report for the SUNY-Brockport College and Rochester City (SCOLLARCITY) Math and Science Partnership.

Abstract: The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program is a major national research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. Deep engagement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplinary faculty is a hallmark of this program. The program posits that disciplinary faculty hold the knowledge that K-12 teachers need, and that if faculty are substantially involved, the chain of professional knowledge will be strengthened and result in improved student achievement. Westat's research, evaluation, and technical assistance (RETA) grant aims to examine this assumption empirically. Specifically, we are asking how STEM faculty are engaged in MSP. Does the involvement make any difference in enhancing teacher quality and increasing student achievement? And are there particular circumstances in which certain types of involvement contribute more or less than others on these dimensions? In essence, we ask what works, for whom, and under what circumstance through the following six research questions:

1. What methods (i.e., strategies, practices, and policies) are being used by the projects to engage STEM faculty in their activities, and how do these differ by type of institution of higher education (IHE)?
2. What levels of involvement are garnered by various methods at different types of IHEs?
3. To what extent does STEM faculty involvement contribute to increases in K-12 teacher content and pedagogical knowledge?
4. To what extent does STEM faculty involvement contribute to student achievement?
5. What are the policy implications for engaging STEM faculty?
6. How does faculty involvement evolve, and does it appear to have the ability to be sustained?