HEADLINE: Grant to boost math, science
programs; Cleveland teachers will get a hand from colleges
BYLINE: Angela Townsend, Plain Dealer Reporter
BODY: The Cleveland School District
announced yesterday that it has received a five-year, $7.5 million grant to
strengthen math and science instruction for students in grades six through
12.
The National Science Foundation has given the
district one of 24 awards totaling $240 million as part of a new Math and Science Partnership program, borne out of President
Bush's No Child Left Behind law. More than 300 applications were submitted.
Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said it is one of the largest grants the
district has received during her four-year tenure, and it will be a key to
strengthening the knowledge base of the district's math and science teachers.
The Cleveland Mathematics and Science Partnership will
create connections with three local universities:
Certified math and science teachers in grades six through eight can
apply to get a master's degree at no charge from John Carroll University.
Cleveland State University will develop math and science
courses for grades six through eight that teachers can complete to qualify for a
state license in math or science.
Case Western Reserve
University's math and science faculty will teach workshops on incorporating lab
exercises into the district's high school curriculum. They also will work with
teachers at their schools two days a week.
The
universities will use part of the grant to redesign their courses for education
majors, said Bill Badders. Badders, formerly a science resource teacher with the
district, will be director of the partnership.
The
grant comes at a time when the district is struggling to raise math and science
proficiency test scores. The district's passage rate in those areas continues to
lag behind other subjects. New math standards have been implemented this year to
address that. "We can't be satisfied with what we've achieved so far,"
Byrd-Bennett said.
District officials decided that the
middle-school grades were the best place to focus, Badders said.
"Many teachers lack the content knowledge," he said.
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