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Math and Science Partnership Connects Schools and Higher Education to Boost LearningThe National Science Board (NSB) executive committee approved Thursday a program developed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to strengthen science and mathematics education in the nation's schools by initiating new linkages among institutions of higher education, preK-12 schools and other partners. Known as the Math and Science Partnership (MSP), the program is supported by a $160 million appropriation in the fiscal 2002 budget. A planned $1 billion, five-year investment by NSF in MSP is part of President Bush's wider initiatives in mathematics and science education. The partnerships will unite the efforts of local school districts with mathematics, science and engineering faculties, as well as education faculty, to address issues of improving learning and teaching in science and mathematics for pre kindergarten through 12th grade. "We recognize that there are excellent educators out there to work with our young people," said NSF Director Rita Colwell. "The problems are complex, and so, too, are the solutions which require the kind of vision exemplified in these partnerships." The new MSP will focus on improving student achievement by ensuring that all students are engaged in a challenging curriculum. The program also seeks to increase the number, quality and diversity of teachers of science and mathematics, and create a network of researchers and teachers to share and study educational reform. The MSP program is part of President Bush's No Child Left Behind initiative to strengthen and reform preK-12 education. NSF has received strong support for the program from Congress, especially the Committee on Science in the House of Representatives. According to No Child Left Behind, "among the underlying causes for the poor performance of U.S. students in the areas of math and science, three problems must be addressed-too many teachers teaching out-of-field; too few students taking advanced coursework; and too few schools offering a challenging curriculum and textbooks." MSP is a new phase in education reform, building on NSF's experience during the past ten years in developing programs to help schools improve education system-wide in science and mathematics. The MSP draws on the work of other NSF sponsored programs in mathematics and science education. "By linking community colleges and universities with school systems, MSP will provide new opportunities to boost learning," said Judith Ramaley, Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources. "Those links could bring new technology training to teachers or bring high school students into university laboratories to work with faculty, for instance." NSF also is in contact with the U.S. Department of Education to determine how efforts in mathematics and science education can benefit from the collective experiences of the two agencies. The fiscal 2002 appropriation will support partnerships that vary in the range and size of their activities.
For more information on the Math and Science Partnership, see: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/fsmathscipart.htm For more information, see http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/.
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