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The bulk of the Federal resources for improvement in K-12 mathematics and science education flows from the programs of the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. (See Appendix 4 for a summary.) Developing a coherent approach to strengthening the impact of Federal resources used to improve mathematics achievement in grades 5-8 begins with these programs. Drawing on the resources of other Federal agencies in an effective manner can then follow.
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Title I Schoolwide Programs
The 1994 reauthorization of Title I gave the program an entirely new purpose, namely, to teach disadvantaged students to the same high standards to which all other students are held. States are now in the process of developing their own standards and establishing assessment mechanisms to measure students' progress against them, in at least reading and mathematics. In addition, the reauthorization lowered the eligibility threshold for Title I schoolwide programs. Schools with at least 50 percent of students from low-income families may now use their Title I funds (along with other Federal, State, and local funds) to make comprehensive improvements in the instructional program of the entire school, rather than providing discrete services to individual children. This change gives those schools the flexibility, for instance, to use Title I funds to upgrade the mathematics curriculum for all students. |
Current Federal Resources
In FY 1997, the National Science Foundation invested $377 million in K-12 science and mathematics education, including investments in the undergraduate preparation of teachers. The funds go largely to colleges and universities, State and local educational agencies, and nonprofit organizations. They are awarded through competitive review of proposals for funding of specific projects. Over the past few years, the Foundation has placed a high priority on system-wide reform of mathematics and science education. It asks local and State educational agencies to align resources of all types, including those obtained through other Federal programs, to effect change. The Foundation highlights specific areas of emphasis within broader programming, establishes clear priorities for funding within the criteria for selection of awards, and holds grantees accountable for performance. Over the years, projects aimed specifically at mathematics in grades 5-8 have been comparatively scarce.
The Department of Education allocated approximately $8 billion in FY 1997 through three major formula grant programs (Goals 2000: Educate America Act; Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants; and Title I: Education for the Disadvantaged) that include improved achievement in mathematics and science among their objectives. Goals 2000 aids States and school districts to develop and implement challenging academic standards and upgrade teaching and learning in order to reach the National Education Goals, including the goal of becoming first in the world in mathematics and science. The Eisenhower program places an explicit focus on science and mathematics. Of the $310 million appropriated for FY 1997, $250 million was required to be used for staff development in mathematics and science.
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Mathematics Education
and the Department of Defense Two agencies within the Department of Defense (DoD) offer complementary approaches to introducing rigorous national standards in their educational activities. The DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) provides education for military and civilian dependents overseas (DoD Dependents Schools or DoDDS) and on some military bases in the U.S. (DoD Domestic Elementary and Secondary Schools or DDESS). DoDDS is essentially an autonomous school system that has developed a mathematics curriculum based on the NCTM standards, adopted standards-based instructional materials for use throughout all the overseas schools, and is continually training teachers in these materials and strategies using teacher-leaders. DDESS schools operate independently and cooperate with local education areas in addressing standards. DoDEA is working toward system-wide commonality in curriculum, instructional materials, and student assessment aligned with the NCTM standards.
The National Security Agency established a Mathematics Education Partnership Program (MEPP) in 1991. MEPP sponsors over a thousand talks per year to schools and colleges through its Speakers Bureau. It donates excess computers to classrooms, sponsors seminars and inservice teacher training, and conducts extended summer workshops for teachers at all levels. These MEPP activities, including projects such as collaboration with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's Project SkyMath, are all informed by the NCTM Standards, which are an explicit subject of study and reference at MEPP's Summer Institutes for Teachers. For a description, see http://www.nsa.gov/programs/mepp. |
The 1994 reauthorization of Title I placed new emphasis on helping disadvantaged students meet the same challenging academic standards expected of all children. States are currently developing their own rigorous standards and assessments in reading and mathematics. The Department of Education works actively with States and school districts to identify actions that can be taken to achieve significant improvement, provides information and examples, and makes other technical assistance available as needed.
A dozen other departments and agencies sponsor activities that relate to, and could promote, standards-based education that improves students' mathematics and science learning and overall academic performance. In general, these agencies focus far more on science than mathematics, and commit modest resources to improving K-12 education. In general, their activities are related to their missions. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes awards to schools, state agencies, nonprofit agencies and universities for activities that focus on environmental education. Most agencies offer staff and facilities, often on a volunteer basis, to support local schools and teachers and have developed and are sharing supplementary instructional materials on their Web sites.
Using Existing Programs
The first step in moving forward is to make the most of existing programs aimed at improving student achievement through rigorous standards across all subject areas and all grade levels. Such programs provide a fundamental level of information and opportunity important for progress, but currently have limited focus on mathematics in grades 5-8.
Within those existing programs, the participating agencies will promote means of emphasizing high-quality, standards-based mathematics in grades 5-8. For example, the competitive programs at the National Science Foundation can incorporate priorities for work in this area in selection criteria, and the Department of Education can enhance the level of technical assistance it provides to State and local educational agencies. Expanding the scale of such existing programs will also help, as will the development of new initiatives in the individual agencies, but issues of scope and synergy remain.
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Pooling Resources to Enhance Student Achievement
Kenton Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, and 12 other schools in the region decided to place a high priority on student achievement using Title I and other resources. During the 1995-96 school year, the schools held full-day, weekly workshops on best teaching practices as identified by the school principals. The principals developed a regional Title I plan and, with the help of consultants, have all staff working together to implement it. Title I staff worked with regular classroom teachers on new strategies, and Kenton staff agreed to use Title I benchmarks and assessments for all students.
Kenton's curriculum emphasizes interactive writing and vocabulary development, and uses innovative mathematics materials. Teachers use cooperative learning and peer tutoring to help students grow toward proficient and advanced levels, and students are encouraged to analyze, evaluate, and interpret information. Kenton teachers regularly meet with small groups of students outside of class to give extra help in mathematics, reading, or writing. Teachers also train the school's many volunteers to support the benchmarks while working with students. Assessments indicate some success in the early years of this effort to improve instruction. The percentage of third-graders scoring in the advanced category in mathematics increased from 15 percent to 35 percent. |
Creating Synergy
The programs of the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation have different approaches and strengths. The Department generally provides large-scale, flexible support directly to State and/or local educational agencies for improving teaching and learning to high standards, coupling this support with technical assistance. NSF's portfolio is much smaller in scale, is targeted at improving mathematics, science, and technology education, and is established through competitive processes. To create synergy, this action strategy combines the agencies' strengths, permitting those involved with upgrading mathematics professional development and instruction through major Department of Education programs to draw on NSF's competitive programs to step up the pace of change.
The work of improving student achievement must be done at the State and local level, and, most fundamentally, within individual schools. State and local educational agencies can maximize the impact of Federal resources by choosing to use them in a coordinated, concentrated way. Thus, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education will champion State and local educational agencies in the strategic use of all types of Federal, State and local funds toward improving mathematics achievement, offer examples of effective coordination in the use of such funds, and provide incentives to initiate effective improvements. At the same time, they will work together to encourage the nation's colleges and universities to do a better job in educating future teachers for the work they will do in the schools and will combine with other agencies in a broad program of public information and engagement.
The Department of Education and the National Science Foundation plan a set of joint activities that are the synergy-producing elements of the action strategy. They will include the other participating agencies to the extent possible.
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Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative
The NSF-supported Texas Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) also operates the U.S. Department of Education's Comprehensive Assistance Center for Elementary and Secondary Act Programs in Texas, bringing into one unit the state's leadership both in science and mathematics education and in Title I technical assistance. In the past two years, the SSI has provided incentive grants and technical support in integrating Title I, Eisenhower, and professional development activities in mathematics and science to more than 100 Title I schools serving more than 100,000 Title I students. In July, 1995, the SSI held an intensive summer institute designed to support Title I schools in (1) reconceptualizing the use of formula funds, (2) adopting mathematics curricula keyed to high standards, and (3) adopting effective schoolwide program models. As a result of the SSI/Title I collaboration, state mathematics and science leaders are now active members of school support teams engaged in mentoring over 700 Texas Title I schools. At the same time, increasing numbers of teachers in high poverty/high minority schools are being trained as SSI mathematics, science, and technology specialists. |
The Department and the Foundation jointly will provide competitive planning grants to jump-start intensive, coherent efforts to upgrade mathematics instruction that use Federal, State, and local funds to sustain long-term improvements and provide models for the future. Funds may be used to initiate planning and to contribute toward one-time costs of initiating a coherent set of activities. A principal target for the agencies' cooperative activities will be middle schools with schoolwide Title I programs and districts with many such schools. This focus permits large numbers of disadvantaged students to benefit from the enhanced synergy of Department and Foundation programs.
To support the joint effort, the Department of Education will provide active encouragement and support, opportunities to pool resources originating in the Department through waivers, consolidated programming, and information and technical assistance, as appropriate. The National Science Foundation will emphasize support for development and implementation of State and local strategies for improving mathematics education in grades 5-8.
The Department and NSF will convene a national conference of key actors in determining how Federal resources are used by States and local districts. Participants will include state and local leaders of Title I, Goals 2000, Eisenhower, and State, urban and rural systemic initiative activities.
The two agencies will sponsor a national convocation on middle school mathematics to initiate a continuing dialogue on what students need to know and be able to do at this level and what this means for effective classroom practice.
NSF and the Department will support a joint, multi-year effort to create a large-scale, national public education effort that is coupled with extensive opportunities for active engagement of students, parents, and the larger community in the support of mathematics education.
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PRIME in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Reform in Mathematics Education (PRIME) project supports teachers in the classroom implementation of standards-based mathematics instruction and assessment in grades K-12 through the use of exemplary materials. PRIME provides teachers with a broad knowledge base in both the mathematics content and the successful mathematics pedagogy needed to implement the new materials successfully. Funded under National Science Foundation guidelines as a project of Local Systemic Change through Teacher Enhancement in Mathematics, PRIME provides all 924 Pittsburgh public school teachers of mathematics with a range of experiences that include summer workshops; release-day professional development workshops; and individualized, in-class support provided by demonstration teachers within each school. Teachers of grades 6-12 receive 234 hours of professional development, and teachers of grades K-5 receive 102-132 hours. By equipping all Pittsburgh mathematics teachers with the knowledge, skills, and support necessary for using exemplary materials and assessment, PRIME is designed to ensure that all students experience a coherent mathematics program that is expected to yield high achievement at all levels. This four-year project, funded for over $ 3 million, is a model for the effective use of district funds toward improving achievement. In addition to the NSF funds, an additional $ 6.7 million from district funds and commitments from Eisenhower and other Federal dollars support the effort. |
The Department and NSF will undertake a coordinated set of research and informational activities around mathematics in grades 5-8. These activities include release of a TIMSS resource kit that contains specific tools for professional development, curriculum analysis, and achievement benchmarking; readministering TIMSS in the spring of 1999 to get updated information on our international standing; a program of research informing continued development of the eighth grade national test over time; and a sustained agenda of basic research in teaching and learning of mathematics, including research on the use of learning technologies.
The Department and the Foundation will work systematically with other agencies to enhance the impact of Federal resources by upgrading their activities to reinforce an approach based on high standards for mathematics in grades 5-8.
Each of the specific items above will be aimed at mathematics in grades 5-8, reflecting the urgent need to raise achievement at this stage of the educational process. However, the activities described above can also serve as models for more effective approaches to educational change in the broader arena of mathematics and science education. The working group strongly endorses the idea of future efforts that would encompass additional aspects of K-12 mathematics and science education.
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