Mathematics

NSF Names Winners of Math And Science Grants

By David J. Hoff — October 09, 2002 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Twenty-four projects will be receiving $240 million in federal grants to support efforts to raise student performance and the quality of teaching in the nation’s math and science classrooms.

Descriptions of the winning projects are available from the National Science Foundation’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs.

The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education last week named the winners in new grant competitions. The grants will underwrite collaborations involving universities or nonprofit organizations and K-12 schools.

The projects will take on various tasks, such as recruiting high- quality teachers, providing professional development to current teachers, improving textbook material, and encouraging students to take challenging coursework. The projects will receive their money over the course of the next five years.

“These partnerships will become part of a broad national network of interconnected sites that will share successful instructional strategies, entice and train competent science and math teachers, and improve learning for millions of students,” said Rita Colwell, the NSF’s director.

A New Approach

The NSF’s Math and Science Partnership Program is the centerpiece of the independent federal agency’s new approach to improving math and science education. In the 1990s, the NSF made major grants to states, urban districts, and rural districts to help them develop comprehensive projects to raise student achievement in math and science.

The new strategy will provide funding for universities and nonprofits to work alongside K-12 districts to address specific needs in mathematics and science classrooms. (“NSF Plots New Education Strategy,” Nov. 7, 2001.)

For example, in the grants announced last week, the University of California, Irvine, will receive $14.2 million to work with three Southern California school districts with high enrollments of minority students and English-language learners. Scientists from the university will work closely in the Compton, Santa Ana, and Newport-Mesa school districts to build professional-development programs for teachers and improve the quality of the curricula.

Similar projects are planned for schools in Baltimore, rural Kentucky, in and around El Paso, Texas, and in some New Jersey cities.

Another project will help the school districts serving Los Angeles, Denver, Providence, R.I., and Madison, Wis., and several teacher-preparation programs, to improve the quality of new teachers entering math and science classrooms.

The NSF also made $5.5 million in grants to 12 projects to evaluate the effectiveness of math and science programs and help schools implement effective programs.

The NSF will pay the lion’s share of the new grants.

However, the Education Department will contribute $12.5 million to underwrite two portions of statewide projects in Vermont and North Carolina. Both projects will include major universities, state education departments, and a cross section of school districts to seek comprehensive strategies to raise student achievement in math and science.

The Education Department funds are from a new program started as part of the “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001. That program supports statewide math and science efforts.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Effective Strategies for Higher Math Scores in K-8
This Spotlight will help you explore effective strategies for improving math instruction and enhancing student achievement.
Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Building Strong Foundations in Math
This Spotlight will help you discover how to help students develop conceptual understanding, effectively teach word problems, and more.



Mathematics Opinion One Thing We Get Wrong About Teaching Math (and How to Fix It)
A simple change to how you structure math class will stop students from turning their ‘math brains’ off.
Sara Delano Moore
5 min read
Math manipulatives on a graph paper notebook.
Nataliia Tymofieieva/Getty + Education Week
Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Innovative Approaches to Math Engagement
This Spotlight will help you discover how to create motivating classroom environments, connect math to potential careers, and more.