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MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP (MSP) GRANT PROGRAM
(Updated 1/3/12)

The goals of the MSP are: 1) to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers; 2) to build statewide capacity for professional development of K-12 staff by establishing networks of highly skilled teacher leaders in mathematics and science; and 3) to develop partnerships among K-12 educators, STEM faculty, and higher education personnel. Funds from the MSP are currently being used to support high quality professional development programs in Vermont.

Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program Grant Application for 2011 - 2012
The application for the next round of MSP grants is now available. These grants, for up to $60,000, require partnerships between high-need school districts and higher education STEM faculty. Successful projects will pay particular attention to the engineering component of STEM.

Application:

• Printable Format PDF
• Editable Format WORD

An expectation for successful projects is that professional development incorporates research-based instructional materials/resources that are currently available. Please see the materials list below for possible suggestions.

• STEM Materials List PDF

The Southwest Vermont Science Partnership Enhancement Program
Project Director: Maureen Maidrand

The Southwest Vermont Science Partnership Enhancement Program was developed to improve student science achievement across the high-need region served by the Southwest Vermont Superintendents’ Curriculum Coordinators’ Collaborative (SWVCCC). Delivered in partnership with Castleton State and Bennington College, Southwest VITA-Learn, and the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, the program will result in a qualitative, cultural shift in the teaching and learning of science across nine Vermont Supervisory Unions by developing 60 “STAR” teachers who complete the five core program requirements of 1)Science Content instruction (90 hours), 2) “Best Practices” course in science teaching, with a focus on “scientific inquiry”, 3) 21st Century Technology embedded professional development, 4) Writing in the Sciences, and 5) Formative Assessment Project Training. An additional 240 teachers will benefit from selective participation in program components over the three-year period. The initiative will be reinforced and sustained through the development of a Regional Infrastructure for Science Success to include:

• An annual regional Southwest Vermont Science and 21st Century Technology symposium;
• A regional electronic platform for teacher and program support to include electronic communication, web science resources, and featured exemplary teacher lessons and student science projects;
• The SWVSP Science Brain Bank, allowing for local Guest Scientists in classrooms; and
• An annual Summer Science Assessment Institute;
• Beyond improving the science achievement of Southwest Vermont PreK-12 students, the program will increase the region’s capacity to deliver effective science instruction by developing professional collaboration among primary, intermediate, and secondary science teachers, and meaningful connections among educational and business communities.

Vermont Math Initiative
Project Director: Kenneth Gross

The mission of VMI is to improve mathematics instruction and raise student achievement across all of Vermont. The VMI is based on a two-stage model.

• Phase I: Begun in 1999 is a three-year Master’s Degree program that builds school and district mathematics leadership capacity. To date, VMI Phase I has trained 256 teacher leaders representing 132 schools and 53 school districts.
• Phase II (District Implementation Component): Launched in 2006 with MSP Title IIB support. Phase II brings VMI systemically into a district with core mathematics content distilled from the Phase I curriculum. Learning and transfer to the classroom is sustained and amplified through formative assessment, mentoring, and other meaningful experiences led by the district's Phase I trained teacher leaders. In the three years of its existence, Phase II has been delivered to 208 teachers from 72 schools in 24 districts.

Ongoing program evaluation has consistently shown that VMI has a profound impact on the VMI teachers themselves, their classroom practice, and most importantly their students. Especially significant in light of the educational equity focus of VMI and the Title IIB MSP program, the quantitative evaluation studies indicate that the achievement gap is narrowing significantly for free or reduced lunch eligible students taught by VMI trained teachers.

This proposal continues the progression of VMI toward its goal of reaching all elementary and middle school teachers in Vermont. To that end, they propose to extend Phase II to a self-sustaining “in house” district model that provides all teachers in a district with the full Phase II VMI experience – including the content, formative assessment, and follow-up training – in a cost effective way that meets the particular needs of the district. In this model Phase II will be delivered by the district’s Phase I trained teacher leaders with VMI providing ongoing support as needed. In Year 1 of this proposal, they will pilot the Self-Sustaining Phase II model in three partner districts, two of which are the most rural and most urban high-need districts in the state.

Viewed from an overarching perspective, this proposal extends the critical mass of Vermont teachers who know mathematics well, love mathematics, and can bring Vermont to the “tipping point” at which mathematics instruction provides every Vermont student with the depth of understanding and skills demanded by the technological era in which we live and the economic well-being of Vermont.

Vermont Science Initiative
Project Director: Elizabeth Dolci

The overarching mission of the Vermont Science Initiative (VSI) is to achieve science literacy for all Vermont students. To attain this goal, they envision a comprehensive, statewide system of teacher training and support that produces (a) outstanding science educators with a deep understanding of their content, the methods of inquiry in science, and the researched, best practices in science teaching, and (b) a cadre of skilled teacher leaders of science who will deliver professional development to their colleagues within their schools and districts.

The VSI involves teachers in high quality training and learning experiences that directly impact their content knowledge and their ability to deliver that content via sound, research-based content-pedagogy and to evaluate student learning through formative and summative assessments. Acquisition of these skills is coupled with instruction in leadership and support of the school administrator. The resulting improved practice will spread from schools through districts, with students demonstrating an improved learning of science accompanied with a deepening of critical thinking skills.

The VSI consists of a two-tiered professional development model:

• VSI Tier 1 encompasses a three year sequence of intensive science learning experiences leading to a master’s degree in science education for K-8 teachers. To date, VSI Tier has trained over 40 teachers and will add a fourth cohort of 20 teachers during the proposed Title IIB funding period.
  • VSI Science Leadership Academy: Another pathway to developing science teacher leaders is through the VSI Leadership Academy. This option allows teachers to focus on a 13-15 credit program within Tier 1 which offers coursework in Pedagogy, Science Assessment, Leadership and Science content.
• VSI Tier 2 is a one year professional development program for K-8 teachers that focuses on mastery of science content knowledge, acquiring science-teaching skills, and improving general teaching practice. Now in its third year, Tier II has trained over 80 teachers in 33 schools and nine school districts or supervisory unions with many more districts planning programs for the future.

VSI partners include school districts/supervisory unions, regional education service agencies (ESAs), and the faculty from Vermont institutions of higher education. With partnering districts statewide and the regional reach of the ESAs, VSI has the capacity to reach large numbers of teachers throughout the state.

GEs & Teacher Support Materials
Portfolio/Problem Solving Resources | MSP Grant Programs

Mathematics

Curriculum & Assessment

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