MATH/SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP BASICS

1. MATH/SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP BASICS • The U.S. Department of Education´s Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) program is administered by the Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Program (AITQ) in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title II, Part B.

2. The MSP supports partnerships between the mathematics, science, and/or engineering faculty of institutions of higher education and high-need school districts. Other partners may include schools of education, business, and nonprofit organizations. The program´s goal is to increase student achievement through increasing teachers´ content knowledge and pedagogical skills.

3. The MSP is a formula grant program to the states; each state administers a competitive grants program, monitors their grantees´ progress, and documents their effectiveness, working with the U.S. Department of Education. • All MSP projects funded by the states report to the federal government on an annual basis information on MSP´s impact on increasing teachers´ content knowledge and student learning.

4. www.ed-msp.net

6. http://apr.ed-msp.net

11. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT (APR) TIMING MSP projects may begin on different dates, so the yearly report may be due on different dates. Reports are due each year, according to the following schedule: Start date + 12 Months + 2 Months = Submit APR to USDE DUE DATES ARE SHOWN ON THE APR PROJECT LIST

12. RESOURCE LINKS & CONTACTS www.ed-msp.net www.apr.ed-msp.net http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm http://www.ed.gov/programs/mathsci/index.html www.theTRC.org Anne.Vexler@tea.state.tx.us Carol.Fletcher@theTRC.org PBuckley@cftexas.org Sara.Weiss@tea.state.tx.us

13. TEXAS MSP FAQ • 1. When can the T-STEM Centers receive usernames for the APR system? • MSP projects have been updated in the APR system. Project directors that used the online reporting system last year will use the password they established last year. New project directors should have received temporary passwords and log-on instructions via email.

14. 2. Will project profiles from the previous year APR report be available within this year’s system? i.e.: Do previous data profiles remain in the system? • No, basic information about each project has been entered into the system. PDs will need to complete all the APR sections.

15. 3. What year will the MSP projects complete? • The APR system software was updated. As a result, project directors will see just one entry for their project, with the project year for the report marked.

16. 4. How can the MSP projects define the terms “basic vs. proficient” in the GPRA reporting section? • in the GPRA reporting section of the APR the student data section can be completed using this “crosswalk”: “basic” = met standard; “proficient” = commended. The data requested is for student performance on a State assessment. If a project does not have access to student data, enter “N/A” or “0”.

17. 5. Is there a way to gain access to student data from TEA? • No, TEA will not release student scores. • 6. What is the due date for PROJECTS to submit the APR report? • When logged onto the APR web site, the due dates are shown by each project. Because project start dates are different, APR due dates are also different. Due dates are calculated according to the following: • Project start date + 12 months + 2 Months = Report due to USDE. The state MSP office must first review reports, and then submits them to USDE, so reports will be due to the State office earlier than the official due date.