FY’06 Institute Partnerships

1. Focus on: Development of school-based intellectual leaders and master teachers Teachers of the secondary science disciplines and on elementary specialists for science, although innovative proposals for all STEM domains are welcome Participants will be experienced teachers who wish to deepen content knowledge and build leadership skills FY’06 Institute Partnerships

2. Institutes will be multi-year programs of coherent study within particular discipline K-12 core partners are: Districts from which participants are selected, and Required to grant sufficient non-classroom time for participants to carry out responsibilities FY’06 Institute Partnerships

3. FY’06 Institute Partnerships CORE partnersshare responsibility for accountability and must provide evidence of their commitment to undergo the coordinated institutional changes necessary to sustain the partnership effort CORE partnersmust include: At least one higher education institution – mathematicians, scientists and engineers of these institutions must participate significantly At least one K-12 school district

4. CORE partnersmay include other stakeholders who are also expected to participate in the coordinated institutional changes SUPPORTING partnersinclude entities that are important contributors but are not required to commit to institutional change FY’06 Institute Partnerships

5. FY’06 Institute Partnerships • The PI of each Institute Partnership must be a mathematics, science or engineering faculty member in a higher education core partner. • One or more co-Principal Investigators must be representative(s) from the K-12 core partner organization(s).

6. Institutes at a Glance • To date, overall more focus on mathematics than the sciences • Greater focus on secondary grade levels but interesting examples for elementary specialists also • Substantive, in-depth experiences that deepen subject matter knowledge in mathematics or the sciences, PLUS leadership development

7. Institutes at a Glance (cont.) • Mixed venues for delivery: on-campus courses, distance learning and other innovative modes • Added credential (e.g., master’s degree, advanced certificate) or licensure that increases credibility of Institute graduates • New leadership responsibilities for graduates, with clear statements of responsibilities from schools/districts and concrete support from administrators

8. Overarching Principles that Provide Guidance Throughout • NSF Merit Review Criteria: Intellectual Merit & Broader Impacts • “Depth and quality of creative, strategic actions that extend beyond commonplace approaches” • Emphasis on evidence-based design and outcomes throughout • Commitment to high quality scholarship in all aspects of proposed work

9. Evidence-Based Design and Outcomes • Understanding the research literature on science and mathematics education pertinent to partnerships’ data-based needs and goals • Incorporating the research literature into projects in a manner informed by baseline data and developing benchmarks that build from that data • Investigating the factors that contribute to projects’ outcomes to learn more about what works, where it works, and why it works