UW gets $35 million for math and science education

Capitalizing on a tradition of pioneering research, training and outreach to improve the way science and math are taught in the nation’s schools, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has tapped UW–Madison to lead a new $35 million effort in science and math education reform.

The five-year initiative, which includes participation by more than 80 UW–Madison faculty and staff from all areas of the university, will be based in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER). It will revolve around a partnership among UW–Madison, the University of Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Denver Public Schools, Providence Public Schools and the Madison Metropolitan School District.

The focus of the initiative, to be known as SCALE – for System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators – is to engage the expertise of leading scientists, mathematicians, education researchers, teachers and others to improve the way math and science are taught in the United States, according to the project’s director, Terrence Millar, a UW–Madison math professor and associate dean in the UW–Madison Graduate School.

“Children in the U.S. today are not receiving the rigorous science and math education they need to become scientifically and mathematically literate adults,” Millar says. “Curricula are not coherent within a given school, and are much less coherent across schools. This lack of coordination is especially damaging in large urban settings, where children frequently migrate from one school to another.”

The SCALE initiative and the award to UW–Madison is a reflection of President Bush’s “Leave No Child Behind – Math and Science Partnership Program” at NSF. The award to UW–Madison is the largest of seven comprehensive proposals funded by NSF from more than 200 proposals.

UW–Madison Chancellor John Wiley says the award, among the largest ever made to the university, affirms Wisconsin’s position as a leader in the national effort to retool the way math and science are taught.

“It’s no accident that Washington consistently turns to Wisconsin for leadership in this very important effort to ensure that our children are literate in math and science,” Wiley says. “We have a track record that’s second to none. This award gives us an opportunity to make a difference.”

SCALE, according to Andrew Porter, director of WCER, is intended to bring together leading education practitioners, researchers and scientists to develop and implement “deep and authentic science and math instructional experiences,” the kinds of things that are known to make a difference to children’s learning.

Projects resulting from those collaborations will be tested in the partnering school districts and, ultimately, successful methods and programs will be disseminated nationwide to educators, policymakers and university leaders.

SCALE will focus on five key areas:

• Implementing the best current math and science programs throughout the educational system.
• Creating and implementing new and proven science, technology, engineering and mathematics immersion projects.
• Reforming teacher education for teachers in partner districts.
• Creating mentoring and guidance counseling experiences for middle and high school students, especially women and minorities.
• Implementing a comprehensive program of research and evaluation.

A key element of the SCALE initiative will be to involve graduate students in aspects of K-12 education. Involving graduate students is a way to bring fresh ideas to the K-12 science and math experience and to ensure that the scientists, engineers, mathematicians and teachers trained by universities are conversant with the issues of improving math and science education at all levels, says Millar, who also serves as interim director of the Graduate Student Professional Development Office.

“Graduate students are a key asset for UW–Madison. They bring something important to the table,” says Millar. “Our hope, as well, is that their experience with SCALE will give them valuable insight into some of the serious issues in the K-12 science and math environment.”