Mathematics and Science Initiative
The Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program provides grants to states under Title II, Part B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. As outlined by the U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov/programs/mathsci/legislation.html), the purpose of the program is to increase student achievement in mathematics and science via improving teachers’ content knowledge and teaching skills.
Specifically, the program seeks to:
- focus on the education of mathematics and science teachers as a career-long process that continuously stimulates teachers' intellectual growth and upgrades teachers' knowledge and skills; and
- develop more rigorous mathematics and science curricula that are aligned with challenging State and local academic content standards and with the standards expected for postsecondary study in engineering, mathematics, and science.
Rhode Island's Mathematics and Science Initiative, Building a Strong Foundation in Mathematics and Science, is designed to work toward such goals through partnerships between districts, the Rhode Island Department of Education, and the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The initiative seeks to increase instructional coherence at all levels of the system by aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to each other and to the state’s Grade Levels Expectations (GLEs) and Grade Span Expectations (GSEs).
More in-depth information (including recent informational hand-outs and the RFP that was issued in April) can be found below.