Math Science Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania
Year Three Evaluation Report
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In 2002, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched the Math and Science Partnership program, which builds on the nations dedication to educational reform by supporting partnerships that unite the efforts of K-12 school districts with science, mathematics, engineering, and education faculties of colleges and universities. RAND evaluated the Math Science Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania, one of seven comprehensive partnership projects funded by NSF in 2003. The evaluation investigates the effectiveness of the partnership, its impact on institutional practices and policies at partner educational institutions, changes in math and science instruction, and changes in student course taking and outcomes. Data were collected from focus groups and interviews of key project personnel, surveys of principals and math and science teachers, case studies in partnership school districts, documentation of partnership meetings and activities, artifacts produced by the partnership, math and science achievement data for K-12 students, and course completion data for K-12 and students in institutions of higher education. This working paper provides a baseline description of the partners and a formative assessment of the projects progress and challenges.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Overview of the Math Science Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania
Chapter Three
Implementation Strategies and Activities through Year Three
Chapter Four
Institutional Practices and Support Structures
Chapter Five
Math and Science Instructional Practices
Chapter Six
Student Outcomes and Course-Taking
Chapter Seven
Conclusions and Issues for Consideration
Appendix A
Case Studies
Appendix B
Teacher Survey
Appendix C
Principal Survey
Appendix D
Factor Analysis of Principal and Teacher Survey Data
Appendix E
MSP Event Observation
Appendix F
Analysis of Student Achievement Data
The study was conducted by RAND Education, a unit of the RAND Corporation, under a contract with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation working paper series. RAND working papers are intended to share researchers' latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND but may not have been formally edited or peer reviewed.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.