13 Cities Receive $89 Million from NSF for Math and Science Ed

The National Science Foundation’s Division of Educational System Reform is funding cooperative agreements with 13 urban school districts: Birmingham, Chattanooga, Chicago, Fresno, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, Newport News, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia to improve K-12 mathematics and technology education. The awards are aimed at districts that already have improvement programs in place. The funds will help them expand current programs in science, mathematics, and technology as well as initiate new activities so all students have access to the programs.

The Urban School Program targets urban districts with a student population of at least 20,000. Districts must demonstrate that reform is significantly underway in the district and that it will have an impact on the full breadth of K-12 science and mathematics education. Districts must provide what NSF describes as compelling plans to scale up efforts to substantially increase student achievement in the fields of science, mathematics and technology. The plans must also show a high quality curriculum for science and mathematics that is available to a majority of students as well as improved education for teachers, both inservice and preservice. They must address the number, quality, and diversity of the teaching workforce. Finally, they must include efforts to increase the number of skilled workers entering the technological workforce by ensuring the convergence of resources and bolstering of partnerships to support a coherent program for science and mathematics for all students.

For more information, contact Costello Brown at (703) 292-8690/clbrown@nsf.gov