Summary

As part of the "No Child Left Behind" Act, Congress created a new partnership program to improve K-12 math/science education. Businesses are eligible for the partnership program.

Background

The "No Child Left Behind" Act authorizes up to $450 million annually to be allocated to states based on each state’s relative share of the number of students in poverty. Each state then allocates funds by competitive grant application to eligible local partnerships for a period of three years. If any year’s funding is below $100 million nationally, as occurred in 2002 (only $12.5 million), the Secretary of Education will award grants directly to partnerships.

Purpose of the Math/Science Partnerships:

• Encourage higher education institutions to take greater responsibility for improving math and science teacher education;
• Ensure that math and science teacher education is a career-long process;
• Bring teachers together with scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to improve their skills;
• Develop more rigorous curricula aligned to academic standards expected for post-secondary study in engineering, math, and science.

Who is eligible for the math/science partnerships?

An eligible partnership must include:

• A high-need local educational agency;
• An engineering, math, or science department of a higher education institution;

And may include:

• A business;
• A non-profit or for-profit institution of "demonstrated effectiveness." (a museum, research institution, or a public coalition composed of leaders from business, elementary education, post-secondary education, public policy organizations, or other civic leadership)

What is eligible for funding under the math/science partnerships?

• Developing rigorous math and science curricula;
• Improving subject matter knowledge and strong teaching skills of math and science teachers;
• Establishing summer professional development institutes;
• Recruiting math, science, or engineering majors into teaching through scholarships, stipends, and signing incentives;
• Identifying and developing exemplary teachers;
• Establishing distance learning programs;
• Creating programs that bring teachers into contact with working scientists, mathematicians, and engineers; and
• Encouraging young women and other underrepresented individuals to pursue degrees leading to math and science careers.

Requirements for participation in the Math/Science Partnerships

Each partnership receiving funds must develop an evaluation and accountability plan that includes rigorous objectives to measure the impact of activities funded under the partnership.

The accountability plan must include measurable objectives for:

• Increasing the number of teachers who participate in content-based professional development;
• Improving student performance on math and science assessments, including TIMSS.

The accountability plan may also include measures for:

• Increased numbers of students in advanced courses;
• Increased percentages of elementary level teachers with majors or minors in math, science, or engineering;
• Increased percentages of secondary level math and science teachers with academic majors in math and science.

View the legislative language authorizing the Math/Science partnerships

To view a summary of the Math/Science partnership provisions prepared by the House Education and Workforce Committee http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/107th/education/nclb/summathscience.pdf

For more information, Matthew Page, Director of Procurement Policy and Workforce Issues, 202.682.4439

This page was last updated on 06/23/04.  
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