Project PROM/SE
College of Education Part of $35 Million Project to Help Improve Science and Mathematics Education
 

Marking one of the largest funded projects in the history of the College of Education, the National Science Foundation awarded $35 million to a team of educators from MSU and throughout the Midwest to improve science and math teaching and achievement in k–12 schools.

The five-year project, funded under the NSF's Math and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program, will impact about 400,000 students and more than 5,000 teachers in about 70 Michigan and Ohio school districts.

The project, Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Mathematics and Science Education (prom/se), involves partnerships between MSU’s colleges of education and natural science; Michigan’s Ingham, Calhoun and St. Clair County intermediate school districts; and Ohio’s High aims Consortium (in the Cincinnati area) and smart Consortium (in the Cleveland area).

Over the next five years, MSU faculty from the sciences, mathematics and education will work together with teachers and administrators to improve math and science teaching and learning. The project will focus on collecting evidence from students and teachers, determining what their needs are, and providing the resources to improve their knowledge of math and science.
The school districts involved in the project represent a broad range of social, economic and cultural characteristics—from large, urban cities to suburbs to rural areas.

“This grant is an affirmation of our strength and the passion MSU has for making a difference in the lives of children every day,” Provost Lou Anna K. Simon said. “This is also an affirmation of the intellectual strength of the university and the project's leadership.”
The co-principal investigators on the project are Joan Ferrini-Mundy, associate dean for science and mathematics education in the College of Natural Science and a professor in the College of Education, and University Distinguished Professor William Schmidt of the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education.

For Schmidt, who also serves as co-director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest how much the American educational system is failing students, especially in the areas of mathematics and science.

“This grant provides us with the resources we need to conduct much needed research to determine the best way to improve learning,” Schmidt said. “As a result of that research, together with our school partners, we will begin to develop systemic models for making needed improvements.

“Our central focus is to seek improvement for all children, especially those who have traditionally been left behind. This is our moral imperative.”

Ferrini-Mundy said that the project “is an exciting opportunity to bring together university expertise in mathematics, science, and education with colleagues in k–12 schools across Michigan and Ohio to truly make a difference for students and teachers.

“With the incredible level of support that the National Science Foundation is providing, we intend to help thousands of students have the opportunity to learn significant mathematics and science,” she added.

PROM/SE members will work together to revise content standards, align instructional materials with standards, and monitor student learning. At its core, the project seeks to advance the discovery and understanding of math and science, with outcomes ranging from increasing teacher content knowledge and the training and support of preservice and practice teachers to improving the math and science educational opportunity for all students, especially from disadvantaged groups.
The MSU partnership received the largest funding of the 24 awards announced by NSF.

Back to Contents