Oct. 17, 2008

To illustrate a more effective way of taking worthy math and science programs to a national scale, the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) released a new guide entitled “Taking successful Programs to Scale.” The guide, prepared by NMSI Chief Program Officer John Winn, is posted on the NMSI website at www.nationalmathandscience.org.

“The urgency of the national crisis of global competitiveness requires a new focus on scaling successful programs,” said Winn.  “The guide is designed to answer two key questions that funders have in selecting and supporting education programs in math and science:  How do we identify programs with a high likelihood of making a significant improvement?  And how do we structure implementation to ensure successful programs are sustained after funding is discontinued?” 

Experience has shown that funding and scaling successful programs is the smartest way to do the most good, according to Winn. “Having a disciplined, systematic approach for awarding grants, managing performance, leading grantees to self sufficiency, and taking successful programs to scale on a nationwide basis is the best strategy,” he said.

Winn is among the numerous NMSI staff members who have had direct experience in scaling programs and working to influence education policies.  Formerly the Commissioner of Education in Florida, Winn had a direct hand in influencing state education policy and funding for 18 years.  He was responsible for developing the state education budget and promoting major education initiatives for the past eight years. 

Tom Luce, CEO of NMSI, served as United States Assistant Secretary of Education for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development and has more than three decades of experience working with policy makers, governors, legislators, and members of Congress.  He has been a major force in getting reforms started and taken to scale, starting with  “Just for the Kids,” a non-profit organization  that was the first entity to make school-by-school student achievement data public.  He then brought this program of transparency of school performance to more than 40 states.  Mr. Luce also was a co-founder of the National Center for Educational Accountability and served as Chairman of the Board from its inception until 2005.

Gregg Fleisher, NMSI National AP Training and Incentives Program Director, brings 12 years of experience of implementing Advanced Placement training and incentive programs in Texas.  As the founding President of AP Strategies, Inc., he expanded that training and incentive program to more than 70 schools in Texas, produced unparalleled results, and garnered significant private donor and state support for its expansion. 

The NMSI system -- performance-based implementation, scaling, and progressive self-sufficiency -- is based on the principle of maximum risk reduction. “We have included a set of components that, taken together, have the highest likelihood of success,” Winn said.

He explained that NMSI serves as a holding company to channel private sector money to replicate proven math and science programs, establish benchmarks, monitor implementation, and provide on-going support and expertise. Over the course of a grant, recipients are expected to seek other sources of funding and become self-sustaining, which becomes progressively more feasible as programs demonstrate success and stability.  NMSI monitors plan execution and assists grantees as they move forward.

“This common-sense approach brings necessary discipline to the process of expanding worthy education programs.  That is, we don’t reinvent wheels; we find the best ones and help them get rolling.  We then monitor results and require that milestones be reached every step of the way,” Winn said.

He added, “This holistic approach is what has been needed to ensure that American students get the skills they need to succeed and lead in the global marketplace.  America is about to be hit with the full force of global competition, so this model of public-private cooperation needs to be put in place and championed with dedication and urgency.”

NMSI, an innovative new effort to improve math and science education in the United States, was launched by leaders in American business, education and science in 2007. The non-profit organization was created in response to the landmark National Academies report “The Gathering Storm,” which warned that the United States is losing pre-eminence in math and science, jeopardizing America’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.

This fall NMSI is implementing Advanced Placement Training and Incentive programs in six states reaching 13,000 students with AP math, science and English courses. NMSI also is implementing the UTeach program for training math and science teachers at 13 universities. More than 1,000 students are enrolled in UTeach programs this fall, providing a potential new wave of teachers with content knowledge in math and science as well as certification.