NMSI In the News - Winter 2011
Dear Friends:
As 2011 comes to a close, we have much good news to celebrate at the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
Laying the Foundation: I am pleased to announce that Dallas-based Laying the Foundation non-profit organization will join the NMSI family by the end of this year. This hallmark teacher-training program will dramatically extend our reach. We will now be able to train teachers from sixth grade through high school. This will provide a continuum of learning in pre-AP and AP courses in the critical fields of math and science.Coming on the heels of our outstanding third-year results of APTIP, which we released in September, this merger demonstrates that we are moving forward full steam to prepare more American students for success in college and beyond.
Investing in Innovation Grant: In November, the U.S. Department of Education named NMSI a "Highest-Rated Applicant" for a $15 million "Investing in Innovation" (i3) grant. This funding will allow the organization to expand its highly successful Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to two additional states.
NMSI plans to use the federal grant to implement AP math, science and English courses in Colorado and Indiana, reaching approximately 30 schools in each state, for a total of roughly 90,000 students. This expansion would increase the national impact of the NMSI program to nearly 600,000 students in 14 states.
Initiative for Military Families: With the support of First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden and their Joining Forces initiative, NMSI announced earlier this year the expansion of our Initiative for Military Families (IMF) program. The initiative brings our highly successful Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to high schools serving large percentages of students in military families. We initiated the program in four schools just a year ago and the response has been so positive we now offer the program at 29 schools in 10 states.
Over the past few months, we have participated in a number of kick-off celebrations to mark the program's expansion, including events in Virginia Beach, Va., and, most recently, in Hawaii. We are grateful to our many private sector partners that have supported this expansion, along with our Armed Forces partners, including the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the Army Education Outreach Program and the Office of Naval Research.
UTeach: Our flagship teacher training program, UTeach, also hit a major milestone this year. Enrollment in this program, which recruits and prepares college students majoring in the critical subjects of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for careers in teaching, now includes 5,500 college students. Over the course of these future teachers' careers, we anticipate that they will impact many millions of students. The growth in UTeach is significant - a response to the nation's call for 100,000 new, highly-qualified STEM teachers in the next 10 years - and underscores NMSI's role in transforming math and science education in our country.
America must set the bar higher for innovation and academic growth. We need a broad national commitment to put the U.S. at the top of the charts in STEM achievement once again.
We ask for your continued support in this important mission, which will require a sustained effort from both public and private supporters. Together, we can truly turn the tide in U.S. math and science education. I look forward to working with you.
Dr. Mary Ann Rankin
LAYING THE FOUNDATION JOINS NMSI
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) team is pleased to announce a merger with the teacher-training organization Laying the Foundation (LTF). The merger, which will take effect at the end of the year, will put in place a seamless system for preparing middle school and high school students to succeed in pre-AP and AP courses in the critical fields of math and science.
"This new partnership will provide a continuum of training that will dramatically extend our reach with proven programs," said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, President and CEO of NMSI.
Under the agreement, the LTF program will function as a part of the NMSI organization along with the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP), which is expanding the number of high school students taking and succeeding in AP math, science and English, and UTeach, a program to train math and science teachers.
LTF focuses primarily on teacher training for Pre-AP and AP teachers in grades 6-10 (middle/junior high and high school). The organization has training contracts with organizations in the six states where NMSI's AP program is already in place, and also with school districts and individual schools in eight more states. In addition, LTF is providing teacher training services in South Dakota, where NMSI is implementing an on-line AP program in conjunction with the Learning Power organization.
"This is about the students. By joining forces and leveraging the talent and resources from both NMSI and LTF we will reach more teachers who will challenge more students to succeed in STEM," said David Saba, president of LTF. "The whole will become greater than the sum of its parts."
The merger of the two nonprofit organizations has been approved by the boards of directors for both groups. Carolyn B. Dickson, Executive Director of the O'Donnell Foundation, and a member of the LTF board, will join the NMSI board.
"This merger will allow us to enhance the education and improve the ability of many more students to compete in the workforce and on the global stage - outcomes that are essential to the future of our country," said Dr. Rankin. She pointed out that research indicates that students who take an AP course that culminates in an AP exam grade of 3 or higher are more likely to complete a college degree than comparable students who did not take an AP course. Further, AP students are among the few American students who compare favorably with their counterparts in other countries on international math and science exams.
For more information on Laying the Foundation, please click here.
NMSI AWARDED $15 MILLION "INVESTING IN INNOVATION" FEDERAL GRANT
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education named NMSI a "Highest-Rated Applicant" for a $15 million "Investing in Innovation" (i3) grant. This funding will allow the organization to expand its highly successful Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to additionalstates.
NMSI plans to use the federal grant to implement AP math, science and English courses in two states - Colorado and Indiana - reaching approximately 30 schools in each state, for a total of roughly 90,000 students. This expansion would increase the national impact of the NMSI program to nearly 600,000 students in 14 states.
The $15 million grant award was contingent upon NMSI successfully raising $1.5 million in matching funds by a Dec. 9 deadline: Matching fund contributors included the AT&T Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the College Board, Communities Just for the Kids, HCM Strategists and HCM Strategists Co-Founder Terrell Halaska, NMSI Board Chairman Tom Luce, the O'Donnell Foundation and Texas Instruments, Inc.
We are so grateful for our corporate and foundation partners that understand the urgent need to improve math and science education," said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, President and CEO of NMSI. "Their leadership and vision have created an opportunity for NMSI to expand its highly successful program and effect large-scale change in math and science education in more states."
The i3 program, which was created as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was extended by Congress earlier this year as part of the federal fiscal 2011 budget agreement. The program is designed to encourage innovative and promising education strategies that also have a good record of success. The first round of grants in 2010 included $650 million in federal stimulus funding to support education programs.
This year's $150 million second round of grants drew 587 applicants, who requested a total of $3 billion in funding for projects. Awards in the new round of grants ranged from $3 million for "Development" grants to as much as $25 million for "Scale-Up" awards. The bigger the award, the more evidence of past success was required. Failure to raise required matching funds for the 2011 grants will result in forfeiture of the funds.
"With this expansion into Colorado and Indiana, NMSI can dramatically expand its reach and bring college-level math and science coursework to many more students," said Gregg Fleisher, National Director of NMSI's APTIP. "We will help ensure that more students are better prepared for college and for success in today's intensely competitive, highly technical world."
NMSI EXPANDS IMF PROGRAM TO FIVE NEW SCHOOLS IN HAWAII
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) recently celebrated a major milestone: the expansion in
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Col. Matthew S. Kelley addresses students at a special event announcing the expansion of IMF to five new schools in Hawaii |
Hawaii of the Initiative for Military Families (IMF). This program provides Advanced Placement*(AP) courses in math, science and English in schools serving a high concentration of students from military families in order to increase their potential for success in college.
At the event, Rep. Takai, pointed out that the high school he attended did not have Advanced Placement programs, so he was particularly pleased to help add AP courses in math, science and English to five Hawaii schools. An added bonus, he said, is that "This will be a bridge between the non-military and military families."
Alan Hayashi, Director of Public Relations and Policy Advocacy for BAE Systems - a major supporter of the IMF expansion - held up his iPhone and told the students, "Without math and science and innovation, you wouldn't have this." He pointed out that the U.S. has fallen in global educational achievement rankings to 22nd in science and 31st in math.
"It's not a one-country world anymore, it's an international world. Apple may have been formed in the U.S. but it is international now. You're all going to be working for international companies. We need you to be part of the world solution - innovation - or we won't grow. If we don't innovate and produce products the world wants, we won't grow."
NMSI's IMF program is expanding this fall from four initial sites to a total of 29 high schools in 10 states, including five in Hawaii. Approximately 25 percent of the students at Leilehua High School are from families stationed at the historic Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and the Naval Communication Station in Whitmore. The other Hawaii sites include Kalaheo, Radford, Campbell and Mililani high schools.
The goal of the program is to boost student enrollment and success in rigorous, college-level courses, which will help open doors for students. "APTIP is equipping our students from military families to better compete on the global stage, which is essential to the future of our country," said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, President and CEO of NMSI. She pointed out that research indicates students passing AP courses in high school are significantly more likely to complete a college degree than comparable students who did not take an AP course. Further, AP students are among the few American students who compare favorably with their counterparts in other countries on international math and science exams.
NMSI's APTIP already is producing results in IMF schools: In its first year AP math, science and English passing scores increased 45 percent - almost six times the national average and AP math and science passing scores increased 57 percent - over seven times the national average.
Col. Kelley applauded the program and commented that it was appropriate to launch the Initiative for Military Families on the eve of Veteran's Day. He added that as a father of three school-age girls, "this is personal for a lot of us." According to Kelley, concerns about the quality of public education around military bases in Hawaii had become a readiness issue for the military because growing numbers of the military personnel turned down assignments in the area "because of perceptions about the schools."
Almost two million young people in America have a parent serving in the military today. More than 220,000 of those young people have at least one parent deployed overseas. The long separations, concerns about safety, and frequent transfers can be particularly hard on the children whose parents protect our country. NMSI is concentrating on bringing APTIP to their schools.
Since the AP curriculum is uniform across the country, the NMSI program provides excellence and continuity for students whenever and wherever their families are transferred. While the IMF focus is on schools near military installations, all the students in the participating schools can benefit from the program.
Four of the wives of prominent military leaders in the Pacific attended the kickoff at Leilehua to show their strong support for implementing the NMSI program in Hawaii schools. They included:
- Mrs. Jeannine Wiercinski, the spouse of Lt. General Frank Wiercinski, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC)
- Mrs. Mary Sue Champoux, the spouse of Major General Bernard S. Champoux, Commander 25th Infantry Division (25ID)
- Mrs. Theresa Lacamera, spouse of Brigadier General Paul Lacamera, Asst. Deputy Commander for Operations, (25ID)
- Mrs. Usa Iverson, spouse of Colonel Bjarne Iverson, Chief of Staff, (25ID)
In April, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden teamed up with NMSI to announce the national expansion of IMF would be part of their Joining Forces initiative to support and honor America's service members and their families. Joining Forces provides support to military families across a number of areas including education, housing, healthcare, and career development.
Generous inaugural funding to launch the IMF program in 2010 was provided by Lockheed Martin Corporation. Major funding to add additional high schools is being provided by the Army Education Outreach Program, BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), ExxonMobil, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Northrop Grumman, with additional support from Modern Technology Solutions and the O'Donnell Foundation.
Hawaii State Rep. Mark Takai (D-Aiae/Pearl City), Colonel Matthew S. Kelley (Deputy Commander (Rear) of the 25th Infantry Division), as well as private-sector and education leaders and partners presided over a special school celebration at Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Oahu, on November 10 to announce the expansion.
PAUL NICHOLS OF VIRGINIA ADVANCED STUDY STRATEGIES RECEIVES STATE AWARD
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Paul Nichols, left, at a recent back-to-school kick-off event in Virginia Beach announcing the expansion of NMSI's Initiative for Military Families program. He is joined by (from left to right): Larry Prior, Executive Vice President of BAE Systems, a major supporter of the Initiative for Military Families; Dr. Patricia I. Wright, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, CEO of NMSI; and Dr. Michael Kassner, Director of Research at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). |
Paul C. Nichols, III, president and CEO of Virginia Advanced Study Strategies (VASS), was among a group of Virginia educators recently honored for technology leadership by the Virginia Department of Education. VASS is the state affiliate of NMSI and has implemented its Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program in dozens of Virginia schools since the program's inception in 2008.
The awards were presented during Virginia Tech's Educational Technology Leadership Conference in Roanoke, Va. The Virginia Educational Technology Advisory Committee (VETAC), which advises the state Board of Education on educational technology, presented its 2011 VETAC Leadership Award to Nichols.
Nichols is former Executive Director of Administration for Halifax County Public Schools and was chosen by the VASS Board of Directors to lead the statewide AP initiative due to his strong background in education and his experience in starting up and leading such innovative endeavors in Virginia.
THANK YOU!
A special thanks to all the generous contributors who stepped forward to support NMSI this December. Your support will change lives and strengthen our country's schools.
Amgen
AT&T Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
The College Board
The Communities Just for the Kids organization
HCM Strategists and HCM Strategists Co-Founder Terrell Halaska
JP Morgan Chase
NMSI Chairman of the Board Tom Luce
The O'Donnell Foundation
SSOE International Engineering Group
Texas Instruments, Inc.
NMSI IN THE NEWS
The NMSI leadership team continues to participate in major, high-profile presentations and events that have helped to further raise NMSI's visibility with potential supporters and opinion leaders.
NMSI Board Chairman Tom Luce presented at a regional workshop in Madison, Wisc., hosted by the National Academies, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Development of Regional Innovation Environments." This event examined how states and regions can address today's challenges for strengthening leadership in innovation. Mr. Luce also was a featured speaker at the U.S. News & World Report STEM summit, "Making Science Cool: Solving the Shortage of Math and Science Students," in Washington, D.C.
Recent media coverage of NMSI and its programs include:
- The New York Times (October 2, 2011) - read here
- CNN Newsroom (November 11, 2011) - watch here
- Fox & Friends (November 13, 2011) - watch here
- The Huffington Post (November 15, 2011) - read here
- Orlando Sentinel (November 26, 2011) - read here
- Mass High Tech (December 14, 2011) - read here
To read more about NMSI successes and highlights from this past year, please click here to view our 2011 Annual Report.
NMSI CALENDAR
February 1 - Deadline for 2012 Teacher of the Year nominations
May 30-June 1 - UTeach Institute hosts 6th annual conference in Austin, Texas
June 27-29 - US News & World Report, Innovate+Educate and STEMConnector present the "STEM Summit 2012: STEM Means Jobs," in Dallas, Texas; NMSI a sponsor
June 27-29 - Military Child Education Coalition hosts its annual conference, "Military Kids: Shining from Sea to Sea," in Grapevine, Texas
NMSI MISSION
To advance math and science education in the United States by expanding programs with proven results on a national scale in order to have a positive impact on America's 50-million-student public school system.
AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Board.
