Urban Systemic Program in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (USP): NSF USP Cleveland Municipal School District

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The Cleveland Municipal School District's (CMSD) proposal was developed to use the successes of the Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) and the lessons learned from the implementation of the Language Arts and English standards to improve education in science and mathematics. Hence, building on those efforts, the intent is to bring systemic change to science and mathematics at the district level at an accelerated pace by: (1) using high-quality inquiry-driven and technology-rich curriculum, instruction, and assessment materials aligned with local mathematics, science, and technology standards; (2) supporting the recruitment and retention of K-12 teachers under a professional development learning environment; (3) reallocating existing resources to support the Cleveland USP; (4) mobilizing community stakeholders to support teachers in their efforts to instill effective and technology-rich science and mathematics learning for students; and (5) ensuring that all students will meet or exceed the state's proficiency standards (and local) for academic achievement in science and mathematics. As a result of the three-stage process, the proposal did not received ratings sufficient to recommend full funding. However, the National Science Foundation agreed to support the District via a highly monitored, task-specific technical assistance grant as suggested by the site visit team for stage three of the review process. The aim of the grant is to assist the school system in advancing its capacity to provide a solid science and mathematics education for all students. The targets of this highly specific support is directed toward: (1) Building leadership capacity in science and mathematics particularly at the middle district level; and (2) Accelerating the modification and implementation of the draft standards in science and mathematics. The duration of the grant is 12 months at a level of $500,000.