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For immediate release
March 5, 2004
Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grants
Awarded
1,000 teachers expected to take advantage of program
(Springfield, Ill.) – State Schools Superintendent
Robert Schiller Friday released the first round of grants
for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships
(IMSP) program, targeted to benefit nearly 1,000 teachers
in 130 high-need school districts.
The discretionary grants offer additional training to
teachers to enhance their content knowledge and skills
in both math and science. The initial recipients reflect
partnerships between regional offices of education, public
school districts, universities and national science laboratories.
The learned teaching methods are intended to drive student
achievement in those two core areas.
“The Illinois Math and Science Partnership program
opens doors for teachers by joining them with experts
in mathematics, science and engineering,” said State
Superintendent of Education Robert Schiller. “By
sharing talents, resources and facilities teachers will
be better equipped to improve student achievement in mathematics
and science in areas of our state with the greatest need.”
The competitive grants will require participants to attend
two-week institutes this summer and four follow-up sessions
during the 2004-2005 school year. Participating teachers
will become part of a statewide research team that will
test their newly acquired skills in their classrooms.
Teachers will also be asked to evaluate their new teaching
methods and report their successes and/or suggestions
for refinement.
The grants are federally funded through Title II, Part
B of the No Child Left Behind act.
Illinois’ appropriation for 2004 is slightly more
than $3,200,000 with approximately $5,200,000 anticipated
for the next cycle of grants. The release for the new
Request for Proposals is tentatively scheduled for early
August.
The first cycle of the program culminates in the April
2005 with special recognition at the State Capitol, during
which each participant displays the diversity of their
partnership portfolios.
The ten coordinating offices and their partnerships are:
- Champaign-Ford Regional Office of Education which
is committing to middle school math and science assistance
with 24 districts and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
and Illinois State University, and the six Regional
Offices of Education (ROE) serving schools in the east-central
region of the state.
- Chicago Public Schools, with partnerships that include
Loyola University, University of Illinois, Chicago,
DePaul University and University of Chicago to provide
access to academic coursework directed toward mathematics
and science endorsement programs for approximately 250
teachers;
- DuPage Regional Office of Education with partnerships
that include Argonne National Laboratories and Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory, 100 teachers in five
high-needs districts and Benedictine University, along
with the regional offices of DuPage, Kane, Will, Grundy-Kendall
and Lake counties in the northeastern region of the
state.
- Hamilton-Jefferson Regional Office of Education in
partnership with Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
Northwestern University and six ROEs in the southeastern
region of the state,
- Lee-Ogle Regional Office of Education in partnership
with the Army Corps of Engineers, Franklin Creek Natural
Area, Atwood Outdoor Education Center and the ten Regional
Offices serving the north western region of the state,
along with approximately 100 teachers from 10 districts,
Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University
- Lockport Consortium of Schools which will work with
sixteen K-9 teacher-leaders its high school district
and seven elementary feeder districts, Illinois State
University and Texas Instruments.
- Madison Regional Office of Education in partnership
with the seven ROEs of southwestern Illinois, approximately
100 6th-10th grade teachers in 47 districts/schools,
Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville as they
apply mathematical problem solving with technologies
in the context of scientific settings.
- North Cook Intermediate Service Center for partnership
with 58 teachers from the Maine Township High School
District and its feeder schools in Community Consolidated
District #62, Oakton Community College, National Louis
University and the Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce.
- Peoria Regional Office of Education in partnership
with 10 ROEs who will be focusing mathematics and science
teaching and learning services for up to 150 teachers
for grades 4-12 in 17 districts, with partners from
Western Illinois University, Bradley University, Illinois
State University, Quincy University, and the Education
for Employment System network (LaMoine Valley, Peoria,
and Sangamon) in the region.
- West Cook Intermediate Service Center which has committed
to a focus on scientific inquiry leading to mathematical
problem-solving with Illinois Institute of Technology,
Brookfield Zoo, 50 teachers in 15 districts and the
South Cook Intermediate Service Center.
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