NSF PR 00-71 - October 5, 2000
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NSF Funds Two New Centers for Learning and Teaching,
Creating Partnerships in Four States
Two new Centers for Learning and Teaching will start
up this month in Maryland and Texas, supported by
awards of $9 million to $10 million each by the National
Science Foundation (NSF).
The centers, representing one of NSF's priority efforts
in education, create innovative partnerships between
universities, school districts and other educational
partners to address critical issues in mathematics,
science and technology education in K-12 classrooms
and in universities.
In Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic Center for Mathematics
Teaching and Learning will focus on finding solutions
to ease the shortage of mathematics education faculty
and K-12 teachers. The center will work through innovative
graduate programs as well as pre- service and in-service
mathematics education for K-12 teachers. It will use
distance learning opportunities to allow for availability
of courses to students and teachers in all partner
organizations.
The Texas-based Center for the Applications of Information
Technologies in the Teaching and Learning of Science
will examine ways of introducing technology into science
education, including educating graduate students in
how to develop new materials for science education.
There will be new graduate opportunities for teachers
willing to test these new technologies in the classroom,
and lessons learned will be disseminated through partnerships
with local school districts.
"Centers for Learning and Teaching are an important
part of NSF's contributions toward improving K-12
science, mathematics and technology education in this
country," says Judith Sunley, NSF interim assistant
director for Education and Human Resources. "Through
their partnerships of institutions of higher education,
K-12 schools and other organizations, they provide
rich mix of research, teacher education and leadership
development that will have a long-lasting impact on
teaching practices in the U.S."
The Maryland center is a consortium of three research
universities and three school-system partners: the
University of Maryland and Prince George's County
(Md.) Public Schools; the University of Delaware and
the Delaware State Department of Education; and Penn
State University and the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Partners in the Texas center are: Texas A&M University
at College Station and Texas A&M Corpus Christi; the
Dana Center of the University of Texas-Austin; Del
Mar College, Corpus Christi; the Ft. Worth Museum
of Science and History; the Urban Systemic Programs
in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio; and the Texas
Statewide and Rural Systemic Initiatives.
NSF's Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal
Education expects to fund from seven to nine new Centers
for Learning and Teaching in 2001.
For more information, see: http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/ehr/esie/news/new_centers_solicit.htm
***NSF is an independent federal agency which supports
fundamental research and education across all fields
of science and engineering, with an annual budget
of about $4 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states,
through grants to about 1, 600 universities and institutions
nationwide Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive
requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding
awards.
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