Focusing on Higher Education in Mathematics and Science Partnerships
June 26-28, 2005

Goals and Objectives

The goal of this workshop is to assist MSP teams in exploring practical ways to stimulate and enhance the involvement and contributions of Institutions of Higher Education in partnerships. This goal will be addressed by 1) introducing workshop participants to the expanding body of research evidence and applications of that evidence for improving undergraduate learning, assessment of learning, and teacher education and professional development, as synthesized in National Research Council reports; 2) exploring the roles of disciplinary faculty, departments, and higher education institutions in developing more effective teachers of science and mathematics at both the K-12 and undergraduate levels; and 3) examining how K-12 partners in MSP can enhance teaching, learning, and teacher education programs through their work with colleagues in higher education. While this event will emphasize ways in which college-level faculty and institutions of higher education can enhance learning for their own students and become more effective partners within their MSP projects, the voices and perspectives of K-12 partners will be critical to all aspects of the workshop.

These goals will be addressed through a combination of plenary sessions, discussions, and interactive engagement with experts, some of whom have served on the authoring committees for NRC reports; three-hour concurrent sessions in which attendees will be able to focus more deeply on aspects of learning, assessment, and teacher education and professional development; and through time reserved for MSP teams and facilitators to discuss with each other what they have learned throughout the workshop and how those concepts can be applied to their own partnerships.