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Quarterly Newsletters
August 2009
January 20, 2010 | Parscale Media | 11:40 am
Quarterly Update
Funding for the San Antonio Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (SAMSEP) was granted by the National Science Foundation October 2008. This grant supports a two-year planning phase to develop a comprehensive Mathematics and Science Partnership in San Antonio.
Meetings and issues that surfaced this quarter:
- May 2—Focus group of parents on ways to increase rigor in math and science courses. Provide more professional devel- opment to improve both content and pedagogy; increase communication between schools and parents (K-16); and identify workforce needs along with relevance and importance of STEM programs.
- June 4—Leadership Task Force (Representatives from: Aca- demic VPs, Superintendents, Teachers, and Parents). Offer College Algebra as a dual-credit fourth-year high school math course; students will earn college credit and bypass math placement test.
- August 4-6—Physics Outreach Program for San Antonio Teachers (POPSAT). Pilot program to provide support for high school physics teaching.
- August 11—Focus group of business partners.
What is emerging?
In order to encourage more rigorous curriculum in high school math and/or science, the offering of College Algebra as a fourth-year high school course could ratchet up the entire math curriculum, and would have implications for science as well. All students would benefit since College Algebra as a course is the gatekeeper with regard to higher education. Offering College Algebra in high schools forces the alignment issue, and deals directly with the administration of multiple placement exams.
College Algebra Action Items for Higher Education:
- Formalize agreement from each of the 11 area colleges and universities on the College Algebra Project (CAP)
- Establish citywide task force with representation from all math faculties to horizontally align College Alge- bra in San Antonio
- Citywide task force meets with ISD math coordinators to align vertically and to develop targeted profes- sional development
College Algebra Action Items for K-12:
- Formalize agreement from superintendents to offer College Algebra as a fourth-year math course
- Realign K-12 math curriculum to meet the target of College Algebra
SAMSEP is sponsoring professional development pilots, promoting best practices from across the districts in San Antonio. One of those pilots is the Physics Outreach Program for San Antonio Teachers (POPSAT)
The new Texas requirement for four years of high school science will intensify the shortage of high school physics teachers. The primary objective of POPSAT is to enable teachers to acquire the knowl- edge and skills needed to teach high school physics.
Summer Institute—August 4-6.
- Hands-on structured learning experiences to reinforce the fundamental physics concepts.
- Participants work collaboratively to select and develop appropriate activities for the classrooms.
Four one-day workshops—9/19, 11/14, 1/23, and 5/1.
Reflection and consolidation of lessons from the
previous interval, and an overview.
Next steps:
- Prepare targeted partnership grant for NSF funding—$12.5 million
- Identify & analyze significant data sets
- Launch SAMSEP web site
- Solidify management structure
