Mathematics & Science Partnership Grants Awarded
Projects Support Teachers’ Professional Development

The Department of Education is awarding grants totaling more than $2 million to programs supporting professional development activities for mathematics and science teachers. The 2005 Mathematics and Science Partnership grants also provide opportunities for teachers to increase their subject matter knowledge and teaching skills in those areas and meet the highly qualified designation under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The grants support classroom focused grants that are aligned with Virginia’s Standards of Learning curricula, and demonstrate measurable improvement in student achievement in earth science and middle school mathematics.

The Mathematics and Science Center in Richmond was awarded $920,848 for a project entitled “Virginia Earth Science Collaborative: Developing Highly Qualified Teachers.” The goal of the project is to increase the number of highly qualified Earth Science teachers by providing access to astronomy, geology, meteorology, and oceanography courses. The Mathematics and Science Center is partnering with the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, James Madison University, Longwood University, Radford University, the Science Museum of Virginia, University of Virginia (UVA) and its School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, and 71 school divisions.

The Southeast Virginia Regional Consortium was awarded $145,000 for a project entitled “Innovative Teachers of Earth Science in Tidewater (ITEST).” The project goal is to offer courses to participating teachers that will lead to an earth science endorsement. The consortium includes Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Wesleyan College; the Virginia Space Grant Consortium; and Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hampton public schools.

The College of William and Mary was awarded $438,064 for a project entitled “Tidewater Team for Improved Middle School Mathematics.” The goal of the project is to provide six graduate courses in the Tidewater area to 6th- and 7th-grade mathematics teachers, including special education teachers. The College of William and Mary is partnering with Hampton University, Old Dominion University, Virginia State University, and 25 schools divisions.

The University of Virginia was awarded $539,370 for a project entitled “Preparing Highly Qualified Middle School Mathematics Teachers Across Virginia.” The goal of the project is to provide four mathematics courses to 6th- and 7th-grade mathematics teachers — including special education teachers — across the state. The courses will be offered at 10 sites around the state. UVA is partnering with James Madison University, Longwood University, Radford University, University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and 46 school divisions.

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