Annual Report Overviews

E=MC2Annual Report Overview

FINDINGS/RESULTS

The following findings/results can be reported as of this date:

• An average of three nsf-supported kits have been adopted at each grade level in each of the three districts of the project.
• To date, the project can document over 53,000 hrs of training compared to a target of 67,732 hours.
• Each of the three districts has scored well on the state science assessments that were administered to all fourth and eighth grade students. Each district scored higher than the state average and placed at least 28% of fourth graders in the advanced proficient range.
• More work needs to be done to correlate student performance with the results of state and local assessments in math and language arts.
• To date, non-NSF cost sharing totals $6,145,837.00 compared to the target amount of $5,292,078.00.
• In the past year, E=MC² has responded to requests for professional development from nine school districts in NJ and Pennsylvania.

The impact of E=MC² has been felt far beyond the three member districts. Because E=MC² arose from a pre-existing partnership rich in resources and expertise, it energized and magnified the reach of partnering institutions. E=MC² is a capacity-generating partnership. In the past three years, more than 60 teacher-leaders, elementary classroom teachers serving as lead science teachers in their schools and working as faculty for institutes, received 180 hours of additional content-based professional development (beyond the 120 hours provided to all recipients). Our project evaluator (ETS, 1999), reported that

Through the work of the of E=MC² Project Director and co-PI’s, these teachers, along with scientists and science educators , have provided professional development in inquiry science to more than 3,000 elementary teachers in 22 Pennsylvania and NJ school districts.