Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant Application

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 95
POLICY CODE: DDA

TO: Superintendents of Schools
Please share with Curriculum Coordinators, Middle School Principals, Junior High School Principals, and High School Principals

FROM: Susan Gendron, Commissioner

DATE: March 20, 2008

RE: Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant Application

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce the availability of grants to increase the percentage of highly qualified teachers and to increase the mathematics and/or science skills of teachers and principals in Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).
These grants are made available through the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant, Title II, Part B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (CFDA # 84.366B)

Opportunity #1:
Mathematics, Science, and/or Engineering Ongoing Professional Development for Grades 6 – 12 for up to three years. (Anticipated awards = 5 grants of $100,000 each)

This grant requires that particular partners be involved. The objective is to combine the strong disciplinary expertise of the college of arts and sciences faculty and the instructional/pedagogical expertise of the college of education faculty in order to improve student achievement in a high need LEA through professional development. The grant provides funding for one year with the opportunity for funding for up to two additional years. The Maine Department of Education has the opportunity to provide competitive grants to partnerships composed of, at a minimum:

One engineering, science, and/or mathematics department of an institution of higher education (IHE),
One high need Local Educational Agency, and
One Career and Technical Educational Region or Center (CTE).

Additional partners can join this minimum group and can even initiate partnerships. They may include other LEAs, private elementary or secondary schools, another engineering, mathematics, science or teacher training department of an IHE, a non-profit or for profit organization of demonstrated effectiveness in improving the quality of mathematics and science teachers, or a business. Partnerships of higher education, high need LEAs, CTE Regions or Centers and other stakeholders will draw upon the strong disciplinary expertise of the faculty from higher education institutions to develop professional development activities that will effect improvements in student outcomes by providing 6 - 12 teachers with strong content expertise.

How to Apply:

A complete application package will be available on March 20, 2008 on the Maine Department of Education website http://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/tiib/index.html . The deadline for submitting a proposal is 2 p.m. on May 16, 2008. Partnerships will be notified of awards by May 28, 2008.

A grant information workshop will be held via the ATM system on Monday, March 31, 2008 between 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. If you would like to receive a broadcast transmission, please respond via e-mail to: barbara.moody@maine.gov .

Since the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant is a competitive process, questions cannot be answered on an individual basis. All questions must be submitted in writing to Barbara Moody, Title II Coordinator at barbara.moody@maine.gov . All questions and answers will be posted on the following web page so that all potential applicants may receive the same information: http://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/titleii.htm . The deadline for submitting questions is May 13, 2008 at 5 pm. Please check the web page frequently to view new questions and answers.

Opportunity #2:
Mathematics Professional Development for Grades PK – 12 for one year. (Anticipated awards of one to five awards for Elementary from a total of $320,000 and one to three awards each at the middle and high school levels from a total of $160,000 for middle school and $160,000 for high school)

These grants are for proposals that contain validated ways of addressing the complex issues surrounding the teaching and learning of mathematics in grades PK - 12, supporting students as they move along the continuum of handling more complex and sophisticated material. Each proposal needs to identify one of three grade spans; elementary, middle school, or high school.

This grant also requires that particular partners be involved. The objective is to combine the strong disciplinary expertise of the college of arts and sciences faculty and the instructional/pedagogical expertise of the college of education faculty in order to improve student achievement in a high need LEA through professional development. The grant provides funding for one year with the opportunity for funding for up to two additional years. The Maine Department of Education has the opportunity to provide competitive grants to partnerships composed of, at a minimum:

One engineering, science, and/or mathematics department of an institution of higher education (IHE),
One high need Local Educational Agency (LEA), and

Additional partners can join this minimum group and can even initiate partnerships. They may include other LEAs, private elementary or secondary schools, another engineering, mathematics, science or teacher training department of an IHE, a non-profit or for profit organization of demonstrated effectiveness in improving the quality of mathematics and science teachers, or a business. Partnerships of higher education, high need LEAs, and other stakeholders will draw upon the strong disciplinary expertise of the faculty from higher education institutions to develop professional development activities that will effect improvements in student outcomes by providing PK - 12 teachers with strong content expertise.

How to Apply:

A complete application package will be available on March 20, 2008 on the Maine Department of education website http://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/tiib/index.html . The deadline for submitting a proposal is 2 p.m. on April 28, 2008. Partnerships will be notified of awards by May 13, 2008.

A grant information workshop will be held via the ATM system on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 between 11:30 – 1:30 p.m. If you would like to receive a broadcast transmission, please respond via e-mail to: barbara.moody@maine.gov .

Since the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Grant is a competitive process, questions cannot be answered on an individual basis. All questions must be submitted in writing to Barbara Moody, Title II Coordinator at barbara.moody@maine.gov . All questions and answers will be posted on the following web page so that all potential applicants may receive the same information: http://www.maine.gov/education/nclb/titleii.htm . The deadline for submitting questions is April 11, 2008 at 5 pm. Please check the web page frequently to view new questions and answers.