The classroom

Project Title: Smithsonian Science for the Classroom: Improving Student Achievement Across State Borders and State Standards Type of Grant Requested: Early-phase Absolute Priority: Absolute Priority 1 – Demonstrates a Rationale and 3 – FieldInitiated Innovations – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Total number of students to be served in the project: 11,250 Grade level(s) to be served by the project: 3-5 Your definition of high-need students: High needs students are defined as students with backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields including racial and ethnic minorities, students in rural local education agencies (as defined in the Federal Register Notice), and students who participate in free or reduced school lunch programs (FRL) as a proxy for low-income status (as defined under section 312 (g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended). Brief project description including project activities: Targeting more than 11,250 students in North and South Carolina, grades 3-5 teachers will receive science and engineering curriculum with accompanying teacher professional development. Together these services can improve student outcomes in rural communities consisting largely of high needs populations. Summary of project objectives and expected outcomes: Providing curriculum and content professional development to teachers in an on-going manner, focused on student learning in the disciplines of science and engineering will result in increased teacher confidence and preparedness that will translate into an increase in student achievement in science, math and reading. Any special project features: This project will compare rural student achievement outcomes between a state that has adopted adapted Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (South Carolina) and a state that has not (North Carolina). List of partners: North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center, South Carolina Coalition for Mathematics & Science, University of Memphis Center for Research in Educational Policy PR/Award # U411C190055