Studying Higher Education Change and Sustainability Efforts in the Context of K-16 Partnerships American Educational Research Association April 12, 2007 Nancy Shapiro, Jennifer Frank, and Danielle Susskind University System of Maryland [A work in progress]

Emerging Context for Change in K-16 Teaching and Learning  Higher Education and K-12 Reform Issues  Seamlessness  Social responsibility issues  The Crisis of Competiveness and Innovation  Accountability in K-12 and Higher Education

America’s Crisis in Competitiveness The World is Flat (Tom Friedman) Rising Above the Gathering Storm (RAGS)  10,000 Teachers/10 Million Minds  2005: 60% of 4 th and 8 th graders scored below proficient in mathematics  2003: US ranked 24/40 nations in math literacy and problem solving. Economic drivers have dramatic impact on higher education

Accountability in K-12 and Higher Education NCLB (2000) was a public policy response to the demand for accountability in public schools—and initiated an avalanche of controversy. Spellings Commission report (2006) is a public policy response to the demand for accountability in higher education—what do we expect will happen?

A PK-16 Response: Why the students we have are not the students we want Over 25% of freshmen in 4 year college do not return for sophomore year Over 40% of freshmen in 2 year colleges do not return for sophomore year 60% of high school students say they cheat on tests 90% of high school students say they copied someone’s homework Most spend less than 4 hours a week on homework

PK-16 Response: It takes a University to Prepare a Teacher “Students can’t learn what they haven’t been taught and teachers can’t teach what they haven’t learned.”  Teacher pipeline issues  Teacher professional development issues  Undergraduate education reform issues CASHE: Holding higher ed accountable for a PK- 16 response

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education A study that seeks to document sustainable change among higher education institutions involved in National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Projects.

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education Focus Questions 1) What impact have MSPs had on campus culture, policies, and priorities among participating higher education institutions as related to the goals of MSP? 2) What body of evidence supports that changes have occurred? 3) To what extent are these developments institutionally sustainable beyond the life of these grants? 4) How can institutions of higher education, disciplinary associations, and government agencies ensure that the best of these changes and innovations endure and become part of the campus culture?

Synthesis of Research Methods to Date  Management Information System (MIS) Data Analysis  Project Data Analysis  Site Visits, Interviews, and Focus Groups  Peer Review Process

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education Evidence  Structural, cultural, attitudinal/behavior, and policy/process changes Initial Findings  Curriculum change  Institutional rewards structures  Role of campus leadership  Faculty engagement Next Steps  Examine sustainability after MSP grant ends  Consider the “it depends” conclusions  Analyze how much range and variation exists between and among institutions engaged in this work

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education What is PRISM? The Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics- Georgia Partners: University System of GA Board of Regents, GA Department of Education & four Regional Teams

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education PRISM Goals Raise expectations and achievement in science and mathematics in K-12 schools, while closing the achievement gap Raise student achievement in science and mathematics in K-12 schools through increasing and sustaining the number, quality, and diversity of K-12 teachers teaching science and mathematics Raise student achievement in science and mathematics in K-12 schools through increasing the responsiveness of higher education to the needs of K-12 schools

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education FINDINGS: Faculty Rewards and Sustainability (PRISM Site Visit) How faculty view MSP work  Faculty service  Faculty scholarship  Contextually dependent How MSP work impacts faculty  Catalyst for faculty changes in their own teaching  Creates and sustains personal connections

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education FINDINGS: Faculty Rewards and Sustainability (PRISM Site Visit) Continued… How MSP work impacts institutions  Institutional leadership  Institutional recognition and reward structures  Departmental/Disciplinary culture  Stronger relationships between COE and A&S How MSP work builds community  Collaboration versus Segmental Competition  Learning Communities

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education FINDINGS: Faculty Rewards and Sustainability (PRISM Site Visit) Continued… How MSP work becomes sustainable  Strong relationships  Partnerships with community  Working with Centers for Learning  Positive Feedback from K-12 teachers  More Generally Programs that can be replicated K-16 work as part of merit and tenure Ask superintendents what they need IHEs need to embrace this

CASHÉ: Change and Sustainability in Higher Education For More information  Nancy Shapiro  Jennifer Frank  Danielle Susskind  University System of Maryland 3300 Metzerott Road Adelphi, MD  K-16 Partnership for Teaching and Learning website: