1 Higher Education Engagement with K-12: Partnerships, Possibilities, and Pitfalls Nancy S. Shapiro Office of Academic Affairs University System of Maryland Higher Education Engagement with K-12: Partnerships, Possibilities, and Pitfalls Nancy S. Shapiro Office of Academic Affairs University System of Maryland

2 Overview of Webinar P-20: What does it mean? P-20: What does it mean? P-20 partnership work: A case study P-20 partnership work: A case study Opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned Opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned Links to new science framework, standards, and assessments Links to new science framework, standards, and assessments

3 P-20 Partnership Opportunities Seamless educational alignment from pre-school through college Seamless educational alignment from pre-school through college Raising standards and expectations for both students and teachers Raising standards and expectations for both students and teachers Collaboration among diverse educational segments and with the larger community to improve student learning outcomes Collaboration among diverse educational segments and with the larger community to improve student learning outcomes Changing higher education behavior Changing higher education behavior

4 Evolution of P-20 in Maryland K-16 (1994) P-16 (2002) P-20 (2007)

5 P-20 Partnership Grants Emphasis Diversity of Partners Diversity of Partners Range of four-year colleges and universities Range of four-year colleges and universities Community colleges Community colleges Range of public school systems Range of public school systems Business/community partners Business/community partners Individual Expertise Partners bring varying types of expertise. Partners bring varying types of expertise. Partners chosen based on grant needs, their needs, and what they “bring to the table.” Partners chosen based on grant needs, their needs, and what they “bring to the table.” Shared Experience Synergy in bringing together partners that otherwise may not work together, and sharing ideas, experiences, and findings. Synergy in bringing together partners that otherwise may not work together, and sharing ideas, experiences, and findings. Developing long-term relationships among partners, which often leads to collaboration on other grants and projects. Developing long-term relationships among partners, which often leads to collaboration on other grants and projects.

6 NSF MSP P-20 Grants in Maryland VIP K-16 – Vertically Integrated Partnerships ( ) Partners: USM, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Towson University, UMBC, UMCP, UM Biotechnology Institute, UM Center for Environmental Science, Maryland Sea Grant College, Universities at Shady Grove Partners: USM, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Towson University, UMBC, UMCP, UM Biotechnology Institute, UM Center for Environmental Science, Maryland Sea Grant College, Universities at Shady Grove High school science teacher professional development, master/mentor teachers, higher education faculty learning communities, increase the number of undergraduate science majors going into teaching High school science teacher professional development, master/mentor teachers, higher education faculty learning communities, increase the number of undergraduate science majors going into teaching (MSP) 2 – Minority Student Pipeline Math and Science Partnership (2008-Present) Partners: USM, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College, UMCP, Towson University Partners: USM, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College, UMCP, Towson University Elementary and secondary science professional development, dual enrollment/early college experiences, teaching experiences for undergraduate science majors, increase the number of minority and other underrepresented students who enter science disciplines Elementary and secondary science professional development, dual enrollment/early college experiences, teaching experiences for undergraduate science majors, increase the number of minority and other underrepresented students who enter science disciplines

NSF MSP P-20 Grants in Maryland CASHÉ – Change and Sustainability in Higher Education ( ) Study the key feature of institutional change and sustainability among higher education institutions with MSPs. Study the key feature of institutional change and sustainability among higher education institutions with MSPs. What can we learn about MSP-supported changes that have expanded institutional capacity to support the reform of P-20 STEM education and the meaningful engagement of faculty in this enterprise? What can we learn about MSP-supported changes that have expanded institutional capacity to support the reform of P-20 STEM education and the meaningful engagement of faculty in this enterprise? What strategies are MSP institutions using to sustain these developments over time? What strategies are MSP institutions using to sustain these developments over time? 7

What is a successful partnership? How do you know you have a successful partnership? How do you know you have a successful partnership? What is the evidence? What is the evidence? 8

What does a partnership look like? VIP K-16 Case Study 9

Networking Among VIP K-16 Participants  New networks: Collaboration on teaching strategies for inquiry science Connections before VIP: 194Connections since VIP: 711

Networking: VIP K-16 ’ s Central Figure

Without the Central Figure

One Year After the Partnership Ended  New networks: Collaboration on teaching strategies for inquiry science Connections before VIP: 194 Connections during VIP: 711 Connections after VIP: 376

Promises and Pitfalls: VIP K-16 Promises: Promises: Project reached all high school science teachers and all high schools in district Project reached all high school science teachers and all high schools in district Developed cadre of master science teachers Developed cadre of master science teachers High school science curriculum redesign High school science curriculum redesign Summer institutes and professional development workshops Summer institutes and professional development workshops Increased student performance on standardized science tests Increased student performance on standardized science tests Faculty learning communities created on each college and university campus Faculty learning communities created on each college and university campus 14

Promises and Pitfalls: VIP K-16 Pitfalls: Pitfalls: Personnel changes Personnel changes Lack of upfront buy-in for assessment and evaluation Lack of upfront buy-in for assessment and evaluation Misalignment between school needs and faculty priorities Misalignment between school needs and faculty priorities 15

Pitfalls as Challenges and Opportunities 16

17 Pitfalls as Challenges and Opportunities: Cultural and Structural Differences Differences between higher education partners and K-12 partners Differences between higher education partners and K-12 partners Calendar, workday Calendar, workday Academic freedom Academic freedom High stakes testing High stakes testing Chain of command; level of “putting out fires” Chain of command; level of “putting out fires” External accountability External accountability Differences among higher education partners Differences among higher education partners Role and mission differences Role and mission differences Research emphasis versus teaching emphasis Research emphasis versus teaching emphasis

18 Challenges and Opportunities: Leadership and Infrastructure Institutional Leadership and Support Importance of top-down endorsement with bottom-up grassroots leadership and support Importance of top-down endorsement with bottom-up grassroots leadership and support Partnership visibility Partnership visibilityInfrastructure Getting the right people in the right jobs to support the grant Getting the right people in the right jobs to support the grant Venues for boundary-spanning Venues for boundary-spanning

19 Challenges and Opportunities: Faculty Involvement Funding Source Matters Funding Source Matters National Science Foundation National Science Foundation Faculty Leadership Faculty Leadership Who’s involved? Who’s involved? Faculty Development Faculty Development Effects on promotion and tenure Effects on promotion and tenure Importance of rewards and recognition Importance of rewards and recognition Opportunities for research and publications Opportunities for research and publications Value within discipline and department Value within discipline and department

Pitfalls as Challenges and Opportunities How do our experiences with partnership work resonate with yours? What looks similar? What looks different? How do our experiences with partnership work resonate with yours? What looks similar? What looks different? 20

Additional Questions Who decides whose needs take priority in a partnership? Who decides whose needs take priority in a partnership? What if these needs are in direct conflict with each other? What if these needs are in direct conflict with each other? What should you do when the partnership priorities are not faculty priorities? What should you do when the partnership priorities are not faculty priorities? Can we agree the priority is the students? Can we agree the priority is the students? 21

Link to Common Core Standards and Assessments How can our experiences with MSPs and other P-20 partnerships inform the new work on Common Core Assessments? How can our experiences with MSPs and other P-20 partnerships inform the new work on Common Core Assessments? What have we learned that we can apply to our work with the new science framework, standards, and assessments? What have we learned that we can apply to our work with the new science framework, standards, and assessments? 22

Presenter Contact Information Nancy S. Shapiro Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for P-20 Education University System of Maryland 23