This solicitation is basically unchanged from last year.  Changes that have been made include: the elimination of Higher Education Centers; requiring development of strategies for cooperation when proposed Centers include a partner of another larger-scale, NSF-supported project (e.g., Math and Science Partnership); and potential for renewal.

Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT)

The Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) program focuses on the advanced preparation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators, as well as the establishment of meaningful partnerships among education stakeholders, especially Ph.D. granting institutions, school systems, and informal education performers.  Its goals are to renew and diversify the cadre of leaders in STEM education; to increase the number of K-16 educators capable of delivering high-quality STEM instruction and assessment; and to conduct research into STEM education issues of national import (e.g., the nature of learning, teaching strategies, and reform policies and outcomes).

Centers for Learning and Teaching

Centers with a programmatic focus on elementary, secondary, or informal education will provide a rich environment that melds research, teacher education, and education practice.  Individual Centers may have specific foci (e.g., K-6 science, large-scale assessments, learning of mathematics), but each will address the following three equally important components: (1) renewing and diversifying the cadre of leaders in STEM education, particularly the higher education faculty who educate STEM teachers and professionals in leadership positions at state and district-levels and other education organizations; (2) enhancing the content knowledge and pedagogical skills of current and future elementary and secondary teachers; and (3) supporting research into  STEM education issues of national import.  The CLT effort builds upon previous activities in the preparation and professional development of teachers and provides opportunities for doctoral and post-doctoral students in the disciplines and in STEM education to acquire the knowledge and skills to educate the next generation of K-12 teachers.

Center proposals must involve partnerships of organizations with a scientific, engineering, and/or educational mission.  Among these are two- and four-year colleges and universities, state and local education agencies, professional societies, research laboratories, business and industry, informal science centers, instructional materials development centers, private foundations, and/or other public and private organizations (whether for profit or nonprofit).  Each Center must have one or more school district partners (or an appropriate group of schools, e.g., specialized schools), as well as a partner that is authorized to award doctoral degrees in an appropriate STEM education area.  

Higher Education Centers

A Higher Education component was added to the CLT program in 2002 and two Higher Education Centers were established.  No competition will be held in 2003.  

The Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) program is a comprehensive, research-based effort that addresses critical issues and national needs of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional workforce across the entire spectrum of formal and informal education.

The need to replace a large number of educators who are expected to retire over the next decade is widely understood and recent studies have indicated that many inadequately prepared educators enter the profession each year.  Recent reports also indicate that the doctoral-level professionals needed to educate the K-12 instructional workforce are in short supply.  Replenishing and diversifying the instructional workforce, K-16, and conducting ongoing research related to learning and teaching across the spectrum of these activities are clear national needs.

A growing body of research articulates both the needs of, and possible solutions to, the current state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.  What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 1996) indicates that over 50,000 inadequately prepared teachers enter the teaching profession each year.  Indeed, a recent report indicates that in grades 7-12, approximately 33% of mathematics teachers and 20% of science teachers have neither a major nor minor in their field; yet these under qualified teachers teach over 26% of mathematics students and over 16% of science students (Ingersoll, 1999).  Moreover, of those teachers who enter with adequate backgrounds, 30% to 50% are likely to leave the profession within five years.  Many of those teachers teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

At a time when the K-12 student population is becoming increasingly diverse, the K-12 instructional workforce has not diversified appreciably nor has its ability to provide appropriate instruction for diverse learners increased.  It is anticipated that Centers will use varied approaches to diversify the instructional workforce as well as to prepare teachers and faculty to use instructional techniques that enhance the STEM learning of all students.

Recent studies have identified a positive relationship between the use of teaching practices based on national standards and improved student learning (Cohen & Hill, 1998; Kahle, Meece, & Scantlebury, 2000; Klein, Hamilton, McCaffrey, Stecher, Robyn, & Burroughs, 1999).  Further, the efficacy of combining professional development with standards-based curriculum is becoming evident (Weiss, Montgomery, Ridgway, & Bond, 1998).  There is a need to couple this emerging knowledge base with new and effective ways of preparing future teachers and of providing professional development for current teachers that will produce, as well as retain, effective teachers at the elementary and secondary levels (U.S. Department of Education, 2000).

Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and Internship Component 

A critical CLT component is to provide doctoral, post-doctoral, and intern programs for the broad array of professionals who educate and support the K-12 instructional workforce.  These professionals include university scientists, mathematicians and/or engineers who prepare future teachers either in discipline or education courses, local and state supervisors and curriculum coordinators, informal science educators, education researchers, curriculum developers, and assessment and evaluation professionals.  Regardless of their future roles, these professionals must master their disciplines; be knowledgeable about current reforms, assessment issues, and effective uses of information technology; and be expert at translating research findings into educational practice.  They need to understand national and state standards and know how to connect the goals of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education to classroom practices that lead to enhanced student achievement.  They should understand the research base for both student learning and teacher education and know how to help teachers internalize critical elements of that research into instruction.  Moreover, they should be able to relate their expertise to curricular and instructional issues in K-12 STEM education.

Therefore, Centers for Learning and Teaching will educate these professionals in the context of educating the current K-12 instructional workforce.  It is anticipated that the partnerships required for each Center will provide learning laboratories for these tasks, and that the work of each Center will complement rather than duplicate other CLTs in meeting national needs.

Teacher Education Component

An evolving body of research on models of effective professional development (e.g., Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998) provides the basis for the Center program teacher education component.  Effective pre-service and in-service teacher professional development will enhance the capacity of the K-12 instructional workforce, add to the knowledge base about effective teacher education, and lead to documented improvement in student achievement.  Exploring information technology both to enhance instruction for K-12 students and as a means of providing professional development of, and support for, teachers is a high priority for NSF.  Programs addressing teacher professional development, teacher preparation, and/or the induction period for teachers will reflect the research in the pertinent area and include high quality undergraduate courses in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology that are taught through research-based models (e.g., extended inquiry, problem-solving).  Other topics of high priority for NSF include: under-prepared and out-of-field teachers; retention of qualified teachers in the profession; strategies for assisting formal and informal educators to meet the needs of all learners; teachers prepared for varied roles within the instructional workforce (e.g., master teachers, department chairs); and opportunities for collaboration with informal science education as well as the education of informal science educators.

Research Component

It is essential that education innovations be built on solid research and that the results of the latest research be disseminated to colleagues and practitioners in a timely and useful manner.  Centers for Learning and Teaching are positioned to be a major resource for research and its dissemination.  The research undertaken by each Center should address a recognized national need and also connect the doctoral education component to the K-12 teacher education component in a symbiotic manner.  The overarching research agenda will not only point to areas of national need, but will also be an indication of the focus of the Center.

The research supported by the CLT program is a critical component of the research effort funded by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources.  As a part of that overall effort, researchers at each Center are part of a larger community that contributes to better understandings of learning and teaching of STEM subjects.  Opportunities to collaborate across Centers on areas of common interest are afforded.  This will create a program-wide research agenda and provide avenues for mutual assistance in furthering this agenda.

Program Description Contents

A.  Goals

B.  Project Characteristics

1.  Focus

2.  Coverage

3.  Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and Internship Component

4.  Teacher Education Component 

5.  Research Component

6.  Institutionalization

7.  Evaluation

8.  Dissemination

9.  Relationship to other Projects supported by NSF

_____________________________________________________ 

A.  GOALS

The CLT program calls for a systemic approach to the development and enhancement of the instructional workforce (K through graduate school) where professionals are educated in an environment of research and practice.  For STEM educators, a Center will provide opportunities to enhance their content knowledge, develop teaching strategies that lead to improved student learning, implement high quality instructional materials, incorporate information technology, and develop skills in using various strategies for assessing student learning.  For graduate students, post-doctoral students, and interns, a Center will provide study and research opportunities with the goal of improving learning, teaching, and assessment across the educational continuum.

Although Centers will develop different models to achieve their objectives, all will be expected to address the following equally important goals that are based upon documented national needs.

• Centers will renew and diversify the cadre of national leaders in STEM education.  This component will involve providing basic and advanced education for doctoral and post-doctoral students who will specialize in STEM education; who will provide the expertise for large-scale assessment and/or evaluation of educational reform; who will conduct research on STEM teaching and learning; who will develop the next generation of curricular materials; who will become local and state supervisors; and/or who will develop future directions in informal science education.
  
  
• Centers will increase significantly the numbers of K-12 STEM educators in formal (schools) and/or informal (museums, zoos, botanical gardens, etc.) settings who have up-to-date content knowledge in their disciplinary area and who are prepared to implement standards-based instruction and new assessment strategies.  Further, these educators will be able to use information technology as an aid to student learning. 
  
  
• Centers will provide substantive opportunities for research into the nature of learning, strategies of teaching, policies of educational reform, and outcomes of standards-based reform.

The three goals are synergistic and inter-related; that is, a Center's research agenda, teacher education activities, and graduate programs should inform one another and focus on the Center's documented national needs.

B.  PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

1.  Focus.  In order to meet the overarching purposes of this Solicitation, Centers will address all or an appropriate part of the continuum of teacher education and will prepare STEM education professionals through doctoral programs or by providing post-doctoral and internship opportunities for individuals drawn either from a STEM discipline or from education.  The teacher education and graduate/post doctoral components will be developed and carried out through appropriate collaborations between STEM disciplinary and STEM education faculty.  Teacher education is likely to be an ongoing activity of the collaborating institutions, and undergraduate and graduate students as well as interns should have opportunities to develop their expertise through interactions with the teachers participating in those activities.  The goal of each Center will be on connecting teacher education with the education of those who will be prepared to assume national roles in education.  It is anticipated that each Center's efforts will focus on a national need in STEM education and that evidence addressing the scope and urgency of that need will be included in the proposal.  Because the CLT program is addressing a broad range of national needs, proposals should include an explanation detailing the uniqueness of the proposed Center vis-a-vis existing Centers.  Descriptions of existing Centers can be viewed at www.ehr.nsf.gov/ehr/esie. 

The following focus areas are provided as examples only, and are not meant to limit the scope of potential proposals.  A Center that focuses on the implications of student and community culture for teaching and learning STEM subjects, where the unique attributes of school communities contribute to the design and delivery of education, would add new understandings.  A Center that could help research and build the national capacity for technology and engineering education, which being newer disciplines do not have the rich research, developed base, and tradition that mathematics and science education enjoy, would address a critical national issue.  A Center that looks critically at the adoption and implementation of instructional technologies (as a medium for learning and teaching) could provide a research foundation for strategies that promote appropriate and best use.  A Center could focus on policy issues and new administrative and organizational paradigms to change the structures that support STEM education, including an examination of specialists' roles, determining the balance of STEM expertise needed, and evaluating the methods and benefits of incorporating all appropriate resources.  Another Center might investigate research designs, instruments, and methodologies to assess the effectiveness of STEM instructional materials.

2.  Coverage.  Centers may address mathematics, science, and/or technology education.  Each proposal must contain a rationale for the grade band (e.g., K-12, K-6, 7-12) chosen for emphasis.  Centers will include educational opportunities for substantial numbers of teachers, administrators, and/or informal science educators as well as programs of study for doctoral and/or post-doctoral students (including those with discipline-based degrees).  Proposals should be developed cooperatively among several institutions of higher education and should include some combination of state or local education agencies, community colleges, museums, etc.  Such cooperation should leverage the expertise of different institutions.  Collaboration is encouraged also with business and industry and with international institutions.  Doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and interns might complete different parts of their education at different institutions and/or Centers in order to develop special expertise.  Each Center proposal must present a clear plan for recruiting highly qualified candidates into teacher education programs, in-service activities, and graduate and post-doctoral level programs.  Recruitment plans will include strategies for expanding the diversity of the STEM education workforce; these strategies should document and build upon existing effective efforts.

3.  Doctoral, Post-Doctoral, and Internship Component.   Educational opportunities for the STEM instructional workforce are offered by a variety of professionals.  They include university teacher educators; scientists, mathematicians, and engineers; curriculum developers; district-level or state-level supervisors and coordinators; lead teachers; informal science educators; assessment specialists; and school administrators (e.g., principals).  Programs of study for these professionals will include clearly delineated graduate programs (Ph.D., or Ed.D.  Master's programs may be included).  Proposals will have clear statements of focus, indicating what backgrounds and experiences will be required for entrance and discuss how the program of study might be adapted for applicants with varying kinds of backgrounds.  New ways to involve each Center's collaborative partners, as well as collaborations across Centers as the CLT program evolves are encouraged.

Innovation in graduate programs and post-doctoral education is encouraged as Centers seek to impact both the scope and quality of the STEM education infrastructure.  One or more of the following activities are envisioned.  First, Centers will provide rich opportunities to conduct research and assessment studies in STEM learning and teaching.  Second, for doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and interns coming from scientific, mathematics, and engineering disciplines, there will be in-depth experiences with K-12 STEM teaching, administration, assessment, and curricula.  Third, for doctoral students, post-doctoral students and interns with education backgrounds, Centers will provide content courses and other learning experiences related to the Center's particular focus.  Centers will provide professionals with opportunities to apply their developing knowledge in realistic settings and provide extensive mentoring to help them develop a broad network of contacts that will provide support after the program of study is complete

4.  Teacher Education Component.  Centers may address a wide range of issues in teacher education such as: teacher preparation, induction, and internships; teaching out-of-field; licensure programs; alternative certification, master's degree programs; distance education; or some combination of these topics.

Proposals will describe ways that teachers will be assisted in learning content and pedagogy in cooperation with scientists, mathematicians and engineers.  Innovative uses of information technology are encouraged.  Activities will go beyond standard courses or generic in-service activities, be based on national standards, and include effective pedagogy for adult learning.  Innovative ways of providing ongoing support for participants are encouraged in the Centers and may involve collaborations with local or state educational agencies or electronic networks.

5.  Research Component.  Centers will articulate an overarching research agenda that defines the Center focus and provides linkages to the doctoral education component and the K-12 teacher education component.  The research agenda should be grounded in the K-12 teacher education component and also contribute to that work.  There are well-developed and well-understood means for communicating research results to others in the education research community and these should be used by researchers supported by Centers.  Additionally, Centers should devise ways to make the results of their research available to teachers, school administrators, supervisors, and professional societies in ways that can have an impact on practice.

6.  Institutionalization.  Proposals will include plans for ensuring continuation of critical aspects of the Centers after the period of NSF support.  In particular, the support strategies for teacher education need to be institutionalized and critical aspects of graduate programs should be sustained by the collaborating institutions.

7.  Evaluation.  Evaluation of both the teacher education and graduate, post-doctoral, and internship components that will provide formative and summative feedback to revise and refocus a Center is required.  The evaluation plan must describe evidence that will indicate that the Center's goal are met, the data that will be collected, benchmarks that will be measured, methods that will be used in evaluating the project, and the timeline for the evaluation process.  It is expected that data will be collected that are appropriate to the goals of the Center and of the CLT program.  The evaluation should document the Center's effect on students, teachers, graduate students, faculty, institutional environment, etc.

Each proposed Center must commit to cooperating with an NSF third-party evaluation, including a longitudinal study of impact that will be funded independently by NSF.  As part of this evaluation, Centers will be responsible for providing requested data to multiple program evaluators.

8.  Dissemination.  The proposal must include strategies and plans for communicating the activities and outcomes of the Center to other professionals in the STEM and education communities throughout and after the project.

9.  Relationship to other Projects supported by NSF.  Centers that propose to include partners from an existing or proposed Math and Science Partnership (MSP) or other large-scale project should carefully delineate plans to avoid duplication of effort and should provide strategies for cooperation.  Details should be given for linking the research agenda of the Center to the work of the MSP or other project.  Of particular concern is the need for coherence in goals and effort of work in partner school districts.  Proposals for a Center that would include a partner that is also a partner in an existing or proposed MSP or other large-scale project must provide evidence that all partners have the necessary capacity to carry out the proposed work of both projects, that the goals and approaches of the two projects are aligned, and that management structures are put in place that will further the goals of both projects without inhibiting the attainment of the goals of either.  

References

Brownstein, E.M., & Destino, T.  (1994, April).  Scenes from a science classroom: An enrichment program experience.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans.  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.  ED 375 001).

Cohen D.  K., & Hill, H.  C.  (1998).  State policy and classroom performance: Mathematics reform in California (CPRE Policy Brief).  Philadelphia, PA: Consortium for Policy Research in Education.

Griffard, P.B., & Wandersee, J.H.  (1998, April).  Challenges to meaningful learning among African-American females at an urban science high school.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, San Diego, CA.  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.  ED 417 977).

Ingersoll, R.  M.  (1999, March).  The problem of underqualified teachers in American secondary schools.  Educational Researcher, 28(2), 26-37.

Kahle, J.  B., Meece, J., & Scantlebury, K.  (2000).  Urban African-American middle school science students: Does standards-based teaching make a difference? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(9), 1019-1041.

Klein, S., Hamilton, L., McCaffrey, D., Stecher, B., Robyn, A., & Burroughs, D.  (1999, May).  Teaching practices and student achievement: Report of first-year findings from the "Mosaic" study of systemic initiatives in mathematics and science.  Los Angeles, CA: Rand Corporation.

Loucks-Horsley, S., Hewson, P.  W., Love, N., & Stiles, K.  E.  (1998).  Designing professional development for teachers of science and mathematics.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996).  What matters most: Teaching for America's future.  Report of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future.  Woodbridge, VA, 22194-5239.

National Science Board (2000).  Science and Engineering Indicators - 2000.  Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation (NSB-00-1).

Teel, K.  M., Debruin-Parecki, A., & Covington, M.V.  (1998).  Teaching strategies that honor and motivate inner-city African-American students: A school/university collaboration.  Teaching and Teacher Education, 14, 479-495.

U.S.  Department of Education (2000).  Before It's Too Late: A Report to the Nation from The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century.  Washington, DC: U.S.  Department of Education.

Weiss, I.  R., Montgomery, D.  L., Ridgway, C.  J., & Bond, S.  L.  (1998, December).  Local systemic change through teacher enhancement: Year three cross-site report.  Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research, Inc.

The categories of proposers identified in the  Grant Proposal Guide are eligible to submit proposals under this program announcement/solicitation. 

An institution or agency may submit only one CLT proposal as the lead institution for a given competition. However, an institution or agency may be a partner on more than one CLT proposal.

Center proposals must involve partnerships of organizations with a scientific, engineering, and/or educational mission.  Among these are two- and four-year colleges and universities, state and local education agencies, professional societies, research laboratories, business and industry, informal science centers, instructional materials development centers, private foundations, and/or other public and private organizations (whether for profit or nonprofit).  Each Center must have one or more school district partners (or an appropriate group of schools, e.g., specialized schools), as well as a partner that is authorized to award doctoral degrees in an appropriate STEM education area.  

Under this solicitation, awards will be made with an initial commitment of five years and a potential duration of ten years.  The progress and plans of each funded CLT will be reviewed by NSF annually, prior to receiving continued NSF support.  In the fourth year of operation, the CLT may submit a renewal proposal for continued support, which will undergo merit review.  The CLT's achievements and future plans will be evaluated comprehensively.  The review will determine if the CLT is meeting the goals and objectives as originally proposed.  The CLT performance assessment will be guided by the goals and objectives of the CLT program and the individual goals of the particular CLT.

Centers successful in passing the fourth-year review will be renewed for another five years, commencing at the beginning of the sixth year, and including a two-year phase-out period.  Funding levels, in this subsequent period, will be considered at higher levels based on documented success of the Center, a compelling case for the proposed research efforts, and availability of funding.  Centers that pass the fourth-year review will continue to be reviewed by NSF at least every 18 months.  Centers that do not pass the fourth year review will be phased-out over a one-year period, except that funds may be provided for continued support of the doctoral students appointed under the provisions of the original grant.  The NSF will support a CLT for a maximum of ten years.  

Support levels for graduate and post-doctoral students and interns may vary depending upon the academic background and/or teaching expertise of applicants.  It is envisioned that some advanced students will be paid academic-year stipends (in accordance with local institutional rates) plus tuition and fee waivers, while experienced professionals from teaching or other fields may be remunerated in proportion to their current salaries (up to $35,000/ten months) plus tuition and fee waivers.  Professional development activities for teachers may offer stipends of up to $100 per day; provide tuition and fee waivers for graduate credits; or provide support for substitutes to permit the release of teachers during the school day.  Although proposals may request funds for the development of new graduate courses in STEM education, the cost of delivering such courses may not be covered.  

Center awards will be made as continuing grants for up to five years, with the possibility of a five-year renewal.  Other budget limitations are identified in section IV, Award Information.

Compliance with NSF third-party evaluation, as described under Project Characteristics in Section II B.

Standard annual reports are to be submitted via FastLane.  Additional data may also be requested.  Such requests will be set as conditions to either the initial award or to continuing yearly funding.

Teacher Professional Continuum, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education  -- (forthcoming, see http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/esie).

Instructional Materials Development (IMD) -- (http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/esie).

Informal Science Education (ISE) -- Program Solicitation [NSF-03-511]  (https://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?ods_key=nsf03511)

Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers  (ITEST) -- Program Solicitation [NSF-02-147]  (https://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02147).

Math and Science Partnership Program (MSP) -- (https://www.ehr.nsf.gov/msp)

NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) -- (http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/dge)

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching -- (http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/pres_awards/).

Advanced Technological Education (ATE) -- (http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/due).