K-16 Partnerships

• Our K-16 Outreach Center is underway with Jim Greenberg at the helm. They are involved in jointly developed projects with Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. In Prince George's county, the Center is assisting the district in a needs assessment to determine the effectiveness of the current system of instructional support for teachers in meetings teacher needs and enhancing student achievement.
• Jim Cibulka has played a major role in the University System of Maryland obtaining a large Title 2 grant. PROJECT LINC brings together University System of Maryland, Prince George's Community College, and Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) to develop and test a model of inter-institutional partnership, focused simultaneously on recruiting, preparing, and retaining a quality teaching force capable of helping all students learn to high standards. UMCP will focus its PDS activities on expanding an existing secondary-school PDS network in Prince George's County and creating a new PDS network in collaboration with PGCPS. These PDSs will afford venues for two interrelated initiatives involving pre-service education. First, the University will recruit additional math, science, and computer science majors to choose teaching as a career and to entice them to teach in PGCPS. Freshmen and sophomores will participate in a set of exploratory field experiences for course credit, located in high-need PGCPS secondary schools. Those who are interested in teaching will be encouraged to pursue either of two paths recently created: a double major in their content area and in education, leading to secondary certification in math or science in four years or, for those who are interested but remain uncertain of their career choice, a content major and a 15-credit citation in education which will allow them to complete course work for a teaching certificate during a fifth post-baccalaureate year. Two cohorts of twenty are planned to begin in years two and three of the program. The second initiative is a new master's degree for recent math or science graduates at UMCP who wish to change careers. This will be organized as a resident teachers program, with these students receiving an intensive summer of course work to prepare them for a teaching placement in the fall, while they continue course work for their degree at the PDSs after school. Their course work will include opportunities to work with math, science, and education professors on linking their content knowledge to pedagogical methods. Two cohorts of 25 students are planned, one for Fall 2001 and a second for Fall 2003.
• Last May, we instituted a Partnership Project with Prince George's County Public Schools. A group, including the dean, two department chairs, and two faculty members, representing three departments, meets monthly with top district administrators. We are planning a project to assist the school in raising student achievement in three of their lowest performing schools. We are optimistic about a planning grant submitted in the last few weeks.

Blue Ribbon Committee

• The Blue Ribbon committee is comprised of talented college faculty and members of our Board of Visitors or their designees. Their charge is to make recommendations for the college to resolve the following question: How do we increase our national recognition and excellence in research while at the same time making a significant contribution to improving education in the state of MD, with particular attention to the minority achievement gap and urban education?
• The group met for a retreat in October and will meet in December. Essentially, we are looking for the synergy that has eluded most research colleges of education in relationships with K-12 schools. A draft model for synergy that will be discussed at the December meting is attached.