Board of Higher Education Funds
Central Regional PreK-16 Network for STEM Education

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) has awarded a three-year grant of $330,402 from the Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Pipeline Fund to the Central Regional PreK-16 Network.

The STEM Pipeline Fund is a workforce development initiative designed to increase student interest and teacher preparation in STEM subjects. Originally created in 2003, the Fund was recapitalized in 2006 with an additional $4 million as part of Economic Stimulus legislation. This represented the first infusion of money into the Fund since it was established in 2003 with $2.5 million.

The grant is part of a larger $1.7 million grant announced by the Board of Higher Education to support three-year, collaborative projects in six Regional PreK-16 Networks: Berkshire, Cape and Islands, Central, Northeast, Pioneer Valley and Southcoast. The Networks bring together K‑12, higher education, businesses and community organizations to address regional education and workforce needs.

“We must do everything we can to foster in students a love of math and science, and in teachers, the skills needed to inspire and teach in these important subjects,” said Patricia Plummer, Chancellor of the BHE. “STEM disciplines are expected to drastically reshape the regional and global economy. Without proper training, too many of our students and residents are going to lose out on the careers of the future.”

“We are so pleased to receive the funding from the STEM Pipeline Fund and are looking forward to carrying out our regional plan,” said Sandy Mayrand, Lead Partner of the Central Pipeline Network and Director of the Regional Science Resource Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “Central Massachusetts has a strong history of STEM stakeholders working together to ensure that the next generation is well-prepared and eager to work in the STEM careers that drive our economy.”

The Central Pipeline Network received funding for the following two projects:

• Assessing and Addressing Physical Science Misconceptions, a professional development project for teachers of grades three through eight. Through the five-day course, teachers will learn more about these common misconceptions and will practice instructional activities to help students dispel misconceptions.
• Growing STEM From the Ground Up, a collaborative effort among regional K-12, higher education and industry representatives to identify and develop additional ways to address regional STEM education and workforce needs.

“Some difficult education issues are addressed more effectively on a regional basis. The Central Mass STEM Pipeline Network helps school districts look strategically at problems, find common ground, research the best resources to address them, and get the job done,” said Rob Richardson, East Coast Education Manager for Intel Massachusetts. “Local employers have chosen to be active because they are invited to help plan programs in this area of great concern. Their employees can also make a difference by volunteering to speak to classes, judge science fairs or take students on workplace tours.”

This funding seeks to remedy the steady erosion of students who choose to go into science, mathematics and engineering careers in the Commonwealth,” said State Representative Daniel E. Bosley (D-North Adams), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “Massachusetts has always been the national leader in scientific innovation, and we must continue to encourage our children to pursue careers in STEM fields or we will lose our advantage as an international center of scientific creativity and imagination.”

Early Pipeline Fund grants enabled the BHE to distribute $2.3 million in 2004-2005 in support of 19 regional projects statewide. Combined, these projects reached more than 4,500 students and 520 teachers in 115 school districts, and included a variety of student enrichment programs, a statewide student internship program and professional development programs for teachers. In 2004-2005, the Central Pipeline Network received $225,119 for a Data Analysis Content Institute.

The 2006 Economic Stimulus legislation also establishes the Robert H. Goddard Council on STEM Education, a 27-member council which will advise the Board of Higher Education on STEM workforce development programs. The Council will include representatives from early education, K‑12 and higher education; business and industry; the State legislature; and workforce development and labor organizations. An announcement regarding the full makeup of the council is expected later this month. 

A second Call for Proposals for the STEM Pipeline Fund will be released by the Board of Higher Education in spring 2007.

For more information about the awards may be found on the website: www.mass.edu/pipeline/ .

Central PreK-16 Regional Network

Project Details

Assessing and Addressing Physical Science Misconceptions

The three-year project will address science in grades 3-8 and will focus on what the 2006 science MCAS, as well as other district data, revealed as weak areas of the curriculum.  A Network team of 6-8 science and education experts from higher education, professional development organizations and K-12 will develop a 5-day, 37.5 hr course for 60 teachers (30 in a 3-5 grade cadre and 30 in a 6-8 grade cadre) with 2 follow up days during the school year.  The identified weak learning standards will be aligned with known science misconceptions, and those specific conceptual areas will be the content focus for the course.  The course will focus on:

• Raising awareness of the pervasiveness and strength of misconceptions (Private Universe tapes from Annenberg on student misconceptions)
• Using and interpreting  formative assessments for identifying science misconceptions (developed by the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance)
• Learning and practicing instructional strategies and activities to help students dispel misconceptions
• Deepening and strengthening teacher content knowledge on the specific physical science concepts underlying science misconceptions

In year one, the districts involved in the Coordinating Council:  Fitchburg (4 schools), Leominster (4 schools), Lunenburg (2 schools), Northbridge (2 schools), Shrewsbury (3 schools), and Worcester (8 schools), will become the first tier of eligible districts to send teams of 2-3 teachers per school to the STEM Institute, Assessing and Addressing Physical Science Misconceptions.  The second eligible tier includes all Network partners followed by any Central MA district until the summer course is filled.  In years two and three, the second tier districts will have the first opportunity, followed by additional teachers from first tier schools.

Assessing STEM From the Ground Up

The Central MA STEM Pipeline Network is composed of three structural entities:  Advisory Board, Coordinating Council and Partners. As a result of conversations with business representatives, the Advisory Board and the Coordinating Council, three areas of common interest emerged as important, yet have not been fully addressed in other regional forums. These three areas will be addressed through three Work Groups that will be convened by the Advisory Board to research, study, make recommendations, and oversee implementation (as funding is available). The three Work Groups are as follows:

• Pre-Service Work Group:  Connect pre-service with K-12 schools more effectively
• Teacher Leadership Work Group:  Develop a plan to develop STEM Teacher Leaders
• Business/Education Support Work Group:  Develop innovative ways for business to support education

The timeline for Work Groups will be the following:

• Year One:         Define issue (goals and objectives of Work Group), research, analyze options, and delineate a strategic plan to address issue
• Year Two:        Implement pilot
• Year Three:      Evaluate, readjust, and extend pilot, or move in another direction

Each Work Group will be composed of members of the Network, inter-regional stakeholders, and outside experts as needed and will meet quarterly prior to each Advisory Board meeting.  The Work Groups will present to the Advisory Board for feedback and decision-making.