Math and Science Memo

– 2 – February 6, 2021

United States Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality programs

MEMORANDUM

DATE: September 6, 2006

TO: Rachel F. Potter

OMB Desk Officer

THROUGH: James Hyler

Regulatory Information Management Services

FROM: Joseph Conaty

Director of the Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality (AITQ) team in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)

SUBJECT: Mathematics and Science Partnerships program’s Annual Performance Report--Request for OMB Approval, 1810-0669

The Mathematics and Science Partnerships program (MSP), a formula grant program to the States, is intended to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers and promoting research-based teaching methods. In addition, the program allows funds to be spent on recruiting mathematics, engineering and science teachers into the field; developing or redesigning rigorous mathematics and science curriculum; and other activities designed to improve teachers’ exposure to quality mathematics and science training, and their uses of such training in the classroom.

The enabling legislation requires each State-funded project to report annually to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), documenting the partnership’s progress in meeting its MSP goals and objectives and the partnership’s impact on student achievement. (Appendix A: Title II, Part B, Section 2202 (f) of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001).

In March 2004, MSP developed and implemented an OMB-approved data collection instrument, Mathematics and Science Partnerships program’s Annual Performance Report (APR), to systematically collect teacher and student impact data, and document projects’ progress in meeting the goals and objectives outlined in their original proposals. Projects funded in FY 2003 and FY 2004 have used the current form to report on current progress.

Through careful analysis of submitted APRs from funded projects and in consultation with State MSP Coordinators and grantees, it has been determined that the current OMB-approved APR does not adequately measure partnerships’ impact on student achievement. In addition, several monitoring tools have been incorporated into the APR thus creating a more comprehensive and streamlined annual reporting process, and reducing the burden unto the projects. Therefore, we are requesting an OMB clearance for a revised APR.

The revised report, an online data collection tool, will provide State-funded projects the opportunity to describe partnerships, share increases in teacher knowledge, share student impact data, share professional development models being employed, send reports directly to their State Coordinator for review, and assist the Program Office examine outcomes across funded projects.

If you have any questions about this request, please contact Pat O’Connell Ross at (202) 260-7813, or via e-mail [email protected].