Money appropriated by the state Legislature for summer institutes for math and science, which is being made available through competitive grants, can help school districts defray staff development costs associated with participation in Project Lead the Way (PLTW), according to Marg Mayo, the Council's specialist in education policy and workforce development issues.
The Business Council is actively promoting Project Lead the Way, a not-for-profit groups that promotes use of a math- and science-intensive curriculum that is a precursor to college studies in engineering. The curriculum, which first introduced at 12 schools in New York, is now part of the curriculum of nearly 1,300 schools nationwide.
The chairman of PLTW's board of directors was recently chosen as
one of the winners of the Manhattan Institute's prestigious Social
Entrepreneurship Award for 2006. Robert Liebich is being honored
for his leadership of PLTW, an organization that has "found
innovative, private solutions for some of America’s most pressing
social problems with little or no government financial aid,"
a press release from the Manhattan Institute said.
While PLTW is available to schools free of charge, costs are associated with teacher training and equipment.
Lawmakers appropriated $5 million for summer institutes for math and science to be distributed in the form of competitive grants to school districts, colleges and universities.
“Half of the funds can be used for part of the cost of teachers attending university or college-based summer classes or institutes designed to improve their professional content knowledge of math and science,” said Ed Reinfurt, vice president of The Business Council. “These grants provide a funding opportunity to expand high school and middle school participation in Project Lead the Way by covering some of the costs of the teacher professional development that is a key part of Project Lead the Way.”
The grants will allow "colleges and universities in partnership with public school districts to pay 50 percent of the costs of teachers attending university or college-based 2007 summer classes and/or institutes designed to improve their professional content knowledge and refresh and renew their competency in the use and classroom application of state-of-the-art technology in the areas of mathematics and/or science," according to the state Education Department.
The deadline to apply for the "Summer Classes and/or Institutes for Teachers in Mathematics and/or Science, 2007" is October 17.
“The science and engineering workforce is at risk,” Richard Blais, vice president of PLTW told business leaders at a June 21 education meeting at the Council’s Albany offices. He said that too few students pursue science and engineering in college. Of those who do, less than 40 percent complete a degree.
Studies done on the curriculum have found that 80 percent of PLTW students plan to attend college or community college compared to 65 percent nationwide, Blais said. Fifty-four percent of PLTW students plan to enroll in engineering or engineering technology compared to 10 percent nationally.
Additional information on the grants, including application procedures, is available at www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/mathsciinst07.htm.