NSF PR 96-35 - June 17, 1996
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Partnership Conference Seeks to Shape New Relationships in Education Reform
The key elements in successful math and science education
reform nationwide are partnerships and teamwork, according
to education experts at the National Science Foundation
(NSF). NSF opens a conference Wednesday that will
feature an interactive forum to review publicly many
of its high-profile reform initiatives.
The three-day working conference, Dynamic Partnerships:
Seeding and Sustaining Education Reform, will be held
June 19-21, at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel.
The event will bring together experts to review successful
programs in systemwide reform and to take a hard look
at the significant remaining challenges.
This event will differ from its predecessors because
"there is a major difference between sustaining reform
and fostering it," Luther S. Williams, NSF Assistant
Director for Education and Human Resources, said.
Fostering reform, Williams said, requires new levels
of thinking and greater creativity. Williams believes
the emphasis on more interactive exchanges among participants
will contribute to the development of new ideas and
awareness of what works, and what doesn't, for each
community.
Nationwide, many new relationships are being formed
between school districts and various partners, including
leaders in business and industry, colleges and universities,
science museums, elected officials and parents groups.
The results for student performance in science and
math have been encouraging.
"NSF can plant its flag and claim some success, but
that is not enough," Williams noted. "We must understand
what are the components of success, and how the challenges
change over time as reform takes root."
The conference, organized by NSF's Directorate for
Education and Human Resources, will include a series
of plenary and breakout sessions. It will take a critical
look at all aspects of NSF's large system-wide reform
initiatives. Concurrently, smaller sessions will allow
participants to review individual projects of interest.
The Thursday, June 20, sessions will focus on K-12
system wide reforms. A variety of individual programs
will explore how educators are teaming up with government
and private sector groups to bring significant change
to the classroom.
On Friday, the focus will switch to higher education.
A significant discussion is expected on NSF's year-long
review of undergraduate education. Undergraduate education
reform will be the sole focus of a separate conference,
Shaping the Future, scheduled for July 11-13 in Washington,
D.C.
"Teamwork is a requirement, not an option, in fostering
education reform," Williams noted. "The alliances
we build from these sessions can forge a powerful
intervention for the longterm benefit of teaching
and learning."
NSF is an independent federal agency that supports
a wide range of non-medical scientific research and
education activities. Programs in math, science, technology
and engineering education account for 20% of NSF's
more than $3 billion annual budget.
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