“The 67 schools in the new National Math and Science Initiative on AP are great examples of the power of quality instruction, more time spent on task, and rigorous, content-focused teacher training. The NMSI schools are having phenomenal success in raising AP scores among minority students."
-- Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
Accomplished link
The National Math and Science Initiative's (NMSI) College Readiness Program is raising the level of academic rigor in more than 560 schools across the country by dramatically increasing the number of students taking and passing college-level math, science, and English coursework. Within the first year of launching the program, participating schools experience an average 72% increase in passing scores on Advanced Placement (AP*) exams in these subjects—10 times the national average. NMSI’s College Readiness Program also expands access to rigorous coursework, and produces measurable improvements, among traditionally under-represented groups. A 2010 study, for example, found that African American and Hispanic students who were exposed to the program were 69% and 83% more likely, respectively, to graduate from a four-year college than students who were not part of the program.
It costs roughly $170,000 per year for three years to support NMSI’s College Readiness Program at one school, which amounts to less than $200 per student per year. Schools in Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, New York City, St. Louis, and Washington, DC, among other districts, have expressed interest in adopting the program. It takes roughly eight weeks to vet new sites before program implementation.
Funders and PartnersNMSI was initiated as a public-private partnership, led by private donors such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Today, NMSI’s funders and partners also include the U.S. Department of Education, numerous state-level education initiatives, corporations, and individual donors.
Gregg Fleisher, Chief Academic Officer
gfleisher@nationalmathandscience.org
214-346-1204
The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.
Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.
Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.
Ensure work is sustainable.
Demonstrate replicability and scalability.
Create high impact partnerships
Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.
Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience
Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.
Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.
Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.