The Iowa STEM Council continues to recognize that mathematics is central to the success in STEM study leading to careers in high-demand STEM fields. Because of its importance, the Iowa legislatures has appropriated $300,000 to especially scale mathematics education programs to preK-12 students across the state for the 2019-2020 school year. These funds will be distributed through three programs that have gone through a rigorous application process to show their effectiveness at increase interest and achievement in mathematics. The three programs selected are
K-12 educators are now encouraged to review these three programs to determine if they would be a good fit in their classroom or out-of-school setting. The application for in-school and out-of-school educators closes October 1, 2019. The application can be found at https://iowastem.gov/Scale-Up-Application. Applications from educators will be evaluated through October with award announcements made October 31, 2019. Professional development and materials distribution will begin in late 2019 and implementation of the programs will occur through spring and summer 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to receive these math Scale-Up programs?
In-school educators from public or private schools are eligible for Desmos and Bootstrap. In-school and out-of-school educators are eligible for the Differentiated Math Centers.
What will I receive through this Scale-Up award?
Each program provides professional development needed to implement the provided curriculum and some programs provide kits of materials.
How will I implement this in a traditional classroom?
Since these awards will be made in the middle of the school year, they are meant to complement existing curriculum. For example, these programs could be an additional unit, enhance a math center, or provide a more hands-on approach to the curriculum you already use. All programs are aligned to the Iowa Core Mathematics Standards.
What are the expectations of awarded educators?
All awarded educators are expected to complete the professional development requirements for the programs (found on the program summary pages). Educators who do not complete professional development will not receive the curriculum and/or materials.
Educators will be required to complete an educator survey and student participant list after implementing the program. More information can be found at https://iowastem.gov/scale-monitoring
Where should I go for more information?
For questions about the programs, application process, or implementation ideas, email Kristine Bullock at kristine-bullock@uiowa.edu
