Program Office: Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs

CFDA Number: 84.366B
Program Type: Formula Grants
Also Known As: MSP

This program is designed to improve the content knowledge of teachers and the performance of students in the areas of mathematics and science by encouraging states, IHEs, LEAs, and elementary and secondary schools to participate in programs that:

• Improve and upgrade the status and stature of mathematics and science teaching by encouraging IHEs to improve mathematics and science teacher education;
• Focus on the education of mathematics and science teachers as a career-long process;
• Bring mathematics and science teachers together with scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to improve their teaching skills; and
• Provide summer institutes and ongoing professional development for teachers to improve their knowledge and teaching skills.

The program supports projects to improve math and science education through partnerships, which include, at a minimum, a high-need LEA and the mathematics, science, or engineering department of an IHE.

The Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program is intended to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. Partnerships between high-need school districts and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in institutions of higher education are at the core of these improvement efforts. Other partners may include state education agencies, public charter schools or other public schools, businesses, and nonprofit or for-profit organizations concerned with mathematics and science education.

The Math and Science Partnerships program is a formula grant program to the states, with the size of individual state awards based on student population and poverty rates. No State receives less than one half of one percent of the total appropriation. With these funds, each State is responsible for administering a competitive grant competition, in which grants are made to partnerships to improve teacher knowledge in mathematics and science.