February 26, 2018
The Mathematics and Science Partnerships RFP has been released, and it is available here. The NYS Education Department released it last week. This grant is significant as it provides interested districts and partnering IHE’s resources to provide support, and enhance science and mathematics teachers’ content knowledge, classroom practices, and ultimately their students’ achievement.
This much we already know: the RFP requires a partnership between high-need school districts and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments in an institution of higher education. Together, the partnership focuses on developing and implementing an innovative, comprehensive systems approach to improve efforts for teaching and learning in mathematics and science. Many MSP awardee programs across the US have been rigorously evaluated, and found to have significant educational results on student achievement, teacher content knowledge, and classroom practices.
An external, third-party expert evaluator was required in previous releases of this RFP, and Via Evaluation has found that the same is true for this release. Via Evaluation has been an external, third-party expert evaluator for this grant line since 2004 in school districts across New York, and recently completed the evaluation of four New York State projects in the most recent round of MSP awards.
The minority/women’s business enterprise (M/WBE) participation goal is 30% of each applicant’s total discretionary non-personal service budget each year of the grant. Via Evaluation is now a majority women-owned business, and it can help you meet the goal of full MWBE participation through evaluation or other services that may be helpful to your application.
We would be happy to assist your partnership grant team, and write the evaluation section of the proposal at no cost. Once funded, we would then help with the multiple required annual reports to NYSED and the US Department of Education’s MSP office. We have over 20 years of experience evaluating NYSED grants, and are one of the most experienced evaluation firms in the state.
If you would like to hear more about how Via Evaluation can support your work with Math Science Partnerships, or receive our newsletter, please call Gary Ciurczak at (716) 362-0627 or email us at [email protected].
