Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment
Mathematics and Science
Engineer It! is a traveling exhibit of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry funded by the National Science Foundation. This highly popular exhibit takes a hands-on approach to involving visitors in the engineering process. Museum staff are provided training necessary to support the program.
Salmon Camp Research Team is funded by the National Science Foundation. The project promotes career development for Native American students by providing a continuum of culturally relevant, information technology and science experiences. Students participate in summer camps in which they collaborate with salmon researchers, followed by enrichment programs throughout the school year. Participants are mentored by field researchers or science educators in their local schools.
Scientist/Student/Teacher (S/S/T) Enhancement Project and the Research Experience for Teachers of Technology (RET) Program is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. The PNNL is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratories. A three year project, S/S/T provided summer appointments and opportunities during the school year to high school students and teachers to increase their understanding of science and technology by working with scientists on research projects. The one-year RET Program continued the efforts of the S/S/T Project, but focused on developing and implementing a special kind of case study—the decision case, a teaching tool for promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students.
Montana Teachers Investigate Ecology was funded by the National Science Foundation and supported middle and high school teachers in ecological research projects and the translation of ecology ideas to classroom instruction. Participants worked directly with science researchers at the University of Montana during summer appointments and convened throughout the year for follow-up training sessions. The project fostered inquiry-based science instruction and built collaborative relationships with local scientists and teachers.
Health Sciences/Biotechnology Magnet Program at the Portland Public Schools was a three-year program funded by the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), U.S. Department of Education. The program was designed to reduce minority group isolation and implement curricula aligned with reform mandates. Innovative courses of study were developed that prepared students for higher education, training, and careers.
Mathematics Learning Center at Portland State University included designing Opening Eyes and the Visual Mathematics, student-centered curricula. NWREL conducted three research studies to explore the impact of these two curricula on: (1) student engagement in mathematics activities in classrooms from five school districts in Oregon, Louisiana, and Arizona, (2) academic performance of third and fifth grade students in the Springfield School District on the Oregon Mathematics Test and the Oregon Open-ended Problem Solving Assessment, and (3) course-taking patterns of high school students who were enrolled in Portsmouth Middle School.
Palmtop Project was a collaborative project between the Oregon Department of Education and Hewlett-Packard that provided elementary and middle school students with access to Internet resources through a wireless, palmtop computer in a field test setting.
Linking Education Reform and Educational Technology, a project of the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, was aimed at leveraging the educational technology resources in the state to further educational reform. This was accomplished by developing an electronic curriculum, initiating an electronically supported professional development system for educators, and developing policy analyses through the implementation of an integrated database utilizing Graphic Imaging Systems (GIS) tools. In addition, the project piloted Math.ed.ology, a multimedia resource for educators to promote discourse in their classrooms and conducted integrative workshops on the use of GIS in the classroom for social studies.
Northwest Consortium for Mathematics and Science Teaching was one of 10 regional consortia and part of the Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Consortia Program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The consortium served Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Its purpose was to improve educational outcomes in mathematics and science education and to facilitate systemic improvement within the region.