Urban Systemic Initiative

The El Paso Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) was a $15 million, five-year grant awarded to the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence, in partnership with the city’s three largest school districts, by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1994. USI was the first in a series of large programmatic efforts by the National Science Foundation to improve mathematics teaching and learning in urban communities, not by creating a few special enrichment or remediation programs, but by helping change the way school systems deliver mathematics, science and technology instruction to all students. The grant to the Collaborative, one of less than ten awarded nationally that year, was the only one made to an organization/university to serve multiple districts rather than directly to one school district.

Goals

El Paso USI was designed to support three key goals: 

• to engage all area students in the study of challenging, rich, high quality mathematics and science at every point in their schooling; 
• to dramatically turn around student achievement levels in mathematics and science among all students; and 
• to create a cooperative, unified system supporting all students toward high achievement.

Results

At the conclusion of its funding period, the El Paso USI provided clear evidence of its contribution to improving student achievement, and influencing changes in teacher and administrator practice across classrooms, schools and districts. By the end of the grant in 1999:

• Student achievement had improved significantly and the achievement gap had narrowed greatly, for example, more than twice the number of students passed all portions of the mathematics TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) in comparison to 1993.
• The number of area schools and districts identified by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as Recognized or Exemplary increased greatly (from 2 schools in ’93 to 76 schools in ’98).
• Enrollments and pass rates in college preparatory mathematics and science courses also rose greatly.
• El Paso USI contributed to much improved math/science teaching practices among teachers, including huge increases in the implementation of rigorous, standards-based curriculum and instruction.
• Administrator support and commitment for improving math/science teaching and learning for all students, via increased professional development for teachers and budgetary outlays for curriculum materials, also increased significantly.
• El Paso USI developed and implemented policies adopted by all three districts requiring that all high school students be enrolled in the college-preparatory Recommended High School Program as the default curriculum. (A similar action was taken by the Texas legislature and TEA, statewide, almost a decade later.)

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