Math and Science Partnership
2002 - present

The El Paso Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) was funded by a five-year, $26.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant continued to advance efforts initiated under the Urban Systemic Program. MSP brought together the region’s 12 school districts and our institutions of higher learning – University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC) - to ensure that opportunities to succeed in math and science are available to all El Paso students at every level of the curriculum, K-16. MSP was aimed at improving student achievement in mathematics and science among all students, at all K-12 levels and significantly reducing the achievement gaps among groups of students, region-wide.

The program goals for the El Paso MSP included:

  • strengthening relationships among postsecondary leaders, disciplinary faculty in math and science, and K-12 MSP partners;
  • fully engaging university and community college leadership and mathematics, science, engineering and education faculty in working toward significantly improved K-12 math/science student achievement;
  • utilizing the expertise of postsecondary math and science faculty to deepen teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge;
  • building leadership and instructional capacity to sustain quality math and science teaching and learning across MSP districts;
  • ensuring the number, quality and diversity of K-12 mathematics and science teachers across our schools, particularly in schools with the greatest needs;
  • building the capacity of area districts and schools to provide the highest quality curriculum, instruction and assessment and ensure the highest level achievement in mathematics and science among every single student;
  • ensuring the alignment of mathematics and science curriculum, instruction and assessment, K-16, to the highest national standards such that students graduating from area high schools are prepared to enroll and be successful in mathematics, science and engineering courses at UTEP and El Paso Community College;
  • establishing policies and procedures that improve student readiness for and success in college; and
  • prioritizing research on educational reform and identifying critical elements in K-12 and postsecondary systemic improvement effort.

Each year, the work of the El Paso MSP produced important gains in school improvement and student achievement. Among the most significant achievements seen over the last year are the following:

  • significant increases in the percent of students passing TAKS Mathematics at each grade level, with the greatest increases occurring at the middle and high school levels;
  • significant increases in the percent of students passing TAKS Science at each grade level tested;
  • continuing increases in the proportion of secondary students passing college preparatory mathematics and science courses;
  • district-wide administration of the El Paso MSP Algebra II End-of-Course Examination toward ensuring implementation of high quality, standards based Algebra curricula;
  • creation of an intensive effort to increase the numbers of UTEP mathematics, science and engineering faculty members prioritizing and engaged in K-16 math/science improvement and research efforts;
  • establishment of the El Paso T-STEM Center to enable the continuation of the MSP work K-16; and
  • evidence of institutionalization of MSP goals and priorities at UTEP, EPCC, and across K-12 school districts.

El Paso MSP Tools and Materials:

  • Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Tools
    El Paso MSP, in partnership with the Merck Institute for Science Education, developed these tools as guides for focusing on the most common problem areas in middle school math and science. The purpose of the tools is to provide coaches and teachers with increased capacity for diagnosing student misconceptions and suggesting interventions. The math tools address the following: graphs, rational numbers, central tendency, control of variables, division, and symbolic representation. The science tools address the following: energy and motion, measurement in science, food chain, optics; electricity, and density.
  • K-16 Math and Science Curriculum Alignment Frameworks
    The frameworks are tools that provide math and science teachers detailed information about the content that students must be taught at K through 8, and high school in order to ensure success in rigorous math/science courses. They are intended to assist teachers in knowing how math and science content needs to be taught in order for students to understand at deep conceptual levels. Using a matrix structure, content is mapped to cognitive demand levels as well as to state and national standards. The mapping of math and science concepts or topics to cognitive demands describes content knowledge that will not only be memorized, but also understood, represented, organized, connected and structured in ways that facilitate retrieval and application of knowledge. The set of math frameworks included are: K through 8 mathematics, algebra I, geometry, algebra II, and pre-calculus. The set of science frameworks included are: K through 8 science, biology, chemistry, and physics.
  • The El Paso MSP Classroom Observation Protocol
    The mathematics and science teaching and learning observation protocol is a non-evaluative tool that supports school administrators to confidently observe mathematics and science classrooms and initiate conversations around issues of practice specifically related to content.

For more information on the MSP program, view the MSP annual report.