NASA and Laying the Foundation Team Up to Transform STEM Education

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Oct 22, 2012, 06:00 ET

Partnership will create out-of-this-world math and science lessons for secondary teachers

DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Under a new Space Act Agreement (SAA), NASA and national teacher training program Laying the Foundation, a division of the National Math and Science Initiative, are joining forces to transform education for middle and high school students. By developing NASA mission-based lessons and targeting professional development opportunities among science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators, the two organizations aim to increase secondary students' college readiness and interest in STEM majors and careers.

NASA's Human Research Program Education Outreach (HRPEO), at NASA Johnson Space Center, and Laying the Foundation will collaborate to develop rigorous classroom-ready lessons using authentic NASA data. Over the last year, LTF math and science staff have served as external reviewers for HRPEO lessons, participated in "Geek Week" at Johnson Space Center, and developed plans for joint lesson development during the 2013 school year.*

The inquiry-based, real-world math and science activities being developed through the SAA will be used in LTF's teacher training program to provide teachers with more tools to promote critical thinking and build student interest in STEM careers. All lessons created under this agreement will be posted on the LTF and NASA websites, referenced in LTF's online teacher forums, and available for use by educators across the country.

As U.S. educational achievement in the fields of math and science continues to lag behind other countries, teachers, administrators, thought leaders, and politicians are calling for resources and attention to be diverted to a focus on STEM. The new collaboration between NASA and the National Math and Science Initiative's Laying the Foundation program, which has trained more than 50,000 teachers and administrators, presents more tools to help students, schools, and districts achieve new heights while vaulting STEM education to the forefront in America.

"There is no better way to increase America's passion for STEM subjects than to combine the irresistibly engaging lessons developed by LTF with the fascinating work from NASA scientists. Students win and this will truly transform learning in our schools," said Tom Luce, National Math and Science Initiative Board Chair.

About Laying the Foundation: Laying the Foundation, a division of the National Math and Science Initiative, is dedicated to providing content-based, pedagogy-driven, teacher-to-teacher training, supported by rigorous classroom-ready lessons and web-based resources to improve the quality of math, science, and English instruction. LTF has demonstrated dramatic increases in Advanced Placement** exam participation and success in STEM subjects. LTF believes that training, mentoring, and empowering the teacher corps will lead to high standards of academic excellence for all students.

*Videos showcasing collaboration: