Project Profile: "SCALE"

SCALE (System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators) is a partnership involving two major educational research and development groups: the University of Wisconsin's Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) and the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC). Building on past collaborations, the partnership includes the Denver Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, Madison Metropolitan School District and the Providence Public Schools, as well as institutions of higher education whose preservice programs provide many new teachers to these districts.

SCALE encompasses the following five areas of work:

1. Implementing the best current mathematics and science programs system-wide;
2. Creating state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering and mathematics immersion projects and implementing them system-wide;
3. Reforming preservice and in-service STEM teacher education for teachers in the partner districts;
4. Creating mentoring and guidance experiences for middle and high school students, especially women and minorities; and
5. Implementing a comprehensive program of research and evaluation.

The partnership brings together mathematicians, scientists, social scientists, and education practitioners to build a whole new approach to reforming preK-12 mathematics and science education. The partnership seeks to improve the mathematics and science achievement of all students at all grade levels in the four partner school districts by engaging them in deep and authentic science and mathematics instructional experiences. The partnership is providing documentation of what works and information about how to construct such a partnership to a wide audience of policymakers and university and school leaders.