Dallas ISD Students To Visit Nasa Space Center

11 May 2010

The visit is part of a NASA grant awarded to Dallas ISD

DALLAS–Dallas Independent School District students will visit the NASA Space Center in Houston the weekend of Friday, May 21, and Saturday, May 22, as part of the $1.45 million federal grant awarded to Dallas ISD by NASA.

A Math, Science, and Technology Initiative has been implemented in the district and in a number of pre-school programs in Dallas, thanks to the NASA grant, which was secured by the Foundation for Community Empowerment.

During their visit to the NASA Space Center, students will participate in educational activities and tours with the purpose of engaging them more in mathematics, science, and technology. Students also will attend shows, dinner, and lunch

The Math, Science, and Technology Initiative provides increased educational opportunities in STEM disciplines both for teachers and students. The initiative is focused on scaling up proven STEM academic programs that lead to high academic achievement and college and career readiness. The program has two major goals:

• Support the implementation of successful mathematics and science teaching and curriculum development in the Dallas ISD and in selected Dallas pre-school programs.
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• Strengthen the technology infrastructure of the Dallas ISD to improve student-to-computer and teacher-to-computer ratios.

This project has four components:

• MathForward. Texas Instruments' MathForward program responds to a pressing need for middle school algebra readiness and high school algebra success while increasing teacher capacity for further gains. The program utilizes a combination of professional development, curriculum enhancement, and technology to engage students and teachers.
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• Science and Technology Initiative. Science teachers, teacher technologists, or librarians in participating schools receive specialized training focusing on the utilization of equipment and software or Web site links related to the science resource center.
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• Computer equipment for students and teachers. This project will purchase approximately 600 new computers for students and teachers and place them in libraries, science labs, science classrooms or Dallas pre-school classrooms, where they are needed most for the teaching of STEM subjects.
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  Dallas ISD Web Site. This is a web-based science repository to promote improved science teaching and student achievement in science.

The Math, Science and Technology Initiative addresses NASA's education goals directly in four ways. First, the initiative involves more Dallas ISD students in mathematics, science, and technology than ever before and in ways that are more engaging. Second, the initiative provides increased educational opportunities in STEM disciplines both for teachers and students. Third, the partnership between the Foundation for Community Empowerment, the Dallas ISD, Dallas pre-school programs, and NASA promotes STEM literacy and a greater awareness of NASA's mission and accomplishments. Finally, this initiative promotes diversity in NASA's education programs.

The program assists teachers with student-appropriate hands-on activities and other science curriculum resources that build students' confidence in learning science. Also, it immerses students in rigorous content that is challenging and that provides opportunities for continuous exploration of STEM and its applications from one grade to the next. Finally, it utilizes a feeder pattern alignment (Pre-Kinder through 12th grade) to build upon the level of the students' understanding and create opportunities for students to expand on their knowledge as they mature.

Students participating in the field trip attend the middle schools Pearl C. Anderson, Thomas A. Edison, Sam Tasby, and Maynard H. Jackson, and also Woodrow Wilson High School. A math or science and technology teacher from each campus was also selected to visit the space center. The science and technology teachers were selected based on the lesson plans submitted for a contest explaining how they would use the science Web site to enhance learning in schools. The math teachers selected participate in the MathForward program sponsored by Texas Instruments.

Students will depart to the NASA Space Center on Friday, May 21, at 9 a.m., from their respective schools.

"Dallas ISD principals and their teachers are no longer focusing on teaching to the test but rather creating academically challenging assignments that will better prepare students for college and the world of work. Dallas ISD has become an exemplar for urban schools as an effort based district that focuses on high achievement for all students."