Welcome to the AMP-IT-UP project video, which highlights reflections by teachers and school system administrators about their experience with AMP-IT-UP middle school math, science and engineering curriculum materials.  We hope that you will check out the materials, which are the end product of a 7-year long MSP project.  The curriculum components are described at https://ampitup.gatech.edu/amp-it-brochure, and are available on our website for free download.  

Please get in touch with us about any questions.  We would love to work with you to bring the instructional materials to more teachers and students. 

We have very solid evidence in the form of state-level math and science test scores that randomly assigned students who take our middle school engineering course for two years have significantly higher math and science test scores compared with students who were not assigned to take the elective connections course.  And the students have higher levels of engagement and lower math and science anxiety.  Dr. Meltem Alemdar, AMP-IT-UP's research lead, can provide the details.

The AMP-IT-UP project in general is described in the 2017 Video Showcase at https://stemforall2017.videohall.com/presentations/948.   

Our mathematics modules were highlighted in the 2018 Video Showcase at https://stemforall2018.videohall.com/presentations/1119.  

We hope to have a lively discussion.

Marion

In my experience, once teachers see that a new approach or curriculum benefit their students, they roll up their sleeves and do what it takes! I find your video with classroom clips and teacher testimony invigorating. At this point in your project, what resources (time, materials, school support) are essential to prepare teachers to use AMP IT UP?

Sally

Sally,

Our one-week science and math modules, which provide teachers with scaffolded materials that promote 3D learning, are free for download from our website.  The zip files include all the student and teacher materials, videos, and links to some computer simulations.  Most modules have minimal materials requirements.  There are a couple of 7th grade math modules that require 3D printed parts.  The download includes the print file, so schools with 3D printers can print their own.  We are also setting up to provide those materials at cost to schools implementing the materials.  We are also willing to provide professional development on the materials to schools wanting to implement, at cost to cover our time.

The engineering course (STEM-Innovation and Design) materials are also free for download.  Those are 18-week courses, and are best implemented with some professional development.  There are equipment requirements for those courses, including a 3D printer and LEGO Mindstorm robots for the 8th grade course, and a set of pneumatic catapults for the 6th grade.  These materials can often be purchased with Perkins funds for Career and Technical Education programs.  

We are at the end of our grant period, so are working to put in place the infrastructure to continue to support dissemination and scaling of the materials.  We are interested in partnering with other programs and schools in that effort.

Marion

Hi Marion, I’m curious whether any of the study focus has gathered student insights throughout the intervention so as to have that data set to share with teachers and school administrators. Interesting program, and interested to learn more. Thanks for sharing in the showcase! - Dav

I am so impressed with this program.  It shows that giving students the opportunity for STEM increases their math/science test scores.  In the 5 years of your data showing significant increases on test scores, what part of this project do you feel attributes to that student success the most?  

Hi DeLene,

Thanks for your note.  We have not teased out causality with regards to the increase in test scores, but there are certain things we can surmise.  We are working with very low performing schools, where a majority of the students regularly score in the "beginning" level on their standardized tests.  The students who have been in our STEM-ID course during two of their middle school years show a marked movement from the "beginning" to the "developing" category.  The STEM-ID courses emphasize the engineering design process, foundational math skills, experimental design, and data analysis.  They don't, by and large, emphasize grade-level specific math and science skills.  My own view is that the power of the experience stems from the fact that it is a course, running in parallel to their core math and science, where the students have a safe and engaging opportunity to practice their foundational math and science skills to answer questions that interest them. They become more comfortable using math to answer questions, and are more comfortable with the science practices and the process of science and engineering.  We don't know whether the students "know" more of the actual content that is on the test, or whether they have gained the confidence to be able to actually try to engage with an exam question and try to answer it.  

Though we don't have independent confirmation of this from the state-level math exams, our math teachers report that they see much better student achievement in statistics-based content when they use our statistics-focused one-week modules.  Teachers report that for the first time, they have a compelling and meaningful way to teach about box-plots, random samples, measures of center, etc.  We would love for others to try them out.

Marion

Great video. This program is impressive in terms of educational delivery and impact. While you are at the end of the grant period, what is being done to disseminate this information to educators? In the above thread, you mention that many of these resources are readily available at no cost. What marketing strategies are in place to spread the word about this program?

Acacia,

The issue of sustainability and broad dissemination is one that we're very interested in.  Our original school system partner has written our materials into their core curriculum and we worked closely with them on a sustainability plan.  We are also working with a number of other school systems within Georgia, and one in Louisiana, that are interested in adopting our STEM-ID engineering course.  Through those efforts we have expanded STEM-ID from the initial 4 schools to about 30 this last year.  With the modules, we included them in a partnership with another local school system, so we are getting some traction.  However, this has all been done under the grant no-cost extension. 

This summer we have our first for-fee professional development workshops on the materials.  It is a challenge going from a model where the teachers are paid for participating in PD, to one where we expect to be paid. But we need to pay salaries  to keep people working on the project.  Our best marketing so far has been through our personal connections to people within the school systems and the state department of education.  Plus presentations at state and national conferences for teachers.  We are developers, not marketers, so there has been a learning curve.  

I think there is a big need at NSF to help with this transition.  It isn't a world where if you put it out there, they will come, even with really good data behind it.  We're optimistic, but haven't really figured it out yet.

Very encouraging.  I hope moving to a fee-based PD model, or something similar is successful.  Maybe some underwriting from tech sector partners?  I can see why the personal connections have been a help in spreading the word, clearly the teachers are on board!  I would love to see similar efforts aimed at basic science in marginalized communities with looming challenges; e.g., saltwater intrusion, subsidence, loss of coastal wetlands, brownfield redevelopment, watershed health.  

What do you see are your biggest challenges?  Have you come across any challenges which became key points of learning for you and your project?  

What great resources you've developed! Looking at your website, I like how clearly the modules are laid out from life sciences to physical sciences. What was your development process like to create the framework for the different modules? Did you begin creating modules in a particular area and then expand out from there?

What a great project. It is wonderful to see girls engaged in building and creating! What if any changes did you notice in their sense of agency or confidence?