This project will develop the Summer Mathematics and Science Courses for Elementary Teachers portion of the Minority Mathematics and Science Education Cooperative (MMSEC). These courses are the third phase of MMSEC's 3-year comprehensive training of elementary teachers in mathematics and science content and teaching methodology. When completed these courses will offer teacher university -level content courses in science and mathematics which will support earlier activities of academic year inservice workshops and summer trainers' institutes. These earlier programs provided teachers with strong, creative teaching methods based on hands-on inquiry learning and contextual knowledge and understanding needed to improve the deficient performance and classroom achievements of minority children. The eight Texas sites for this project --San Antonio, Ft. Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Nacogdoches, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Edinburg, and Laredo-- and the eight institutions of higher education -- Stephen Austin State University, Texas Christian University, University of Texas at San Antonio, Lamar University, University of Texas at Pan American, Laredo State University, University of Texas at Dallas, and Tarrant County Junior College -- along with the support of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board form a powerful partnership to improve the teaching of mathematics and science in predominantly minority schools. It is estimated that through this partnership 536 teachers will be educated and over 10,616 students will be reached indirectly.
