PI: Ramirez, Graciela Together, Educating All in Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) is a project of the Laredo Independent School District supported by the community's two institutions of higher education, a professional organization and two local businesses to restructure the district's Pre-K-12 mathematics, science and communications program aimed at significantly increasing minority participation in the college-bound SEM pipeline. TEAMS will restructure the district's elementary organization, the K-12 mathematics, science and communications curriculum, instruction and staff development to produce a totally aligned educational system. The Laredo Independent School District is a minority-majority urban system in South Texas. About 98% of the students are minority, 98% Hispanic and 0.1 Asian. TEAMS will address the current low levels of Hispanic student participation and success on the SEM pipeline. Hispanic students, on average, score well below white students on college entrance exams, Advanced Placement exams and are much less likely to participate and be successful in advanced level mathematics and science courses. TEAMS is a system-wide initiative which will involve the 23,200 students in the district's 21 elementary, four middle, three high schools, and the Magnet School for Communications and Fine Arts. Consistent with the CPMSA goals, all the students in the district will benefit from an enriched curriculum, upgraded teacher skills, and student enhancement activities. This comprehensive project will systematically reform Pre-K-1 2 mathematics, science and communications programs to upgrade significantly the quality of education in order to increase successful minority (especially Hispanic) participation in the SEM pipeline.
