The Vermont Statewide Systemic Initiative in Science, Math and Technology is a collaborative project between five sectors: education, business, higher education, government, and the community at large to increase the mathematics, science and technology performance of all students. In order to carry out this project, the Vermont State Board of Education and the Agency for Development and Community Affairs will jointly establish the Vermont Institute for Mathematics, Science and Technology. A two-pronged approach will couple school-based change efforts with state policy initiatives. Major components include: 1. A statewide Science/Mathematics/Technology (S/M/T) working curriculum framework to guide local curriculum development, professional development, and assessment. 2. Intensive professional development for teachers through summer institutes, year-round support and a variety of other professional development strategies. 3. Redesigning college science, mathematics and technology courses to strengthen practical training for new teachers, and developing alterative pathways for second career S/M/T teachers. 4. Developing a statewide, integrated strategy for Science/Mathematics/Technology performance assessments that build on Vermont's existing assessment of student work through mathematics and writing portfolios. 5. Creating a statewide S/M/T telecomputing network linking schools, representatives from business, and higher education.
