Institutions of higher education (IHEs) play an important role in mathematics and science education by offering undergraduate instruction, operating teacher training programs, and providing in-service training for K–12 teachers. The National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded System-wide Change for All Learners (SCALE) project sought to effect change in its partner IHEs by (a) improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education; (b) improving collaborations between STEM and education faculty on preservice programs; (c) improving collaborations between IHE faculty and K–12 districts on inservice training; and (d) improving the institutional policies and practices that support these activities. As part of the SCALE IHE case studies line of work, this paper provides findings on the effects of the SCALE project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW-Madison) between May 2004 and August 2007. This case study includes two interrelated accounts of SCALE activities: (a) a presentation of evaluation findings for each of the SCALE activities undertaken at UW-Madison and (b) an analysis of how specific aspects of the institutional context influenced SCALE activities.

The report is the culmination of 18 months of research and discussion on the important factors affecting K-12 student learning in mathematics. The 10 member task force responsible for the report was appointed by former Superintendent Art Rainwater and was composed of community, district, and university representatives. The task force was co-chaired by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor of Mathematics, Jim Lewis (who has been a leading figure nationally in mathematics education) and former Deputy Superintendent for Instruction at Los Angeles Unified School District, Merle Price (who now has appointments at UCLA and CSU Northridge). The report (with findings and recommendations) was delivered by the co-chairs to the MMSD Board of Education at their September 8, 2008 meeting.

As part of the SCALE IHE Case Studies line of work, this document provides findings on the effects of the SCALE project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) between March 2005 and August 2007. Case studies of two other SCALE IHEs—the California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison)— have been produced. A cross-case analysis of the three IHE case studies will present a diagnostic approach to evaluating STEM education interventions in complex organizations.

As originally proposed to NSF in April of 2002, the “System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators” (SCALE) Math Science Partnership does not rely upon an external evaluator. Instead, four lines of evaluation were proposed and pursued by a separate team for each: a) Building a Partnership under the leadership of Susan Millar, District Case studies under the leadership of Bill Clune, Targeted Studies originally under the leadership of Norman Webb and later replaced by Bruce King, and still later replaced by Eric Osthoff and Adam Gamoran and b) Indicators directed by Norman Webb and more recently joined by Jeff Watson.

The System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators Project (SCALE) was funded during the first round of MSP awards. It was recognized that the SCALE plan, as proposed, was complex, challenging and creative. The question in the minds of all was "How could an MSP so diverse with regard to types and sizes of school districts and IHE entities, geographic spread, and so ambitious in its goals, succeed?”

Students' performance on annual math and science assessments improved in almost every age group when their schools were involved in a program that partners K-12 teachers with their colleagues in higher education. While an earlier study tracked schools that began work in the first year of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Math and Science Partnership program (MSP), the most recent study followed more than 300 schools participating in partnerships that began to be funded during the program's second year.

The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes the development, implementation, and sustainability of exemplary partnerships to advance high-quality math and science education. The MSP Program anticipates that the partnerships will be instrumental in improving K-12 student achievement, as well as reducing achievement gaps among diverse student populations differentiated by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, or disability, a strategy advocated by Haycock et al. (1992). The importance of being partnership driven with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faculty engagement is apparent not only from the name of the program, but also in the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) decision to include it as one of the five "key features" of the program." To prepare for an assessment of MSP partnerships and to examine the start-up and implementation phase, this report provides "an overview of the relevant literature on partnerships, beginning with the basic and most noted definitions of partnerships, integrated with a discussion about the development of an evaluation framework.