#97-67
Mailed 6/25/97

MEDIA ADVISORY: JULY 7 KICKOFF AT BNL
FOR NY MATH, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY TEACHING INITIATIVE

EVENT: Kickoff event for a new statewide initiative to improve and integrate the teaching of mathematics, science and technology in New York State elementary schools.

WHEN: Monday, July 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
New York State Education Department Commissioner Richard P. Mills
will give a keynote address on the new initiative at 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Berkner Hall

DETAILS: The New York State Education Department has launched a $7.2 million, five-year project to reform and integrate the teaching of mathematics, science and technology in elementary schools. Known as MSTe, for "Integrating Mathematics, Science and Technology in the Elementary School," the project is funded by $4 million from the National Science Foundation and $3.2 million from project partners Brookhaven National Laboratory, Hofstra University, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, the New York State Education Department, the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, 20 New York school districts, and materials developers.

In the first phase of the initiative, 20 teacher teams from 15 school districts on Long Island, four from New York City and three from Orange County will participate in a four-week summer workshop, July 7-August 2, dividing their time among the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, Hofstra University and Brookhaven National Laboratory. (See back of page for a complete list of participating schools.) The workshop, led by expert staff developers and recognized leaders in the education reform movement, will focus on MSTe standards and leadership development. After participating in a second-year SUNY Stony Brook/Hofstra/ Brookhaven summer workshop, each team will begin conducting a series of academic-year meetings and summer workshops for elementary teachers in their own districts, assisted by the sponsoring institutions. The project will eventually encompass more than 1,200 teachers in New York State, including 800 from Long Island.


Due to space limitations, the event is not open to the general public. If media are interested in attending the event, please call the Public Affairs Office at
(516) 344-2345.

MSTe PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Nassau County

Long Beach
Mineola
Oceanside
Oyster Bay
Plainview-Old Bethpage
Syosset
Uniondale

Suffolk County

Copiague
South Huntington
Northport-East Northport
Smithtown
Longwood
Patchogue-Medford
Westhampton Beach/Mount Sinai

New York City

Manhattan Community School District 6
Bronx Community School District 10
Brooklyn Community School District 16
Queens Community School District 30

Orange/Ulster Counties

Pine Bush Central
Minisink Valley/Monroe-Woodbury

SCHEDULE

Summer 1997 Teacher Enhancement Workshop, MSTe Project

Monday, July 7, 1997

Brookhaven National Laboratory

8:30 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Welcoming Remarks and Introductions
Michael Hacker, Executive Director, MSTe Project,
New York State Education Department
Karl Swyler, Head, Office of Educational Programs,
Brookhaven National Laboratory

9:15 a.m. MSTe in the Context of New York State Reform
Richard Jones, Director of New York State Systemic Initiative,
New York State Education Department

9:35 a.m. Introduction to MSTe Activity
Jacqueline Grennon Brooks,
MSTe Co-Investigator;
Technology and Society Program,
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Thomas Liao, MSTe Co-Director;
Technology and Society Program,
State University of New York at Stony Brook

9:45 a.m. MSTe Breakout Sessions (Purpose: To model the training that will be ongoing during the four-seek teacher enhancement workshop.)

10:45 a.m. Coffee Break

11:00 a.m. Debriefing in small groups: Implications for MSTe Integration

11:45 a.m. Administrators' Meeting with
New York State Commissioner of Education Richard P. Mills
Leadership teams meet with principal investigators by district

12:30 p.m. Luncheon and Keynote Address
Commissioner Richard P. Mills

2:00 p.m. Book Discussion
Dava Sobel, author of Longitude (Penguin Books)
will discuss how mathematics, science and technology merged in creating navigational technology.

3:30 p.m. Teams meet as two groups for logistical details

4:00 p.m. End of Meeting