Lessons Learned from Research on Systemic Reform brought together in a Fall 2004 conference people who generate and use research on large-scale improvement efforts in mathematics and science education. The project summarized the findings, and identified implications, from research on systemic reform.

Under a grant with NSF, HRI conducted a technical assistance design study for Incorporating High Quality Interventions into a Broader Strategy for Sustained Mathematics/Science Education Reform. The design for technical assistance targeted leadership teams of NSF's Mathematics and Science Partnerships.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) contracted with HRI to provide technical assistance in evaluation to the Science Linkages in the Community Project, a program designed to increase the capacity of community-based organizations to support improved science, mathematics, and technology education.

The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast and Islands subcontracted with HRI to provide support on evaluation methodology in surveys and case studies for the Department of Energy Science Education Program.

NSF provided funding for HRI to develop a guide for cities participating in the Urban Systemic Initiatives (USI) program. This guide is designed to assist cities during the planning process as they develop an implementation plan for improving mathematics, science, and technology education.

HRI provided technical assistance in the evaluation of Hofstra University's Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Elementary School project.

The Dissemination of Information on Science and Mathematics Education (DISSEM) project, funded by NSF, sought to keep national and state educators and policymakers informed of data relating to science and mathematics education. HRI produced four volumes of The Science and Mathematics Education Briefing Book. Tables, graphs, and descriptive narratives on teachers, curriculum and instruction, student attitudes and experiences, national and international proficiency, student participation, and demographics are included in the Briefing Books.

NSF provided funding for HRI to hold a Conference on Systemic Reform for Principal Investigators and others involved in the statewide systemic initiatives to discuss Lessons Learned.

HRI advised WestEd in the Design for Professional Development project to develop a series of videotapes and supporting print materials that illustrate effective professional development for teachers of mathematics and science.

Research on NSF Programs included a study of 50 "exemplary" teacher enhancement projects to provide information about effective policies and practices. HRI also conducted a study of approximately 30 Instructional Materials Development projects to provide information about strategies used to disseminate the materials developed with recommendations to NSF on how dissemination practices might be improved.

RAND contracted with HRI to develop and validate instruments for their MOSAIC of Evaluation of Systemic Reform Initiatives.

NSF provided funding to HRI for the 1993 and 2000 National Surveys of Science and Mathematics Education, which involved surveying teachers of science and mathematics about science and mathematics course offerings and enrollments; teacher qualifications; textbook usage; instructional techniques; and use of science and mathematics facilities and equipment.

NSF provided funding for the Inside the Classroom observation study, which involved over 350 observations of science and mathematics lessons nationally. The study was designed to complement the information provided by the 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education by describing factors that may have affected the selection of topics, instructional materials, and instructional strategies for science and mathematics lessons and how the lessons played out in the classroom.

HRI collaborated with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research on a study of the Impact of State Systemic Initiatives and the sustainability of the reforms.

NCTM supported a survey of K-12 mathematics teachers, state mathematics supervisors, and other key mathematics educators to investigate the extent of Implementation of the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation and Professional Teaching Standards.

NSF contracted with HRI to develop a common evaluation system and provide technical assistance in evaluation to projects funded under its LSC project. The primary goal was to improve instruction in science, mathematics, and technology through teacher professional development. The system included observations of classrooms and professional development activities, as well as questionnaires and interviews.

HRI served as the external evaluator for The American Physiological Society's (APS) Local Site Model program which focused on the development of professional development outreach models for biomedical universities. The model included the development of Local Site Teams of teachers and researchers in the biomedical field, those teams developed long-term relationships with local school systems and provided ongoing professional development for science teachers supported by APS instructional materials.

Under a subcontract, HRI evaluated the National Science Teachers Association's E-Mentoring for Student Success program which trained experienced teachers to do content-based mentoring with new science and mathematics teachers.

HRI served as the evaluator for University of Rochester's Deepening Everyone's Mathematics Content Knowledge: Mathematicians, Teachers, Parents, Students, and Community project, in which a partnership trained elementary and secondary in-service and pre-service teachers in standards-based mathematics education and the implementation of standards-based mathematics curricula.

HRI is evaluated San Diego State University's Constructing Ideas in Physical Science Professional Development materials created to accompany curriculum for physical science in the middle grades.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science's Center for Learning and Teaching with a Focus on Research for Developing Instructional Materials in Science: Center for Instructional Materials in Science conducts research, prepares doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, and develops pre-service and in-service educator training to improve national leadership and infrastructure for developing, implementing, analyzing, and evaluating curriculum. HRI served as the external evaluator of the Center.

HRI evaluated Teacher Retention and Renewal through Visualization and Immersive Technologies in Rural Education (REVITALISE), a program designed to train teachers in the use of scientific visualization applications.

HRI served as evaluator for Indiana Mathematics Initiative Partnership, which provided comprehensive professional development for leadership cadres of teachers and principals. The project addressed the pre-service preparation of elementary and high school teachers to enhance the ability of districts to attract and retain qualified mathematics teachers.

HRI conducted an evaluation of National Teachers Enhancement Network for Elementary Teachers, which offered six-week science courses to elementary teachers via the Internet.

HRI has served as the external evaluator for six sites (Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina) in the implementation of their Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) for improving science and mathematics education.

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) contracted with HRI to provide an external evaluation of Physics Teaching Resource Agent (PTRA)-Plus, a program designed to train superior physics teachers nationwide in giving workshops for under-prepared physics and physical science teachers and its successor, the Urban Physics Teaching Resource Agent program. AAPT also contracted with HRI to provide an external evaluation of Powerful Ideas in Physical Science, a program designed to reform undergraduate physics instruction for elementary education majors.

The American Physiological Society subcontracted with HRI for evaluation services in their Frontiers in Physiology: Enhancement Program for Teachers. Other teacher enhancement projects evaluated by HRI include the University of South Carolina's Teachers Leading Teachers, the University of North Carolina's Leadership Network for Earth Science Teachers, Georgia Institute of Technology's Georgia Internships for Teachers, the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Science's Using the Outdoors to Teach Experiential Science and North Carolina State University's Technology Outreach for Rural Middle School Teachers.

NSTA contracted with HRI for the documentation and evaluation of the Scope, Sequence and Coordination (SSC) project, a new approach to teaching secondary science. HRI documented the planning and implementation of this reform, both at the national level and in pilot sites in California, Iowa, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Texas.

The National Science Teachers Association contracted with HRI to provide an external evaluation of WebWatchers, a program aimed at helping science educators learn how to find and evaluate Internet resources on the Web, link them to the National Science Education Standards, and use them effectively in K-12 science instruction.

HRI evaluated a major project of the Education Development Center to provide technical assistance to 22 urban districts embarking on district-wide reform in elementary science.

Wake Forest University contracted with HRI to supplement the internal evaluation of its GET SET, GO project, an NSF-funded experimental project to increase the participation and achievement of girls in science.

Montana State University contracted with HRI to conduct an evaluation of their National Teachers Enhancement Network, a project in which secondary science teachers complete college courses by telecommunications.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund contracted with HRI to evaluate the Student Science Enrichment Program, a set of projects for middle and high school students aimed at nurturing students' enthusiasm about science, exposing them to scientific discovery, and encouraging them to pursue careers in science.

The Montgomery County School System's Maryland Virtual High School of Science and Mathematics contracted with HRI for external evaluation of their program, which linked a dozen Maryland high schools in a wide-area high-speed computer network to supplement science and mathematics instruction with collaborative computational science curricula.

The Concord Consortium contracted with HRI to evaluate the International Netcourse Teacher Enhancement Coalition project. The project's goal is to increase the use of student investigation in science and mathematics at the middle and high school levels by offering an Internet-based course to teachers in districts involved in systemic reform.

HRI was the external evaluator for Collaborations to Advance Understanding of Science and Ethics, which aimed to enhance secondary school bioethics education and to expand opportunities for scientists to communicate their work to the public.

HRI evaluated Mathematics and Science Synergy, funded under NSF's Urban Systemic Program, to improve K-12 mathematics and science education.

HRI provided the evaluation of Rural Physics Teaching Resource Agent, a program designed to train physics teachers nationwide in giving workshops for under-prepared physics and physical science teachers in rural areas.