February 12, 2004

$2 Million NSF Grant Boosts RAMP-UP Math Education Program

The colleges of Engineering and Education at North Carolina State University now have a total of $2.5 million to launch a new program designed to strengthen the math skills of under-represented students in Wake County Public Schools.

Dr. Laura Bottomley (left) and Liz Parry seek to excite students about mathematics and engineering. (Photo: Kathi McBlief)

A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation was approved this week in support of North Carolina State University’s educational collaboration with Wake County Public Schools. The grant will help fund a new program called Recognizing Accelerated Math Potential in Under-Represented People (RAMP-UP), which seeks to raise interest and performance in math for women and minorities. The colleges of Engineering and Education at NC State launched the program last month with the help of a $500,000 grant from the GE Foundation.

“This additional funding will give the College of Engineering, in partnership with the College of Education, even greater power to develop unique ways to excite students about mathematics and engineering,” said Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering. “The NSF grant also paves the way for a new partnership with Shaw University,” Rajala noted.

RAMP-UP is designed to promote and facilitate the teaching of problem-solving and inquiry-based mathematics to children in grades K–12. The new program specifically targets under-represented students, giving them the foundation necessary to pursue careers in engineering or other math-based fields. The grant money will allow for pairs of students – including one from the College of Education and one from either the College of Engineering or Shaw University’s mathematics department – to visit each of the nine schools involved in the program and to customize an approach for teaching math lessons that have engineering implications.

Dr. Laura J. Bottomley, the principal investigator of the grant and director of the Women in Engineering and Outreach Programs in the College of Engineering, said that customization is critical. “Schools vary greatly in the ways they teach and in their specific needs,” she said. “This grant gives us a lot of flexibility for customizing our relationships with the different schools.” The approach, for example, might consist of RAMP-UP teams working with teachers to develop lesson plans, or directly tutoring a select group of students.

One elementary school, Bottomley noted, wants to look into alternative ways of defining and identifying mathematically talented students.  Wake County schools currently test elementary school students to identify those that are Academically Gifted, a label that can determine their future educational path, Bottomley explained. “But a lot of students don’t test well for whatever reason. You might say under-represented students are over-represented in this group.” A RAMP-UP team could help with this type of research.

While Wake County Public Schools do fairly well in student achievement in math, Bottomley said they suffer from a significant achievement gap in the performance of African American, Hispanic, Native American, disabled and at-risk students. This lack of achievement in math leads to the inability of these students to enroll in higher math classes in middle and high school, which eventually leads to their severe under-representation in freshman engineering and science classes. Grades 3–8 are especially important, she added. “During these years, students must develop a strong basis in math. They must also not develop a feeling of incompetence or a dislike of the subject. This early impression can have a great impact on their future.”

Bottomley, who will be recruiting approximately 32 students from NC State and Shaw to participate in the program, said she expects the application process for these paid positions to be very competitive. Participating teachers from each school also will receive extra-duty pay for their assistance in the planning and implementation of RAMP-UP goals.

Elizabeth Parry, a mechanical engineer and long-time collaborator with Bottomley, will serve as RAMP-UP program director. Dr. Karen F. Hollebrands, assistant professor in the math and science education department, will serve as the College of Education’s representative to the program.

The length of the NSF and GE Foundation grants, which are payable over five years, is designed to make a long-lasting impact on students and teachers – both in terms of measurable data and subjective impression. According to Bottomley, success of the program ultimately will be measured by the number of students that pursue higher-level math courses and by math scores on end-of-grade tests. She also hopes that the program will instill a new appreciation – in participating students and teachers alike – for inquiry-based instructional techniques and for engineering as a vehicle for learning mathematics in the K-12 classroom.

— pishney —

Participating Schools: Combs Elementary, Dillard Elementary, Fuller Elementary, Smith Elementary, Washington Elementary, Carnage Middle, Centennial Middle, Enloe High and Southeast Raleigh High.

For related story, visit www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/gifts/ge_ramp-up.html

Technical Contact: Dr. Laura J. Bottomley, 919-515-2315, laurab@eos.ncsu.edu
Media Contact: Jon Pishney, 919-515-3848, jon_pishney@ncsu.edu

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