OMSI in Atlanta Public Schools

The Office of Mathematics and Science Initiatives (OMSI)

Formerly the Atlanta Systemic Initiative (ASI)

The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) entered into a five-year cooperative agreement in 1998. The grant will end in August 2004. Beginning in the Fall 2004, all Mathematics and Science programs, and/or activities will fall under The Office of Mathematics and Science Initiatives (OMSI).

Mission

The Office of Mathematics and Science Initiatives' (OMSI) mission is to significantly improve student achievement in science and mathematics for every child in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS). We envision students who are active and creative problem-solvers, critical thinkers, reflective learners, confident and competent learners, and users of higher mathematics, science; and technology, and successful competitors in the global community.

The K-12 Mathematics and Science Programs support teachers and schools in achieving the system's mission and goals in these areas:

Frameworks - draft blueprints to guide the planning, design, development, alignment, implementation and maintenance of a standards-based mathematics and science curriculum based on the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS).

Curriculum - System-wide scope and sequences, essential skills checklists, and chapter alignments are provided for schools. The curriculum documents are coherent, comprehensive, aligned and articulated.
Instruction: Instructional staff provides support to improve researched-based instructional approaches (questioning strategies, inquiry/laboratory investigations) or "best practices," and the use of instructional models.
Assessment: Constructive use of state and national assessments, as well as, multiple assessments (portfolio, performance-based, paper-pencil, etc.) to inform teaching and learning.
Technology: Effective and appropriate use and the integration of technologies such as graphing calculators, probes, handheld computers, video, and internet are supported.
Professional Learning - Content and inquiry-based professional learning activities are job-embedded in professional learning communities, additional opportunities occur after school, on Super Saturdays, and online.

Enrichment - Activities for students include Science Olympiad, Math Counts, science and mathematics focused projects, Algebra camp, SMSEA, SECME, and Ben Carson Academy.

Standards Initiative

The Standards Initiative is designed to provide a common knowledge, skill base and structure for effectively planning and implementing standards-driven instructional practices throughout the district, enabling all teachers to develop quality work, aligned to teach the Georgia Performance Standards, while increasing the capacity of principals and central office instructional staff to provide quality support systems to enable all students to meet all standards at high levels of performance.

State Funded Programs

Georgia Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnership -

The MSP program is a partnership between the Georgia Institute of Technology's Center for Education Integrating Science Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) to advance the content knowledge, and content pedagogical skills of teachers of middle grades (4-8) mathematics and/or science through professional learning.

Georgia's Teacher Quality Higher Education Program is a federally funded program that is part of the No Child Left Behind Act and sponsored by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Atlanta Public Schools and Georgia Tech's CEISMC are partnering to increase achievement of APS students on the Advanced Placement (AP) AB Calculus exam.

National Funded Programs

PRISM - The Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM) was collaboratively developed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the Georgia Department of Education (DOE), colleges, universities and public school systems in four regions of the state. The massive reform initiative is being funded by a $34.6 million National Science Foundation grant over five years.

PRISM focuses resources on teacher education in two ways - through professional development of experienced teachers and the improved education of new teachers. PRISM emphasizes changes in science and mathematics educational practice at all levels of the four regional P-16 partnerships and works to transform state policies to help the regional and local reform efforts gain traction and expand.

G K-12 Emory PRISM - PRISM, the Problems and Research to Integrate Science and Mathematics program, offers annual fellowships to Emory University graduate students, undergraduates, and middle/high school teachers to develop and implement innovative curricula centered in problem-based learning (PBL) and investigative case-based learning (ICBL) pedagogy. Our Fellows form collaborative teams, infusing pre-college students with a compelling need to know by immersing them in real-world situations.

NTTI - PBA 30, in collaboration with Thirteen / WNET in New York, sponsors the National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI). Targeting teachers in the Atlanta community, NTTI is a year-long, collaborative professional development program designed to teach teachers how to integrate video and web-based technology resources in the classroom. Lessons are available on the PBA 30 web site: http://wabe.org/education/ntti/

Other Initiatives include:

NASA Grant

Partnerships

Georgia State University

Georgia Institute of Technology's CEISMC

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

Spelman College

Morehouse School of Medicine

Emory University

Clark Atlanta University

Kennesaw State University

Zoo Atlanta