STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

RMC Research offers materials and resources on Mathematics and Science instruction and assessment that help educators improve academic outcomes for all students in the content areas of Mathematics and Science. We also offer general information on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) that will support the increase in the number of students pursuing STEM fields in their academic studies and careers and improve preparation for the next generation of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and technicians.

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Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM): Catalyzing Change Amid the Confusion

This document offers an overview of the role of STEM in current educational improvement efforts. It offers a brief history of STEM initiatives and publications and attempts to capture important trends and dispel confusion over the goals and approaches of STEM initiatives.

Screening for Mathematics Difficulties in K-3 Students - Second Edition

This second edition of Screening for Mathematics Difficulties in K-3 Students which was originally published in 2007 updates the document with new research in the assessment field in developing valid and reliable screening measures for early mathematics difficulties.

Effective Science Instruction: What Does Research Tell Us? - Second Edition

This brief distills the research on science learning to inform a common vision of science instruction and describes the extent to which science education reflects this vision.

Identifying Professional Development Needs in Mathematics: A Planning Tool for Grades 3-7 - Second Edition

This resource identifies professional development needs specific to mathematics. It includes a series of guiding questions that help SEAs evaluate their existing programs and identify professional development activities that meet their needs.

An Introduction to Progress Monitoring in Mathematics

This professional development module, consisting of a PowerPoint presentation and a presenter's manual, discusses application of progress monitoring in mathematics at both the elementary and secondary grade levels.

A Summary of Nine Key Studies: Multi-Tier Intervention and Response to Interventions for Students Struggling in Mathematics

This summary of nine studies provides information about evidence-based practices for Tier 2 interventions and how to use RTI in mathematics.

CCSSO Professional Development Materials: A Navigation Guide

This brief guide provides assistance in exploring the large collection of professional development materials and resources available from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). This document supports improvements in professional development in mathematics for implementation of School Improvement Grants (SIG) requirements.

Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities or Difficulty Learning Mathematics: A Guide for Teachers

This guide for teachers is a companion piece to the meta-analysis from the Center on Instruction, Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities or Difficulty Learning Mathematics: A Synthesis of the Intervention Research.

Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities or Difficulty Learning Mathematics: A Synthesis of the Intervention Research

This meta-analysis synthesizes experimental and quasi-experimental research on instruction that enhances the mathematics performance of students in grades 1-12 with learning disabilities.

Curriculum-based Measurement in Mathematics: An Evidence-based Formative Assessment Procedure

This report describes M-CBM (Mathematics Curriculum-Based Measurement) including a brief history, basic procedures, implications for practice, and further resources. It also reviews the research that supports the use of M-CBM.

A Synopsis of a Synthesis of Empirical Research on Teaching Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students

This synopsis highlights key findings from a synthesis of research on interventions for struggling math students.

Phoenix Rising: Bringing the Common Core State Mathematics Standards to Life

In the fall 2011 edition of American Educator, Hung-si Wu describes the potential of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics.

Comparing the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics to the Recommendations of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

This brief describes the comparison between the Common Core State Standards and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel's (NMAP) recommendations found in Foundation for Success.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics - Appendix A: Designing High School Mathematics Courses Based on the Common Core State Standards

Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) document helps states think about how the high school CCSS might be organized into four Model Course Pathways in Mathematics that provide college and career readiness.

Progressions Documents for the Common Core Math Standards

These narrative documents describe the progression of a topic across a number of grade levels, informed both by research on children's cognitive development and by the logical structure of mathematics.

Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5

This report is an update of the work of the government and the private sector in K-12 science and technology education in the past five years since the original document was published.

Learning In and Out of School in Diverse Environments

This resource provides a rationale for the development of schools that prepare students for life-long learning that is life-wide and life-deep, using the racial, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic capital that students bring from their homes and communities to teach the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to be effective citizens in the United States and the world.

Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America's Future

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) prepared this September 2010 report to provide a two-pronged strategy for improving K-12 STEM education: prepare and inspire the next generation of students.

Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing Our Nation's Human Capital

This report explores ways to foster the development of the next generation of leading STEM professionals, entrepreneurs, and inventors.

Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments

Based on the National Research Council study "Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits", this book makes valuable research accessible to those frontline science educators working in informal settings outside school in museums, libraries, nature centers, after-school programs, amateur science clubs, and even during conversations at the dinner table.

Successful STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

This report from the NRC published in 2011 outlines criteria for identifying successful STEM schools and programs for the purpose of informing schools, districts, state and national policy makers about decisions made to improve K-12 STEM education.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas

This document, based on the research on teaching and learning science, provides the first step towards creating new standards in K-12 science education.

IRIS Module: RTI Mathematics

Developed by the IRIS center in association with the Tennessee State Personnel Development Grant, this professional development module describes a 3-Tier RTI framework as applied to mathematics.

Mathematical and Scientific Development in Early Childhood: A Workshop Summary

This resource provides a synopsis of the presentations and discussions by a group of scholars in early childhood development and education: Catherine Snow, Rochel Gelman, Sharon Kagan, Dough Clements, and others.

How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice

This resource provides a broad overview of research on learners and learning and on teachers and teaching.

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School

This resource provides a synthesis on the science of learning from a cognitive science perspective and principles for instructional designs and environments.

Ready, Set, SCIENCE! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms

This resource is a classroom-focused companion to the National Research Council's Taking Science to School report and serves to directly connect research-based knowledge of teaching and learning science with ways of supporting teacher practice in Grades K-8.

Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits

This report examines the potential of non-school settings (walking in the park, watching a sunrise, visiting a science center, zoo, or aquarium as after-school activities or through a local organization's program) for science learning and provides the research base for applying sound educational principals to a variety of informal science education settings.

Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8

This resource is an update to the previous round of National Research Council publications that redefine what it means to be proficient in science.

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER)

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER) at The University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to generating and disseminating empirically validated knowledge and practices to influence educators, researchers, policymakers, families, and other stakeholders who are striving to reduce academic, behavioral, and social risk in all learners, particularly those with disabilities.

Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten through 8th Grade

This practice guide presents five recommendations for educators to improve students' understanding of fractions through strategies to help younger children understand fraction concepts and older students understand the meaning of fractions.

Accommodations for English Language Learner Students: The Effect of Linguistic Modification of Math Test Item Sets

This study on math assessment accommodations found that simplifying the language on standardized math test items made it easier for ELLs to grasp math concepts.

The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009

This report presents results of the 2009 NAEP in mathematics at grades 4 and 8.

A Road Map for Mathematics Achievement for All Students: Findings from the National Mathematics Panel

This research brief from The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement at Learning Point Associates focuses on curricular content and instructional materials and learning processes and the recommendations for PK-12 education.

Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention for Elementary and Middle Schools

This guide provides eight recommendations designed to help teachers, principals, and administrators use Response to Intervention for the early detection, prevention, and support of students struggling with mathematics.

RTI and Math Instruction

This article addresses RTI implementation in mathematics.

Current Models for Evaluating Effectiveness of Teacher Professional Development: Recommendations to State Leaders from Leading Experts

This document summarizes the proceedings of a CCSSO conference in which leaders in the fields of research and evaluation of teacher professional development discussed how to use findings from research to develop quality, effective PD for teachers.

Math Education Practices for Students with Disabilities and Other Struggling Learners: Case Studies of Six Schools in two Northeast and Islands Region States

This report describes in-depth practices at six schools that are making targeted efforts to improve math education for students with disabilities and other struggling learners.

Performance Patterns for Students with Disabilities in Grade 4 Mathematics Education in New York State

This report describes the mathematics performance of 4th grade students with disabilities across schools categorized by need-to-resource capacity and compares their performance by school with that of general ed students across New York 2003-2005.

National Mathematics Panel Report

On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education.

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science

This practice guide from the National Center for Education Research, IES, is designed to formulate specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations that educators can use to encourage girls in the fields of math and science.

Supporting Teachers Who Are Implementing Student Progress Monitoring: A Guide for Administrators

This PowerPoint presentation from the National Center for Student Progress Monitoring 2006 Summer Institute discusses issues related to successfully implementing CBM at the school or district level, including administrative leadership and support for staff.

An Emerging Model: Three-tier Mathematics Intervention Model

This presentation describes one example of a multi-tiered intervention model for math K-2.

Effective Instructional Practices for Students with Difficulties in Mathematics: Findings from a Research Synthesis

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, provides a review of meta-analysis findings on effective instructional practices for elementary and middle school students in the delivery of mathematics instruction.

Progress Monitoring for Elementary Mathematics

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, provides an overview of progress monitoring systems that can be used to track student growth in elementary mathematics.

The Mathematics Teachers Need to Know

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, describes the critical content that teachers need to know and convey to their students to ensure successful math outcomes.

Principles of Effective Assessment for Screening and Progress Monitoring

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, reviews key principles for conducting screening and progress monitoring in mathematics with key examples of measures provided.

Pre-Algebra and Algebra Instruction and Assessments

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, describes assessments that can be used to determine students who are struggling with pre-algebra and algebra and monitor their progress towards acquiring knowledge in these areas.

Curriculum Focal Points for PreK-Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, provides a review of the the new NCTM focal points and the process of constructing the focal points.

Early Mathematics Assessment

This PowerPoint, presented at the November 13-14, 2006, Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points, provides a review of the advances made in screening kindergarten and first grade students for mathematics difficulty.

Reaching for Common Ground in K-12 Mathematics Education

During the past decade, debates have continued between mathematicians and math educators. This document represents an attempt to identify at least three fundamental positions upon which mathematicians and math educators may be able to agree.

Benchmarks for Science Literacy

This AAAS document complements the National Science Education Standards (NSES) in forming a comprehensive statement of what science students should know and be able to do.

How Students Learn -- Science in the Classroom: A Targeted Report for Teachers

This resource offers a strong research foundation for particular instructional methods along with a rich description of application of the research in real classroom settings.

Systems for State Science Assessment

This document is intended as a guide for states "in making decisions about assessment to meet NCLB requirements and in planning more broadly for assessment as a tool for supporting student learning."

Science for all Americans

This document makes explicit the essential topics and key concepts whose understanding are a part of everyday American life.

National Science Education Standards

The National Science Education Standards is one of the foundational documents in science education, defining what science students should know and be able to do to become educated citizens.

Webinar: Data Use and Common Core Planning in School Turnaround: Focus on Mathematics

This October 3, 2012, School Turnaround Learning Community (STLC) webinar examines data from one state's end-of-year assessment data in the area of fractions to learn how these data can be used to pinpoint areas for future proactive class-wide (Tier 1) intervention, how data distractors can be used to inform Tier 2 interventions for students who struggle to keep up with the class in mathematics, how one state is assisting elementary math specialists in transitioning to and implementation of the Common Core with a focus on research-based practices and policy-driven practices, and what resources improve mathematics teaching and learning.

Webinar: STEM: Catalyzing Change amid the Confusion

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar September 10, 2012, focused on its recently released document, "Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM): Catalyzing Change Amid the Confusion", which offers an overview of the role of STEM in current educational improvement efforts.

Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Russell Gersten and Brad Findell of the Center on Instruction presented "Implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" at a February 21, 2012, webinar co-sponsored with the Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center and the Alaska Comprehensive Center.

Webinar: Responsiveness-To-Intervention in Mathematics: Distinctions among Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar on February 7, 2012, on Responsiveness-To-Intervention in Mathematics: Distinctions among Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention, featuring Dr. Lynn Fuchs, who discussed a framework for conceptualizing RTI and outlined meaningful distinctions among primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in mathematics.

Webinar: RTI in Mathematics at the Secondary Level

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar on January 10, 2012, on RTI in Mathematics at the Secondary Level, featuring Dr. Takako Nomi from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and Dr. John Woodward of the School of Education at the University of Puget Sound.

STEM Overview - Nevada STEM Stakeholders Committee Statewide Meetings

The Center on Instruction's STEM staff recently met with the Nevada STEM Stakeholders Committee at two statewide meetings led by the Nevada Department of Education and the Southwest Regional Comprehensive Center.

Webinar: RTI in Mathematics: The Perspective from NCTM

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar on October 19, 2011, to discuss the recent position statement from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) on response to intervention (RTI).

Webinar: Exploring the New National Research Council's "Framework for K-12 Science Education"

The Center on Instruction held a webinar September 21, 2011, entitled “Exploring the New National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education, presented by COI-Science Director Craig Strang, along with Vanessa Lujan, and Lynn Barakos of the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California at Berkeley.

WebEx: The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in Grades 9-12

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar on June 29, 2011, featuring Fred Dillon, who provided on overview of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics in Grades 9-12, with a focus on the mathematical practices and five "strands".

WebEx: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics - What, How, When and How about YOU!

The Center on Instruction hosted a webinar on February 9, 2011, featuring Dr. Francis (Skip) Fennell who provided an overview of the Common Core State Standards and the intended impact on the field of mathematics.

WebEx: Recent Developments in Mathematics Progress Monitoring

The Center on Instruction hosted a WebEx on April 30, 2009, to discuss recent developments in mathematics progress monitoring.

Developing a Working Knowledge of the National Mathematics Panel Report

This conference, held December 10-11, 2008 in Long Beach, California, focused on the National Math Panel Final Report and ways RCCs can help states respond to its recommendations in the key areas of teacher content knowledge and RTI/algebra reading interventions.

WebEx: Research to Practice: Using the DWW Website to Develop PD Materials for Improving the Critical Foundations for Algebra

This webinar explored the Doing What Works website (http://dww.ed.gov/) which is designed for use in professional development at the district and school level.

Workshop: High Quality Science Instruction: Findings from Research

The Center on Instruction hosted a meeting in St. Louis, MO May 7-8, 2008, for RCC staff and state personnel to increase their understanding of, and ability to, support high quality science instruction.

WebEx: Algebra Readiness: Mathematics Interventions for Struggling Students in Grades 6-8

The Center on Instruction hosted a WebEx on April 2, 2008, presented by Brad Witzel and Russell Gersten, focused on the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in algebra.

WebEx: RTI in Math: An Introduction

The Center on Instruction hosted a WebEx on February 19, 2008, focused on the realities and benefits of using an RTI system for mathematics.

WebEx: The Use of Mathematics Specialists in Elementary School Mathematics Programs

The Center on Instruction held a WebEx on December 3, 2007, for RCC staff. Math experts Dr. Deborah Loewenberg Ball and Dr. Hung-Hsi Wu discussed the issue of the use of mathematics specialists in elementary school mathematics program.

WebEx: An Overview of Recently Released Math Resources: Screening for Mathematics Difficulties in K-3 Students, and Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) in Elementary Mathematics

The Center on Instruction hosted a WebEx on November 6, 2007, for Regional Comprehensive Center staff, to discuss two recently released math resources.

WebEx: A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Teaching Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students

The Center on Instruction held a WebEx on September 14, 2007, for Regional Comprehensive Center staff to highlight the recently released synopsis of the 2002 publication A Synthesis of Empirical Research on Teaching Mathematics to Low-Achieving Students.

Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points

The Center on Instruction, in conjunction with the New York Regional Comprehensive Center, hosted a Math Institute November 13-14, 2006, to introduce recently developed materials and to discuss how these PowerPoint presentations and tools can be used in work with states.