2013-2014 Maine PSP Cohort Application

The Maine Physical Sciences Partnership is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2013-2014 MainePSP Cohort, targeting grades 6-8.  Cohort participants will have access to $7000 worth of hands-on science instructional resources, online support, professional development opportunities, and a professional learning community of teachers, administrators, university faculty and staff, pre-service teachers, and non-profit partners.  Applications for existing partners are due February 15, 2013.

Background:
The Maine Physical Science Partnership (http://umaine.edu/mainepsp/), supported by a $12.3M grant from the National Science Foundation, seeks to understand and improve the teaching and learning of the physical sciences in grades 6-9 in rural environments.  In 2010-2011, a task force comprised of middle and high school teachers, university faculty and graduate students evaluated and selected two sets of instructional resources for middle school physical science classrooms.  In 2011-2012, a taskforce followed the same process to evaluate and select grade 9 resources. The 2011-2012 MainePSP Cohort, a community of twenty-three teachers from eleven schools, piloted these instructional resources in their classrooms in partnership with faculty, staff and students from the University of Maine, contributing to research on the effective teaching and learning of physical science. In 2012-2013, another cohort of teachers joined the Maine PSP community, bringing our community size to 44 teachers from 30 schools across 12 districts.

Eligibility:
We are currently seeking applications for participants for the 2013-2014 school year.  The SEPUP instructional resources address earth science and chemistry, and are typically implemented in 6th grade classrooms.  The PBIS instructional resources address force & motion and energy, and are typically implemented in 8th grade classrooms.  The modified EarthComm instructional resources focus on global climate change and astronomy.  We are accepting applications from all MainePSP partnering districts and regions (http://umaine.edu/mainepsp/about-2/members/), including Penobscot River Educational Partnership member schools, Downeast Educational Partnership Member schools, AOS 91, and RSU 20.  This year, we are also accepting applications for new partner districts. Please see instructions below for more information.

How to Apply:
Applications should be completed at the district or regional level and submitted by Curriculum Directors/Curriculum Coordinators.  Teachers or school administrators who are interested in participating should contact their Curriculum Coordinator or equivalent.

Application Instructions – Existing Partners:
Please read and/or complete the attached documents, which are described below.

1. 2013-2014 MainePSP Application – Existing Partners (Action: Complete) – This editable document will allow curriculum coordinators to plan and propose their district’s involvement in the MainePSP.  Only one application should be submitted for your district, and it should include all participating schools/teachers.
2. 2013-2014 MainePSP Memorandum of Understanding (Action: Read) – This document outlines the responsibilities and expectations for all parties involved in the Partnership.  It is important that all teachers and administrators represented in the application read and understand this document.  At this time, this document should not to be signed or submitted.

• MainePSP 2013-2014 Application – Existing Partners (editable Word document) (.pdf)
• 2013-2014 MainePSP Memorandum of Understanding
• MainePSP Frequently Asked Questions

Application Instructions – New Partner Districts:
Please read and/or complete the attached documents, which are described below.  
New Partner Applications are due Friday, March 1, 2013.

1. 2013-2014 MainePSP Application – New Partner Districts (Action: Complete) – This editable document will allow curriculum coordinators to plan and propose their district’s involvement in the MainePSP.  Only one application should be submitted for your district, and it should include all participating schools/teachers.
2. 2013-2014 MainePSP Memorandum of Understanding (Action: Read) – This document outlines the responsibilities and expectations for all parties involved in the Partnership.  It is important that all teachers and administrators represented in the application read and understand this document.  At this time, this document should not to be signed or submitted.

• MainePSP 2013-2014 Application-New Partners (editable Word document)  (.pdf)
• 2013-2014 MainePSP Memorandum of Understanding
• MainePSP Frequently Asked Questions

This is an exciting time for the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership.  We thank you for your support, and look forward to another year of collaboration and growth.  Please contact Erika Allison at erika.allison@maine.edu or (207) 581-4674 with any questions about the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership or the application process.