L’Observateur / March 31, 1999

BATON ROUGE – In St. Charles Parish, K-12 students are developing deeperinterests in and understanding of math.

That’s an outcome of programs designed by the parish’s public school system to help students improve problem-solving skills through hands-on activities and to help students develop “number sense,” the ability to deduce answers to mathematical problems.

One such initiative, the Standards-Based Teaching Extension Program, or “Project STEP,” is receiving a $24,991 Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program (LaSIP) grant for the fiscal year beginning Aug. 1.Michele deBruler, administrative assistant at Luling Elementary School, directs the project, which focuses on standards-based reform of both teacher preparation opportunities and student performance assessments.

Throughout Louisiana, more than 750 Louisiana teachers are expected to participate in similar mathematics, science. and technology professionaldevelopment programs through 1999-2000 grants recently approved by the LaSIP Council.

Through funding from the National Science Foundation, the Louisiana Board of Regents. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and highereducation Eisenhower Funds, LaSIP has awarded nearly $4.1 million formathematics, science and technology enhancement projects developed by universities and schools for fiscal year 1999-2000.

Along with Gov. Mike Foster and state Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard, members of the LaSIP Council are the state’s National Science Foundation award-winning teacher, school and university administrators, business and labor leaders, legislators, representatives of education organizations and parent-teacher associations and Louisiana Board of Regents and BESE members.

BESE President Glenny Lee Buquet currently is LaSIP Council chair; Board of Regents member Frances Henry is vice chair; and Kerry Davidson, Board of Regents deputy commissioner for Sponsored Programs, is statewide LaSIP project director.

LaSIP is one of the nation’s few National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSIs). In fiscal year 1991-92, 10 statesreceived funding to initiate the nation’s first SSIs, including LaSIP. Of the 10original SSIs, only two remain, including LaSIP.

Since 1991, SSIs from 25 states and Puerto Rico have received NSF funding. Ofthese 26 SSIs, only eight, including LaSIP, have received funding from NSF to remain operative.

“LaSIP helps align governance, administration, programs, and funding for math and science reform in Louisiana,” Davidson says. “As an SSI, we want to ensurethere’s a unitary effort in state education reform. National, state, and localdollars, along with human resources, need to pull in the same direction,” he says.

For more information, visit the LaSIP website at www.lasip.state.la.us or callLaSIP at 225-922-0690.

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