NSF GK-12

NSF GK-12
Name	GK-12
Caption	Graduate fellows working with K–12 students
Established	1999
Administered by	National Science Foundation
Country	United States
Discipline	STEM

NSF GK-12 The GK-12 program was a National Science Foundation initiative that placed graduate fellows from research institutions into K–12 classrooms to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction. It sought to create partnerships among universities, school districts, and research institutions to connect graduate education at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University and University of Michigan with classroom practice in districts like New York City Department of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Chicago Public Schools. The program emphasized collaborative learning, professional development, and research-informed pedagogy involving organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and state departments of education.

Overview and Objectives

GK-12 aimed to achieve multiple objectives: improve student outcomes in elementary and secondary schools, provide graduate students from institutions like Columbia University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Chicago, and California Institute of Technology with communication and teaching skills, and foster sustained partnerships with local education agencies such as Boston Public Schools, Philadelphia School District, and Seattle Public Schools. By embedding fellows from universities including Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Wisconsin–Madison into classrooms, the program linked research activity at laboratories such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory with curricular goals tied to standards from agencies like National Research Council and initiatives referenced by organizations such as Achieve, Inc..

History and Development

The program was launched by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources at the National Science Foundation in 1999, following pilot projects and recommendations associated with reports from bodies like the National Science Board and the National Academy of Sciences. Early awards funded projects at universities including University of Texas at Austin, University of Florida, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, and Michigan State University. Over time, program solicitations and priority adjustments involved interplay with federal reports such as those from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and legislative contexts influenced by acts considered by the United States Congress.

Program Structure and Implementation

Typical GK-12 awards supported university-led teams comprising principal investigators from departments at institutions such as Duke University, Northwestern University, and Ohio State University, school district partners like Wake County Public School System, and partner organizations including museums like the Smithsonian Institution and science centers such as the Exploratorium. Graduate fellows from fields at places like Rutgers University and University of California, San Diego worked alongside classroom teachers in project-based learning guided by curricula aligned with frameworks from the Next Generation Science Standards movement and professional development models advocated by the National Science Teachers Association. Program components often included seminars, mentoring, assessment plans designed with input from evaluation firms and centers such as the Carnegie Mellon University,[ [RAND Corporation or university-based assessment groups.

Impact on Education and Research

Evaluations documented outcomes in partner districts such as increased inquiry-based lessons in classrooms served by programs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Colorado Boulder. Research outputs included dissertations, curriculum materials, and publications in journals and conference proceedings associated with organizations like the American Educational Research Association and the National Science Teachers Association. Alumni of GK-12 at universities including Pennsylvania State University and Washington University in St. Louis moved into careers in teaching at institutions like Boston Latin School or into STEM outreach roles at organizations such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

Funding, Administration, and Evaluation

Grants were competitive awards administered through NSF directorates, with budgets supporting stipends, materials, and institutional overhead at universities including Vanderbilt University, Indiana University Bloomington, and Arizona State University. Program evaluation relied on external evaluators and internal reporting aligned with measures promoted by the Institute of Education Sciences and consulting entities such as WestEd. Funding cycles and priority statements were subject to review by panels comprising experts from institutions such as Georgetown University and University of Virginia and were influenced by advisory input from bodies like the National Academies Committee on STEM education.

Notable Projects and Case Studies

Representative GK-12 projects included large-scale partnerships at University of Washington, site-focused initiatives at University of Hawaii at Manoa, and regional consortia involving institutions like Clemson University and Florida State University. Case studies highlighted collaborations with cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and community partners like Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Specific projects produced curricular units used in districts such as Denver Public Schools and evaluation reports disseminated through conferences including the Society for Research in Child Development and National Science Teachers Association annual meetings.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critiques of the program addressed sustainability concerns in districts like Rochester City School District and questions about scalability voiced by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Challenges included alignment with certification requirements overseen by state education agencies such as the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, management of university–school partnerships noted by scholars at Teachers College, Columbia University, and uneven evaluation metrics debated at forums like the American Educational Research Association.

Category:National Science Foundation programs