The ESEP/Atlanta project is a joint effort of the Atlanta
Public Schools (APS) and the Elementary Science
Education Partners (ESEP).
ESEP is a consortium consisting of Emory
University, the Atlanta University Center (the Morehouse
School of Medicine, Spelman, Morehouse, Morris Brown
Colleges and Clark-Atlanta University), and Georgia State
University. The program is directed by the principal
investigator at the Emory University Medical School and
co-principal investigators at the Morehouse School of
Medicine, Georgia State University, and the Atlanta
Public Schools.
ESEP is responsible for the SKIL institutes to train
lead teachers, the organization and direction (along with
lead teachers) of workshops for the training of teachers,
and for all aspects (recruiting, training, matching, and
otherwise managing) of the science-partners program.
The ESEP efforts are funded by a 5-year, $5.7-million
grant from the National Science Foundation's Local
Systemic Teacher Enhancement Program and a 2-year
$114,500 Eisenhower Grant.
The APS is a city-wide system with 70
elementary schools (grades K-5) and 35,000
elementary-school children. It is responsible for all
other aspects of the implementation of the reform
program, including the purchase of curriculum materials,
the freeing of lead teachers for 10 school days/year, the
creation and operation of a materials support center,
providing substitute teachers for classroom teachers
during training workshops, and the development of
in-house capability to design performance-based
assessment materials.
Leadership. The principal investigator (PI) on
the NSF grant, who is also the project director, is
Robert DeHaan, the William P. Timmie Professor in the
Department of Cell Biology of the Emory University School
of Medicine. The co-PIs are Dr. Vernon Allwood, Director
of the Office of Community Relations and Student Affairs
of the Morehouse School of Medicine; Dr. Molly Weinburgh,
an assistant professor in the College of Education,
Georgia State University; and Dr. Benjamin O. Canada,
Superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools.
Integrating ESEP and APS efforts. The process
of integrating the efforts of the six undergraduate
campuses of ESEP with one another, with the two medical
schools, and with the efforts of the APS is complex. This
is accomplished by four committees with well-defined
responsibilities and some overlapping membership.
1. An Intercampus Working Committee with
representatives from all seven institutions and the
APS meets quarterly and is concerned with areas that
are the responsibility of ESEP. E-mail networks allow
rapid communication among the seven campuses.
2. An Executive Council comprising the PI, the
co-PIs, the assistant directors, and key staff
members meets weekly to monitor and adjust policy and
direction.
3. An APS-ESEP Coordinating Committee meets once a
month to deal with questions that arise concerning
administrative staff development and curriculum
policy. Members include the APS assistant
superintendent for instruction, science coordinator,
a special assistant to the superintendent, and the
core evaluator from the APS, as well as the co-PIs
and selected members of the ESEP Executive Council.
4. Within the APS, there is a Superintendent's
Cabinet, two members of which attend the APS-ESEP
Coordinating Committee meetings.
Staff. The grant also supports the following
staff:
- At the Emory central office, an assistant
director, a project manager, a staff development
coordinator, and a half-time secretary.
- At GSU, the assistant director for Participatory
Reform and a half-time liaison coordinator.
- At each of the four AUC campuses, a faculty
member who serves as a liaison coordinator for
the science partner recruiting effort at that
campus.
- At the Morehouse School of Medicine office (which
provides the direction and integration of the AUC
effort), a project manager, a liaison
coordinator, and a secretary.
- At the APS Department of Research and Evaluation,
a full-time evaluator.
- At a nearby APS warehouse building, the science
materials coordinator and an assistant to manage
the Science Materials Support Center.
Contact Information
Information on ESEP/Atlanta can be obtained from
-
- Elementary Science Education Partners
(ESEP)
- Emory University Medical School
- 575 Rollins Way
- Atlanta, GA 30322
-
- 404-727-3000
- FAX: 404-727-3051
- e-mail:rld@anatomy.emory.edu
