Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 4/13/00
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple 61

SOUTHEASTERN TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FUNDED BY LASIP
     HAMMOND   Three Southeastern Louisiana University programs targeting professional
development for elementary, middle and high school math and science teachers have been
funded by the Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program.
     Southeastern's Project Cypress, Prime Impact and Ma2th: Mathematics Accountability,
Assessment and Technology Enhancement are among 48 university- and school system-based
programs slated for approximately $3.96 million in LaSIP funding in 2000-2001.
     Funded for $140,000, Project Cypress uses the domain of ecology to bridge the gap
between scientists and K-8 science teachers. Ma2th and Prime Impact, which will each receive
$130,000, combine summer workshops for high school and K-8 math teachers with on-site
support during the school year.
     Ernie Simoneaux, site coordinator for Project CYPRESS, said the intensive five-week
institute will target 24 science teachers from Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Tammany and
Washington Parishes and the city of Bogalusa. Participating teachers can earn up to seven
graduate credit hours.
     Simoneaux said Project CYPRESS uses ecology in general, and wetlands ecology in
particular, to integrate physical, earth and life sciences. Project CYPRESS has received LaSIP
funding since 1994.
     Ma2th: Mathematics Accountability, Assessment and Technology Enhancement is a new
professional development project for high school mathematics teachers, said mathematics
professor Rebecca Muller. The project will work with teachers from Hammond High School and
Independence High School in Tangipahoa Parish and Franklinton High School, Varnado High
School and Pine High School in Washington Parish.
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SLU LASIP PROJECTS FUNDED   Add One
     Muller said Ma2th will use participating schools' LEAP and Iowa test scores to determine
areas of weakness in mathematics. Participating high school teachers will attend a 15-day project
at Southeastern geared toward assessment and complying with state and national standards.
During the school year, site coordinator Lou Schultz will serve as an on-the-spot expert for
individual teachers.
     Prime Impact, headed by teacher education professor Dolores Simoneaux, is designed to
improve mathematics education in grades K-8 in southeast Louisiana schools with low
performance. Twenty-six participants will attend a 12-day summer session and will be joined by
14 previously trained LaSIP teachers for the final seven days. All participants will meet for two
half-day and two full day in-services during the academic year, Simoneaux said.
     LaSIP was formed in 1991 with support from the National Science Foundation, the Board
of Regents, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. LaSIP began at the middle
school level and has since been expanded to all grades, raising the number of schools involved
from 391 in 1992 to 1,200 in 1999. According to LaSIP, more than 6,000 teachers, impacting
each of the state's 66 school districts, annually instruct some 300,000 students.
                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp00.htm