Math

The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) today announced the winners of its second annual All American Teacher of the Year Awards competition. The awards recognize outstanding math, science and English teachers in NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) for their contributions to their students and to the teaching profession. The 23 award winners will receive a cash award, and each teacher will be recognized at a special awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 2011.
“These teachers have demonstrated a total commitment to their students' academic growth,” said Tom Luce, CEO of NMSI. “Their efforts will help more of our nation’s young people succeed in school, work and life.”
The awards were given to one teacher each in Advanced Placement* math, science and English from seven states that participate in APTIP, along with two new awards this year: a teacher from a school participating in the Initiative for Military Families, which provides APTIP for students in schools that support military families, and a teacher from NMSI’s virtual AP program, Learning Power, in South Dakota.
Following are the 2011 All American Teacher of the Year Award winners:
Alabama
English: Susan Caraway, Clay Chalkville High School, Pinson, AL
Math: Matthew Massey, Buckhorn High School, New Market, AL
Science: Shani Forbes, Huffman High School, Birmingham, AL
Arkansas
English: Marsha Hudson, Rogers Heritage High School, Rogers, AR
Math: Brian Leonard, Lake Hamilton High School, Pearcy, AR
Science: Jason Walker, Russellville High School, Russellville, AR
Connecticut
English: Samuel Scheer, Windsor High School, Windsor, CT
Math: Kathleen Pointek, Windsor High School, Windsor, CT
Science: Joseph Mancino, Windsor High School, Windsor, CT
Kentucky
English: Amiee Cantrell-Webb, Johnson Central High School, Paintsville, KY
Math: Brian Sullivan, Henderson County High School, Henderson, KY
Science: Carlos Verdechia, Bryan Station High School, Lexington, KY
Massachusetts
English: Jennifer Clapp, Malden High School, Malden, MA
Math: Joseph Nystrom, South High Community, Worcester, MA
Science: Maureen Melanson, Methuen High School, Methuen, MA
Texas
English: Shirley Cooper, Lincoln High School, Dallas, TX
Math: Kathleen Murrell, J. Frank Dobie High School, Houston, TX
Science: Kyle Voge, W. Charles Akins High School, Austin, TX
Virginia
English: Ann Drew Gibbons, Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount, VA
Math: Benjamin Bazak, Patrick Henry High School, Roanoke, VA
Science: Jeffrey Steele, Liberty High School, Bedford, VA
South Dakota – Excellence in Online Teaching
Science: Jensi Kellogg-Andrus, Learning Power Online Program, South Dakota
Initiative for Military Families
English: Ashley Ashcraft, Harker Heights High School, Killeen, Texas (Fort Hood)
Teachers were able to nominate themselves or be nominated for the All American Teacher of the Year Awards by program content directors, board members from each state AP organization, school leaders, or colleagues. To be eligible, the candidates had to be a current AP math, science, or English classroom teacher in a public high school participating in the NMSI APTIP, the Initiative for Military Families, or in the virtual program; demonstrate positive results in APTIP; and demonstrate a commitment to teaching as a career and be an inspiring model of excellence to others. Nominations were reviewed by a NMSI judging committee of educators.

About NMSI: NMSI was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the United States’ troubling decline in math and science education. NMSI is focused on improving the American public school system by replicating programs nationally that have documented success: the AP Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to expand the number high school students mastering college-level Advanced Placement* courses, and UTeach, a program to recruit and prepare college students to become qualified math, science and computer science teachers. Founding sponsors for NMSI include Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
The APTIP approach currently is being implemented in 10 states: Arkansas, Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia. The UTeach program is being implemented by 22 universities across the United States and enrollment has tripled in the last three years.
About the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP): APTIP increases dramatically the performance of high school students in rigorous college-level courses in math, science, and English. The comprehensive APTIP approach increases teacher effectiveness and student achievement through content training, teacher and student support, vertical alignment of teachers, open enrollment, and incentives. Schools participating in the program for the last two years in six states showed a 97.7 percent increase in AP exams passed in math, science, and English, which is seven times the national average.
About the Initiative for Military Families (IMF): The IMF’s mission is to provide consistent, high-level math and science education in high schools serving military bases in the Unites States. The initiative brings college-level math and science courses to students through the Advanced Placement curriculum and provides continuity for students in that coursework when their families are transferred. The program was launched in the 2010-2011 school year in four public high schools: Ellison High School and Harker Heights High School, which serve Fort Hood in Texas, and Hopkinsville High School and Christian County High School, which serve Fort Campbell in Kentucky. In 2011, NMSI will expand this program to an additional 28 high schools serving students of military families.

Science Fair Projects

Science Fair Projects

An area nonprofit is hosting its first science fair in an attempt to get Montgomery students excited about science, technology, engineering and math.
The Freewill Community Development Corp. is hosting the event and the deadline for entries is Monday. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 21 at Carver High School.
Ruby Turner, a Freewill Community Development Corp. volunteer, said the organization decided to broach the idea of a fair because of a lack of student interest in science and math. Turner said the group hosts a tutoring program and students just weren't excited about those subjects.
"We want to stir up interest," Turner said. "They thought 'those are those boring classes.'"
In reality though, science and math are essential for students who want to become competitive in the 21st century.
Turner said many careers require in-depth science and math knowledge, and she wants students to know what is available to them.
"We want the children to begin to master a concept that will help them to succeed," she said.
The science fair supports the emphasis the school system has placed on science programs, Montgomery Superintendent Barbara Thompson said in a written statement.
Thompson also said such subject areas are key to students becoming successful in the future.
"As an educator, I know how important it is for students to have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math if we expect them to be competitive in college and the workforce," Thompson said. "Most high-demand, well-paying career fields require students with advanced skills and science brings together math and reading in a way makes sense for students."
Students who want to participate in Freewill's fair can submit projects in one of six categories: physical science, earth science, biological science, environmental science, math and computer science and engineering science. Only one project per student will be accepted.
Freewill Community Development Corp. will give out prizes to the winners ranging from $100 to $500 for first, second and third place winners. Scholarships will also be awarded to grand prize winners in the high school division.

Students will be required to demonstrate and explain their project to judges at the science fair. The competition is open to Montgomery Public Schools students in grades 3-12.
Turner said the fair can accommodate up to 75 participants and right now they are still looking for more students to enter. She said the group hopes to make the science fair an annual event.

AFMC

The All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) 2011 was delayed by a few hours on Sunday after the Uttar Pradesh STF informed the CBSE, which conducts the national-level examination, that the question paper had been leaked.

Uttar Pradesh Special DGP (Law and Order) Brij Lal told reporters that the leaked question paper was recovered by Special Task Force officials from Lucknow and that it was being sold for upto Rs 6 lakhs in the market.

The AIEEE is held in two parts. While the first paper is for Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) aspirants, the second paper is for students wanting to pursue Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch).

The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) postponed the first part to 12 noon from the scheduled 9.30 am start. The second part of the exam will be held from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi meanwhile told Zee News that those students who are also appearing for the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) examination, which is also being held today, will be allowed to appear for the AIEEE on May 8. The May 8 exam will be held at the same centre and the same admit card will be valid.

Joshi said those centres which are holding both the AIEEE as well as AFMC exams today can also choose to hold the AIEEE exam on May 8 at 9.30 am.

Meanwhile, the AFMC exam, which was originally scheduled to be held at 2.30 pm, has also been postponed and will now start at 4.30 pm.

UP STF’s Senior Superintendent of Police Vijay Prakash said they received a copy of the AIEEE question paper last night.

"We faxed the paper to the CBSE chairman and it was confirmed this morning that the paper was original one," he said.

He said that so far Bihar and Kanpur link have been traced and the STF was working on it.

Though sources said that some persons have been detained and raids were carried out, it was not confirmed by the police officials.

Around 12 lakh students across the country are writing the prestigious exam at over 1,600 centres in more than 80 cities.

It is for the first time that the AIEEE is also being held in the online mode. About one lakh candidates from 20 cities in India will take the examination online.

AIEEE is a passport to tens of thousands of seats into 30 National Institutes of Technology and close to 150 engineering colleges throughout the country.

AIEEE Paper Leak

AIEEE Paper Leak

The All India Engineering Entrance Examination question paper has been leaked, following which the exam was delayed by three hours on Sunday.The examination which was scheduled for 9:30 am on Sunday was rescheduled to begin at 12 noon on the same day. Sources say that the question paper was being sold in the open market in Lucknow.The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force has arrested one person in connection with the paper leak and are looking for further leads in the case.Vijay Prakash of STF Lucknow said, "We are trying to trace down two people who leaked the paper. We have the paper with us since last night."
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) examination which was rescheduled for 2:30 pm has now been scheduled for 4:30 pm on Sunday. For the students appearing in both AIEEE and AFMC examinations, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said, "Students who are appearing in AFMC Examination and also appearing in AIEEE can appear in AFMC as per schedule. For such students the CBSE will conduct another examination on May 8 at 9:30 am at the same centre with same Roll No."