Promising Reform In Science and Math Project PRISM (Promising Reform in Science and Math) is funded by the National Science Foundation (HRD 01-20884) and is a collaborative effort between Washington State University (WSU), the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Lewis-Clark State College, and seven public school districts including Grand Coulee Dam, Inchelium, Okanogan, Omak, Pullman, Spokane, and Wilbur.  The project is the result of a lengthy planning process between the collaborating entities.  The consensus from the planning meetings was to pursue the goal of increasing the success, especially in math and science, of all students, with particular attention to girls and American Indian Students.

Additionally, the consensus was to:

• Focus on faculty development in the high schools and universities,

• Center faculty development on gender, culture, pedagogy, and content,

• Develop local leadership to guarantee long-term change, and

• Facilitate cultural and career awareness among Native American students and the school districts serving them.

The project is funded for $886,505, from January 1, 2002 and runs through December 31, 2005. It has five major components including: Innovations Workshops, Summer Curriculum Institutes for Math and Science Teachers, a Gender, Culture, and Science Course, Cultural and Career Awareness, and Student Motivation Surveys.  Each component is described briefly below.

Innovations Workshops.  The workshops are offered to all teachers, counselors, and administrators during regular in-service days.  The focus of the workshops is to examine culture and gender issues in teaching and content, and to adapt this knowledge to individual classrooms.  Between and after the in-service sessions, support is provided for faculty learning communities within each building, with the objective of providing funds for resources and a forum for continuing the dialog.

Summer Curriculum Institutes for Math and Science Teachers.  The Institutes are one week long and are used to explore specific curricula and teaching methods in depth.  An emphasis is placed upon the process of adapting materials and methods to address culture and gender issues.  Each teacher has the time and resources to plan changes for her or his classroom. 

Gender, Culture, and Science Course.   The existing Gender, Culture, and Science course at WSU has been modified to be more relevant to science and math teachers and useful in their classrooms.  The revised course is offered most semesters to allow both pre-service and in-service teachers to participate.

Cultural and Career Awareness.  Cultural and career awareness programs are developed by members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and are presented at area schools.  A career guide that contains descriptions of local career opportunities and the educational backgrounds necessary to prepare for these positions has been published and distributed.  Field trips, classroom visits, and community service projects involving students and teachers with tribal professionals are being facilitated.

Student Survey on School Influences and Motivation.  The purpose of the student survey is to better understand student educational goals and to gather student opinions on what works well for students, as well as what gets in the way of learning.  The survey results are delivered to both the school districts and the CCT tribal representatives and interested community members.  Educators can utilize students' responses to guide their continuing work toward and educational environment that is centered on the students and that provides more gender and culturally relevant teaching, curriculum, advising, and administration.