See Learning in a Whole New Light

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See Learning in a Whole New Light
Diane D. DeTroye Acting Manager, Space Grant
EPSCOR Higher Education Division October 2003
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Agenda

• Office of Education Organization Chart
• Update on Pathfinder Initiatives
• Office of Education Program Review (April
  2003)
• Space Grant and EPSCoR results and implications
• Dr. Lostons visits to the field

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Enterprise Organization
Office of Education Code N
TBN
Dr.
Adena
Williams
Loston
Education Advisory Council
Associate Administrator
Angela Phillips
Diaz
Deputy Associate Administrator
Frank C. Owens
Liaisons
Senior Policy Advisor
Astronaut
Public Affairs
Legislative Affairs
Diane Bray (Acting)
Equal Opportunity
Dr. Clifford Houston
AAA for
Human Resources
Organizational Effectiveness
Legal Affairs
Deputy Associate Administrator
Accountability
Center Education
DAA for Education Programs
Directors
Dr. Shelley
Canright
Debbie Brown Biggs (Acting)
Technology
Products Office
Flight Projects Office
James Stofan
TBN
TBN
Dr. Carl Person
Elem. Secondary
Informal
Higher
Minority
Education Division
Education Division
Education Division
University Programs
Bonnie McClain
William Anderson
Dr. Ming Ying Wei
Dr. Jeffrey
Rosendhal
Melvin
DeGree
Biological Physical
Aerospace Technology
Earth Science Education
Space Science Education
Space Flight Education
Research Education
Education
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Pathfinder Initiative Educator Astronaut
(Pipeline)

• Recruitment Results
• Over 8881 nominations, produced over 4801
  nominees
• Recruitment efforts resulted in over 1685 resume
  submissions
• Earth Crew
• Over 1,600 Teams include over 28,000 members
• Over 1,121 Earth Crew mission submissions
• Whats Next?
• Continue with Educator Astronaut selection
  process
• Shift program focus from recruitment to engaging
  the next generation of explorers via the Earth
  Crew

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Pathfinder Initiative NASA Explorer Schools
(Pipeline)

• Provide opportunities to students to explore STEM
  and geography
• Provide sustained professional development and
  access to NASA tools and application
• Build strong family involvement components

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Pathfinder Initiative NASA Explorer Schools
(Pipeline)

• Program Elements
• Customized professional development over 3 years
  incorporates NASA education programs
• 50 teams selected, representing primarily
  underserved populations
• Each NES team will develop an action plan
  targeting high need STEM areas. 10K per school
  for implementation.
• Summer 03 workshops at each of the 10 NASA
  Centers for the NES teams.
• On-line presence of student investigative
  opportunities, mathematics problem solving and
  engineering design challenges.
• Announcement of opportunity for 50 new
• Explorer Schools was released 9/15/03

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Pathfinder InitiativesUnder Development

• NASA Explorer Institutes Pipeline
• Informal Education Division Director will lead
  the development of this effort
• NASA Science and Technology Scholarship Program
  Workforce development
• Awaiting final legislative language

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EVALUATION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS
April 2003
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OMB Budget Language

• Develop a means for measuring the impact of the
  Education initiative on the science, technology,
  engineering, and math (STEM) student pipeline and
  a benchmark for measuring success.
• Undertake a comprehensive review and
  restructuring of its Education Base and Minority
  University Research and Education Programs.

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NASAs Approach

• Strategic Realignment
• Develop Goals 6 7 in NASAs Strategic Plan
• Goal 6 Inspire and motivate students to pursue
  careers in STEM
• Goal 7 Engage the public in shaping and sharing
  the experience of exploration and discovery
• Address target areas of the NASA Pipeline
• Align programs to Education Enterprise
  Initiatives
• Portfolio Management Implementation
• Evaluation Reviews
• Performance Metrics
• Analysis and Redistribution

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Exemplary Program Criteria

• Customer-Focused Responsiveness to a need
  identified by the education community, customers
  or customer group (4 subcriteria)
• Content Use of NASA content, people or
  facilities to involve students and/or the public
  in NASA science, engineering, or technology (4
  subcriteria)
• Pipeline Contribution to attracting diverse
  students to NASA careers in science, technology,
  engineering, or mathematics (3 subcriteria)
• Diversity Outreach to identified targeted
  groups (5 subcriteria)
• Evaluation Development of goals expressed in an
  objective, quantifiable, and measurable form (5
  subcriteria)
• Partnerships and Sustainability Use of programs/
  products by local, regional, or national partners
  (7 subcriteria)

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(No Transcript)
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Overall Evaluation Review Conclusions

• Elements of the education portfolio are
  performing well and align with the NASA strategic
  plan
• Most NASA education programs strongly align with
  and support at least five of the six exemplary
  program criteria
• Higher Education programs rated highly for
  Pipeline support (82) and for Partnerships and
  Sustainability (80)
• At the Elementary and Secondary Education level,
  the highest rated categories were Content (86)
  and Customer-focused (84)
• Informal Education programs have a very strong
  content base (98) and also reflect strong
  partnerships (85 )
• Identified a gap in current NASA educational
  pipeline (first and second year undergraduate
  level)

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Higher Education Program ScoresApril 2003 Review
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SG EPSCOR Review Conclusions

• Space Grant was the highest rated non-minority
  targeted program
• Space Grant and EPSCoR did well in
  Customer-focused and Content Space Grant in
  Partnerships/Sustainability, as well
• There is room for improvement, especially in the
  area of diversity and pipeline for both programs
• We are awaiting guidance about the development of
  an Improvement Plan and the evolution of the
  Exemplary Program Criteria

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Redirecting NASAs Education Portfolio
FY03
FY08
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Education PortfolioNext Steps (FY 04-08)

• Continue Evaluation Process
• Gap Analysis of Pipeline Programs
• Identify opportunities for collaboration
• Program Evaluation and Research
• Longitudinal Database
• Continue Portfolio Alignment and Assessment
• Phase out programs that are not within target
  area
• Phase out low-scoring and duplicative programs
• Phase out programs that are non-sustainable
• Enhance, expand and replicate Exemplary Programs
• Reallocate funding to target areas of pipeline

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See Learning in a Whole New Light
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Future of the NASA EPSCoR Program
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NASA EPSCoR

• Goal
• Provide seed funding that will enable states to
  develop an academic research enterprise directed
  toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally
  competitive capabilities in aerospace research

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NASA EPSCoR Objectives

• Develop research infrastructure in areas of
  strategic importance to the NASA mission and
  goals.
• Improve the capabilities of the NASA EPSCoR
  states to gain support from sources outside the
  NASA EPSCoR program.
• Contribute to the overall research
  infrastructure, science and technology
  capabilities, higher education, and economic
  development of the state.
• Work in close coordination with the NASA Space
  Grant program to improve the environment for
  science, technology, engineering and mathematics
  (STEM) education in the state.

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Near-term Priorities and Actions

• Fully engage the Technical Mentors in involving
  EPSCoR researchers in current and anticipated
  opportunities
• Closer alignment/collaborations with
• Minority university research and education
  programs
• Science and Technology Enterprises
• Better visibility of the specific NASA research
  priorities through the update of the NASA
  Research Compendium
• Continually reflects the most current research
  needs
• Reflects the specific topics and identifies
  technical contacts

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3rd Year Review

• From original award
• Research success of individual investigators
  (inc. presentations, publications, new
  contracts/grants resulting from EPSCoR award,
  patents, etc.)
• Evidence of systemic change (impact on state or
  institutional RD structure and emphases)
• Examples of successful transfer of technology to
  the private sector (SBIR, STTR, etc.)
• Significance and success of research projects,
  including contributions to NASA mission (original
  and revised goals and milestones
  metrics and outcomes)

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3rd Year Review

• Extent to which significant, sustained
  collaborations among institutions and with NASA
  have been developed (NASA Centers, Enterprises,
  and minority universities)
• Additional requests
• 6. Personnel information numbers, gender
  distribution, and ethnic distribution of faculty,
  post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students
• 7. Renewal proposal for additional two years
  if applicable
• including two-year program plan and budget

Do not request a no-cost extension from GSFC
Change to new project will require an original
proposal subject to a re-competition review
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Termination of Research
If program circumstances cause the early
termination of a research activity due to changes
in either State, Center, and/or Enterprise
research priorities, completion of the research
task, lack of progress, departure of key
personnel, loss of State and/or university
support, or for other reasons, the State NASA
EPSCoR Program Director is required to submit
written notification to the NASA EPSCoR Program
main office at NASA Headquarters detailing the
circumstances. The State will be given the
opportunity to propose to redirect the research
monies.
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3rd Year Review
Timing of submission 90 days prior to
expiration date of current cooperative
agreement Process reviewed by Enterprise/Center
technical staff
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One Final Note

• Finding and recommendations of the Columbia
  Accident Investigation Board have provided NASA
  with a roadmap for our Return to Flight
• The impact that our Return to Flight plan will
  have on programs across the rest of the agency is
  still to be determined