Partnerships
Perspectives- IIT Mathematics and Science Academy
After several years of planning, curriculum and teacher preparation, the Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy opened on September 2, 2008 with 270 students in grades 6, 7 and 9. Partnering with IIT and Principal Mary Cummane, Perspectives Charter Schools newest campus is dedicated to developing critical thinking skills in all students. The school will eventually expand to grades 6-12 serving over 700 students from around the city.
Located near IIT in the Bronzeville community, Perspectives/IIT Math & Science Academy is centered on Scientific Inquiry and problem solving in math, science and all subjects. Academic rigor and relevance are at the core of the Perspectives model. Supported by the principles of A Disciplined Life, students are expected to achieve at high levels. Perspectives/IIT provides students with a "college for certain" environment, where students are exposed to the possibilities of post-secondary education and required to apply to at least five colleges before graduation.
Perspectives Charter Schools is a growing network of tuition-free, high performing, public charter schools. Founded in 1993 by Kim Dixon and Diana Shulla-Cose, two young Chicago Public Schools teachers, Perspectives started as a small "school within a school". The co-founders believed strongly in the advantages of a small school environment which offers students more personal attention, a sense of individual importance and belonging, and affords teachers a greater opportunity to provide guidance, resources, and one-on-one time to students. Chartered in 1997 as one of the first five charter schools in Chicago, Perspectives has earned its national reputation as a model of how a small school with innovative, effective education can transform urban schooling.
Please visit the Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy website @ http://iit.perspectivescs.org/
American Geological Institute/MSED On-Line courses
MSED partnered with the American Geological Institute to provide a series of Earth science on-line courses to K-12 teachers nationally.
The Field Museum/MSED High School Transformation Project (HSTP)
With more than 200 scientists working across the globe, The Field Museum stands at the forefront of scientific research. This research leads to a better understanding of the world in which we all live, and it serves as an educational resource for all peoples, especially local communities. The Museum is an extension of the classroom, one that will contribute to the IIT/Field Museum Instructional Development System in a variety of ways. Each of the new curricula developed by the IIT/Field Museum team includes specific links to Field Museum resources, such as award-winning exhibitions, programs, and materials that enhance classroom learning. The Museum offers an incredible array of resources that can be used by the IDS teachers to not only educate, but also to inspire.
