Education collaborative bridges gaps between local researchers and teachers

The St. Louis School Research-Practice Collaborative (SRPC) brings together education researchers from local universities and practitioners from city schools to tackle some of the most difficult questions facing the St. Louis education community. After almost three years of development, the SRPC began its first pilot project in September 2021.

Washington University’s College Prep Program welcomes ninth cohort

Washington University in St. Louis has admitted 50 rising high school sophomores to its ninth cohort of the innovative College Prep Program, a multiyear initiative that prepares high-achieving students with limited financial resources for college.

Champion for equitable education, May honored with Ethic of Service Award

Victoria May, executive director of the Institute for School Partnership, works with local educators to create high-quality, equitable education for all students. Last week, May was among seven members of the university community honored with a Virgil Ethic of Service Award.

Creating time and space for collaborative school change

Classmates at Ritenour Middle School have been testing their tolerance for struggle during math classes led by a  teacher who is presenting math concepts with a high-level task approach that gives students a newfound ownership of their learning and an invitation to reach the right answer with thinking that makes sense to them.

Deepening math learning with 1:1 teacher coaching

The Math Coaching pilot provides ISP an opportunity to connect more deeply with teachers beyond the traditional professional development model. The feedback thus far has been a thumbs-up from teachers, who demonstrate a will to power through despite COVID-19.

Mud pies, math and mess with meaning

Early childhood math skills are important predictors of later academic achievement, but opportunities for young children to engage in math learning are extremely limited in preschool.

With support from the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis (ISP), the JGECEC teaching team is making sure their new mud kitchen and curriculum throughout the building are planned with early math learning in mind.

St. Louis students compete at annual Brain Bee

About 50 high school students from the St. Louis region gathered online Feb. 27 to test their knowledge of the brain and to learn about neuroscience research and careers at the St. Louis Area Brain Bee, an annual event hosted by Washington University.

Chalker Lab and ISP use Tetrahymena to expand hands-on science in K-12 classrooms

Douglas Chalker, professor of biology, received a collaborative award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the ASSET program, which incorporates Tetrahymena, a ciliated protozoan,  into elementary science. Chalker, in collaboration with the Institute for School Partnership (ISP), plans to expand the program’s reach in St. Louis and incorporate more mathematics and computational thinking into program’s hands-on lessons.

Prep School — Ready for college, Ready for the world

In 2014, Washington University began the College Prep Program to help talented St. Louis students with limited financial resources thrive in college. Six members of the first cohort just graduated from WashU.

Through ISP, WashU faculty share their passion with K-12 schools

Marcus Foston

One of the priorities of the ISP is assisting faculty to engage with the K-12 school community. These faculty collaboration efforts include support of faculty-led workshops and speaking engagements, recruitment of teachers for teacher-researcher partnerships and recruitment of students for lab research experiences and events.

WashU faculty, ISP staff develop science courses for Ritenour

Instructional specialists with WashU’s Institute for School Partnership (ISP) and Michael Wysession, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and an expert on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), partnered with middle and high school Earth and Space Science teachers from Ritenour School District to design and develop new science courses.

ISP helps teachers bring university research to life in classrooms

With the help of the university’sWith the help of the university’s Institute for School Partnership, chemist Bryce Sadtler in Arts & Sciences has been supporting local high school science teachers since 2015. Teachers such as Brittany Daugs (right) spent time on campus this summer conducting hands-on research., chemist Bryce Sadtler in Arts & Sciences has been supporting local high school science teachers since 2015. Teachers such as Brittany Daugs spent time on campus this summer conducting hands-on research.

Partnering for restorative justice in University City schools

Rowhea Elmesky’s long-term collaboration with University City High School has contributed to a fundamental shift in school culture.

Since 2014, University City High School has reduced suspensions by more than 40% and dramatically changed its school culture. Rowhea Elmesky, associate professor of education, and Olivia Marcucci, PhD ’19, helped make it happen.

ISP program helps math students find new ways to solve real-world problems

Institute for School Partnership’s STEM District Immersion program helps students form a deep conceptual understanding to math that goes far beyond rote problem-solving. By posing real-world problems, students engage in high-level math discourse, explore multiple solutions and take intellectual risks. Read more at the Institute for School Partnership.

ISP pilots science program in SLPS

Last summer, four organizations came together to launch a new program in 17 St. Louis Public elementary schools. The Institute for School Partnership (ISP), The Little Bit Foundation (TLBF), and St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS), with funding from the Bayer Fund, developed a pilot program to increase capacity for STEM teaching and learning in SLPS. The program is designed to remove barriers for teachers and provide access to high-quality, hands-on STEM education for St. Louis City students

Meeting the complexities of the times, together

Washington University wants to not only be “in St. Louis,” but “for St. Louis.” With that call to action, the university is taking its commitment to be a good partner in the region to another level.