Skip to main content


Welcome, you are visiting A^3

Appalachian MSP
The Appalachian Math Science Partnership helps strengthen and reform education in math and science in pre-K through grade 12 classrooms in participating districts in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

The AMSP program seeks to demonstrate improved student achievement in mathematics and science through the support of partnerships that unite the efforts of teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and parents in local schools with administrators and faculty at area colleges and universities.

AMSP's goals are to eliminate the achievement gap in science and mathematics in the Central Appalachian region and to build an integrated elementary, secondary and higher education system in this underserved region.

Show Full Abstract

Project Contributions

Building Math and Science Content Capacity in a High Poverty Rural School District
"The Marshall University AMSP began by investing NSF funds in five school district Partnership Enhancement Projects (PEPs), encouraging each school district to plan how Marshall University could advance sustainable improvements…
Inservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Magnetism Concepts Before And After Non-Traditional Instruction
"Magnetism is a topic frequently studied in elementary schools. Since magnetism is a popular topic and is included in national science education standards, it might be assumed that elementary teachers…
Localizing Teacher Leadership Expertise in Appalachia
Posted by: Kim Zeidler-Watters . The Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) was awarded supplemental funding to support the AMSP Master Teacher Project, a three-year program of mentored professional and leadership development for 6-12 mathematics…
Looking in All the Right Places: Data Collection for Evaluation of the AMSP
This paper addresses the following claim(s): "We hypothesize that teacher participation in an AMSP (or MSP more generally) activity leads to higher student outcomes for that teacher's students relative to…
Math and Science Partnership Scoring High Grades
At first glance, it looks like an activity from a typical high school chemistry book. But what's different about this experiment is the follow-up assignment, which Voiers calls "Making Meaning."…
The Appalachian Math Science Partnership: A Multi-State Umbrella Partnership Promoting Local Mathematics And Science Reform
The Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP) is a project within NSF's Math Science Partnerships (MSP) initiative...
The Appalachian Math Science Partnership: A Multi-State Umbrella Partnership Promoting Local Mathematics And Science Reform - CLOSE-UP PAPERS
This document contains four brief reports that illuminate key strategies employed in the Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP). They are intended to be read along with the main report, The...
Examining AMSP Partnerships: Increasing Capacity for Distributed Leadership
Posted by: Donald Long . The AMSP has funded more than 50 Partnership Enhancement Program grants as a means of initiating and furthering partnerships between K-12 and higher education institutions working to address local mathematics...
NSF Director Visits Appalachian Schools
Posted by: Sarah Cole . "Dr. Arden Bement, Director of American National Science Foundation , visited the Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) Program September 19th and 20th, 2007 to learn more about the region,...
Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership Research Conference Archive
Posted by: Donald Long . The Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) organized a 2-day Research Conference that was held on June 6-7, 2007 in Lexington, Kentucky. This conference provided a forum for researchers,...
Rural Teachers Trained to Pass Along Math and Science Knowledge to Peers
"Advocates for rural education today are seeking to cultivate and sustain their schools' workforce by following a strategy they believe is tailored to the needs of small, often insular communities....
Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Standards-based Magnetism Concepts
"As more science departments answer the call to provide special programming through courses serving preservice elementary teachers (McDermott, 1991; McDermott, Heron, Shaffer & Stetzer, 2006; Trundle,...
Are Inservice Elementary Teachers Prepared to Teach Fundamental Concepts of Magnets and the Behavior of Magnets?
"Magnets are commonly used around the home to hold children's school work, family photographs and decorative items to the refrigerator door. And, exploration with magnets commonly occurs in school by...
Professor Jeffrey Osborn Awarded National Teaching Award
Jeffrey L. Osborn , University of Kentucky, Professor of Biological Sciences and Science Outreach Professor of the Appalachian Math Science Partnership (AMSP), was awarded the 2007 Arthur C. Guyton Teacher...
Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Standards-based Magnetism Concepts
"As more science departments answer the call to provide special programming through courses serving preservice elementary teachers (McDermott, 1991; Trundle, Atwood & Christopher, 2002) priorities have...
Making Good on Our Word: STEM Faculty and K-16 Partnerships, AACTE Presentation
"In K-16 partnerships, the National Science Foundation Math Science Partnerships provide substantial support to improve of teaching and learning in K-16 and higher education, highlighting evidence-based...
Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership Annual Progress Report: Year Two
"The Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP), an integrated initiative of nine institutions of higher education (IHE), fifty-one school districts, the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation,...
Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership Annual Progress Report: Year One
"The Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) is an integrated initiative of nine institutions of higher education (IHE), fifty-one* school districts, the Kentucky Science and Technology...
Making Good on Our Word: STEM Faculty and K-16 Partnerships
For the last quarter century, the focus on education reform has been directed at the K-12 sector. With the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and the 2002 reauthorization...
AMSP Fall & Winter Newsletter, 2005-06
Posted by: John Yopp . AMSP Newsletter - Spring 2006
AMSP's Partnership Enhancement Program for Local Empowerment between IHEs and School Districts
The Appalachian Mathematics and Science partnership (AMSP) has developed and implemented over the past two years a grant-supported, peer reviewed program of partnerships between district school teachers...
Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Standards-Based Light Concepts Before and After Instruction
A descriptive study conducted to investigate how the pre-instruction and post-instruction conceptual understanding of inservice elementary teachers compare on: 1) light travels in a straight line until...
Appalachian MSP Research and Evaluation Strand: Request for Proposals
Posted by: Donald Long . The Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) engages in several initiatives designed to improve mathematics and science education in the Central Appalachian region. The partnership utilizes...
Appalachian Mathematics Science Partnership (AMSP) 2003-2004 Evaluation Report
Posted by: Mark St. John , Wimberly Royster . "One of the roles of evaluation is to help conceptualize the project as an investment in educational improvement. This conceptualization must, of course, be congruent with the overall design characteristics...
Appalachian Mathematics Science Partnership (AMSP) 2003-2004 Evaluation Report
Posted by: Mark St. John , Wimberly Royster . "One of the roles of evaluation is to help conceptualize the project as an investment in educational improvement. This conceptualization must, of course, be congruent with the overall design characteristics...
The Turing Test: A New Approach to Evaluating Investments in Educational Capacity and Infrastructure
"There is, then, a very important paradox to be understood here: The goal of investments in educational capacity building is always to increase student learning, but the effectiveness of the...
UK Receives $22 Million Grant to Enhance Math and Science Education
Announcing Largest Single Grant in UK's History: Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership