Elizabeth City State University - Network Resources and Training Site
MUREP Uniform Outcomes 1998-99 Report
Project Narrative Educational Projects



  1. Introduction
  2. Enrollment Data
  3. Outcomes
  4. Partnerships
  5. Issues/Concerns: summarize any critical issues, concerns, or lessons learned.


1. Introduction: brief overview of your project and its objectives.

The ECSU NRTS is designed to serve the states of North Carolina and Virginia. The NRTS provides network training and facilitate HBCU/MI network opportunities in research and education for SMET faculty and students, as well as for the teachers of predominately minority-attended elementary and secondary schools in ECSU's region. Research focus for the NRTS include High Performance Networks and Earth System Science.

Funds directly paid to partners and paid in training stipends amounted to over $168,000.00. Funds paid to our industrial partner, ADNET Systems, Inc. for network engineering and for staff, indirect cost and fringe benefits totalled over $190,000. Scholarships, awards and fellowships paid to students amounted to over $15,000. There was an additional $50,000 allocated for videoconferencing equipment and ISDN service fees.


2. Enrollment Data: summary of participant data by grade level, ethnicity, school district, etc., as appropriate for your project.

Native American Indian partners comprise 43% of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and over 70% of all the K-12 schools in Robeson County, NC. Also, in North Carolina is Halifax county which comprises schools with over 50% Native American Indian Schools. Each of these partner counties is classified as an Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC). Edgecome County and Wilson County in North Carolina as well as Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia are also classified as EZ/EC communities. More details on EZ/EC communities can be found at http://www.ezec.gov.

Over sixty workshops were conducted including two major training events. More than 1200 educators and students participated in the onsite and off-site workshops. Many of the workshops used the computer laboratories located on the campuses of our HBCU/MI and K-12 partners.


3. Outcomes: summary of measurable outcomes and achievements for the reporting period, including any longitudinal data collected since the projects inception.

The NRTS operated three very successful summer programs last year which included an Earth System Science Academy, K-12 Educators extended training, and a two week workshop for high school students.

Efforts were made to lift the science and research capability of partners and highlight their affiliation with the NASA centers. To highlight the existing capabilities and affiliations with NASA centers, the NRTS published a partnership report detailing programs at the various centers in which partners participate. The report was distributed at the Jan. 1999 MU-SPIN meeting held at NASA Headquarters building.

Workshops were organized to strengthen research at partner schools and associate those efforts with NASA Opportunities. Physics, mathematics and chemistry faculty were strongly encouraged to actively participate and contribute to these workshops. Highlights from many of the workshops and other activities can be found in the Appendix.

University partners held two strategy meetings and training workshops during 1998-99. The first at Norfolk State University Feb. 7-8th and the second at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke April 9th. As a result of these meetings a critical area of need was identified in the departments of chemistry, physics and mathematics.

All partners have now established a webpage which focuses on NRTS activities. The webpages are housed on the ECSU Umfort server and are available for viewing at http://nia.ecsu.edu/nrts/nrtspartners.html.

Both curriculum and research initiatives have been implemented in the NRTS Educational Plan which focuses on Earth System Science and Technology. Initiatives have targeted both university and K-12 partners in an effort to strengthen the mathematics and science curriculum and research activities. The 1998-99 initiatives have shifted the focus away from infrastructure and instead have been designed to enhance the science and research capability of partners and their affiliation with the centers. All activities have a NASA related component designed to introduce or better acquaint partners with the resources and research opportunities available through Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters, and Langley Research Center. Representatives from the centers and other NRTS have been involved with each university activity.

NRTS curriculum initiatives have focused on providing opportunities for both university and K-12 partners to enhance courses through participate in NASA Educational Programs including NOVA, The Satellites in Education Conference, SkyMath, The Coalition for Earth System Science and The NASA Preservice Teacher Institute. In addition, the NRTS organized educational activities which better prepared partners to take advantage of these opportunities. Preparation activities included Summer Programs, High School Internships and Mini-Grants for Educators. The Earth System Science Academy is now included in the NASA Headquarters, Earth System Science Directory.

In support of the expert site concept in Earth System Science the NRTS at ECSU has supported eight (8) research initiatives. The eight initiatives have focused on the quality of local waterways, The Great Dismal Swamp, remote sensing techniques; and the visualization of NASA datasets.

Also identified as a critical area in this NRTS consortium has been the need to increase the number and enhance the preparation of minorities pursuing degrees in physical science. Norfolk State University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Virginia State University are participating in this initiative. To address the need, the NRTS submitted a proposal, entitled ATOM, to the Department of Education. This proposal was recently funded for over $480,000. NSU serves as lead institution with Dr. Raj Chaudhury as Principal Investigator. The proposal grew out of the partners meeting Feb. 7-8. 1999.

Preservice and Inservice teachers participated in a research project during summer 1999 which focused on the use of NASA educational resources in implementing the North Carolina Standards for Middle School Mathematics.

4. Partnerships

Dwight Eisenhower Professional Development Program:
NRTS funds were leveraged with three Eisenhower grants for $30,000 each awarded to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Elizabeth City State University and Fayetteville State University. The awards provided support for technology training of K-12 teachers in North Carolina.

United States Department of Education
A collaborative proposal submitted by NSU, ECSU, FSU, UNCP and VSU to the Department of Education Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program was funded for $480,000 over three years. The unifying theme for Project ATOM is visualization and modeling. The long term goal is to increase the number and enhance the preparation of minorities pursuing degrees in physical sciences which include physics, mathematics and chemistry (non-medical). The project title ATOM stands for Accentuating Technical Opportunities for Minorities. Dr. Raj Chaudhury of Norfolk State University assumed the lead in writing the proposal and will serve as Principal Investigator.

Goddard Space Flight Center: NOVA Program
Representatives from Virginia State University (Dr. Dawit Haile), Norfolk State University (Dr. Jim Kung) and Elizabeth City State Univesity (Dr. Bobby Lewis) attended the NOVA workshop in Bowling Green, Ky hosted by the NRTS at Tennessee State University. Workshop topics included an overview of NOVA; institutional goals and barriers; barriers to student learning; guidelines for action; assessment in higher education; and the use of technology in student centered courses. Workshop leaders included Ron Johnson, Dennis Sunal and Robert Kearney.

The NRTS at ECSU provided technical support for the NOVA meeting held at Goddard Space Flight Center May 24-28, 1999. Ten notebook computers with Internet access along with technical personal were provided in support of the NOVA workshop. Fayetteville State representative Dr. Leo Edwards, ECSU represenatives Dr. Georgia Lawrence and Dr. Linda Hayden and Hampton University representative Dr. Diane Robinson were included in the participants. The workshop was designed to support the development of plans for NOVA at participating institutions, and to obtaining reactions to and suggestions for a new NOVA initiative under development at GSFC.

Goddard Space Flight Center: ESS Coolspace Program
Six schools, including Fayetteville State University, ECSU and several middle schools have been targeted to launch their students into the 21th century with an integrated science and technology education program redeveloped through research at Goddard Space Flight Center. Mr. Michael Comberiate leads the investigation. NASA has developed a hardware and software system that allows students from elementary school through college the opportunity to post process raw satellite data from the GOES weather satellite in real time. The system allows student to manipulate HRPT image data from NOAA and NASA. These image and data sets include post-processed HRPT imagery of significant events such as fires, volcanoes, oil spills, floods, storms, etc as they are being prepared for various websites. Selected imagery from Meteosat (European geostationary weather satellite) and GMS (Japanese geostationary weather satellite), Hubble Telescope, Tropical Rain Monitoring Mission and SeaWiFS (Ocean color/Phytoplankton) are available using these systems. Installation of the systems and training is scheduled for summer 1999.

Effingham Street YMCA/ U.S. Department of Education
Since summer 1998, The Effingham Street YMCA has piloted a technology program which impacts all low income economically distressed housing projects in Portsmouth, Virginia. This includes the Washington Park, Ida Barbour, Swanson Homes, Dale Homes, Jeffery Wilson and Lincoln Park housing communities and the low income neighborhoods of Prentice Park, Brighton and Effingham Plaza. The Effingham Street YMCA is located in Portsmouth, Virginia which was recently designated as a round II urban empowerment zone. The pilot program involved both a small computer lab and a mobile unit containing six computers. The proposal submitted to the Department of Education has the support of civic, government and volunteer organizations including The Central Civic Forum of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Public Schools, The Church and Community In Action Organization, The Portsmouth Chapter of the NAACP and The NASA Network Resources and Training Site .

It is now the intent of the Effingham Street YMCA to build on this successful pilot program as it works to implement an NSF model for community technology programs. The goal of the proposed project was to add an Internet access component to the after school activities, adult education, GED preparation and family literacy activities designed for the economically distressed Effingham Street Community. Funding will be provided by the Landmark Corporation for connectivity for the YMCA Bus. The proposal submitted to the Department of Education requested funds for Internet connectivity for the in-house computer laboratory. This effort offers a model for eliminating the Digital Divide which separates the technology have's and have not's especially low-income individuals, minorities and youth living in urban areas.

Portsmouth Public Schools
$126,830.00 in Partnership cash awards to PPS schools and to teachers were used in implementing the following initiatives form 1995-99: High School Intern Program, LINK Summer Workshop for High School Students, NetDay Awards, Annual Partnership Awards to 3 schools. Technology Mini-grants to Educators, Earth System Science Awards, Summer Training Stipends for Educators, and Train-the-Trainer Awards for educators.

Halifax Public Schools
This initiative represents a collaboration between Halifax County Public Schools , The UNC MSEN Eisenhower Year 10 Program, ECSU and The NASA Network Resources and Training Site, which addresses both training and technology infrastructure. Past efforts of ECSU have represented a broad stroke designed to reach all K-12 schools in its region. This initiative will allow ECSU to focus training activities on the targeted schools in Halifax County. Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, Halifax County is third from the bottom with children living in poverty; 43% of Halifax children 6-17 are from families whose incomes are below Federal poverty level. Ninety-three percent of students in the LEA population is minority: 87% black, 5% Indian, 4% Hispanic and 4% white.

Training
Effectively integrating technology and the resources of the Internet into the classroom will involve intensive staff development workshops and training sessions, however this will be the focal point of all training activities. Training will take place on the campus of ECSU and at the schools targeted.

Major training events are scheduled for both fall and spring of each year with additional training days scheduled throughout the year at the schools. The major training events will allow Halifax educators the opportunity not only to expand their technical knowledge but also to try new skills, meet other technology using educators and develop professional contacts with NASA representatives and guest lectures.

The training workshops designed for Halifax educators will help them fully integrate technology and the Web into instruction. They will explore the full spectrum of possibilities, from teaching students to do research and create multimedia projects using materials they find on the Internet, to creating homepages and global Internet projects.

Summer Component
The summer component will consist of a two week workshop. Workshops offered during the summer will be designed to increase the teachers knowledge and understanding of science and technology related issues involved in integration of the internet into the classroom. The summer program will be designed for 15 Halifax teachers. The summer session will extend for two weeks and run for 5 hours each day (50 hours of instruction) with hands on laboratory sessions as an integral part of the program. Each teacher participating in the summer training will receive 5 CEUs and a $500 stipend.

Earth System Science Academy
The Annual Earth System Science Academy provides teachers the opportunity to develop an appreciation of the health of local waterways and to gain experience with researchers. Included in the Earth System Science Academy is a tour of the Great Dismal Swamp Boardwalk; Hands on Water Quality Labs; and workshops on Earth System Science Websites.

Follow-Up Activities
During the follow up year, school staff will be invited to all regularly scheduled training activities of the NRTS. Also a part of the follow-up component will be the availability of technical expertise of the NRTS staff to assist school staff in connectivity related issues.

8. North Carolina Supercomputing Center
Dr. Hassan Karimi, senior research scientist at the North Carolina Supercomputing Center conducted training on the use of remote sensing technologies to solve complex environmental problems during the HBCU partners meeting held on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Emphasis was placed on Geomatics development and applications; distributed computing for geospatial data access and processing; methodologies and techniques for handling and processing large volumes of data; and high performance computing.

Mr. Steve Thorph, academic programs visualization specialist for the North Carolina Supercomputing Center conducted training of the use of AVS Visualization software during the HBCU partners meeting held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The workshop held on April 1999 involved representatives of the chemistry, computer science and physics departments of UNCP, Fayetteville State University, Elizabeth City State University, Norfolk State University and Virginia State University.

Dr. Hassan Karimi, senior research scientist at the North Carolina Supercomputing Center conducted training on the use of remote sensing technologies to solve complex environmental problems during the HBCU partners meeting held on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Emphasis was placed on Geomatics development and applications; and distributed computing for geospatial data access.

5. Issues/Concerns: summarize any critical issues, concerns, or lessons learned.


This NRTS has many K-12 partners whose student body is more than 50% Native American Indian. These schools are in Robeson County of North Carolina and in Halifax County of North Carolina. Both of these counties are also enterprise zones/economic communities (EZ/EC). The special needs of these communities needs to be addressed more thoroughly and the NRTS would appreciate assistance from any MUREP staff whose work involves Native American Indian populations.


Questions asked on the Uniform Outcomes Survey both part one and two, are not well suited to reporting NRTS statistics and outcomes.