Institute for Instructional Excellence (IIE)
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The IIE functions as a designated Texas STEM Center whose primary mission is to support the expansion of STEM Education throughout the State of Texas.
Science and Mathematics Education, University of Texas at Dallas, The
Established: 2010
instructionalexcellence.org (link down)
Profile submitted by Dr. Joseph Ferrara
Vision and Goals
The Vision of the Institute for Instructional Excellence at UT Dallas is to effect transformational change in the lives of children through excellence and innovative practices in STEM Education. Our primary mission is to assist campuses and districts in building teacher capacity to design, implement, and assess inquiry-based learning environments across all content areas.
Center/Program Structure
Are there advantages of being structured this way?
Are there particular challenges that result from this structure?
Funding
The IIE has traditionally been funded with Math-Science Partnership funds through the Texas Education Agency. Extensive funding has also come through partnerships with other states including North Carolina, Georgia, North Dakota, and New York.
How has this funding structure influenced the undergraduate STEM education programming the center offers?
What are the specific advantages of having a center funded in this way?
What are the challenges?
Has this funding structure has changed over time?
Description of Programming
The IIE serves K-12 schools in the across Texas as well as in multiple states. We provide professional development services to teachers and administrators and promote STEM to students, parents and the community.
Our programming focuses on providing effective learning experiences for students through innovative instructional practices and curricular professional development. We do this through the following activities: Establishing Standards for Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) Environments; Problem/Project-Based Learning Design and Implementation; IBL Model implementation coaching; and IBL Coaching Certification.
Successes and Impacts
OUR IMPACT
- 400+ unique teachers served annually
- 30,000+ students impacted
- 300 Campuses supported
- 90% implementation rate in institutes
- K-12 Mathematics PBL Repository
Evaluation and Assessment
How does your center demonstrate its value, both in terms of assessing its own programming and responding to external evaluation?
Elements Contributing to Success
The key element for our success has been the development of a unique, dynamic instructional model that can be implemented across diverse contexts.