The National Science Foundation has announced funding of $9 million to support the new Mid-Atlantic Center for Mathematics Learning and Teaching, a cooperative venture of the University of Delaware, the University of Maryland, and Pennsylvania State University designed to increase the declining number of mathematics teachers nationwide.

The Mid-Atlantic Center, which will be housed at the University of Maryland, is one of two such centers funded by NSF. The other center, which was awarded $10 million, is in Texas. Both will start operations this month.

The centers are being established to create innovative partnerships among universities, school districts and other educational partnerships. They are designed to help address critical issues in mathematics, science and technology in school classrooms and at universities.

"Centers for Learning and Teaching are an important part of NSF's contributions toward improving K-12 science, mathematics and technology education in this country," Judith Sunley, NSF interim assistant director for education and human resources, said. "Through their partnerships of institutions of higher education, K-12 schools and other organizations, they provide a rich mix of research, teacher education and leadership development that will have a long-lasting impact on teaching practices in the U.S."

The Mid-Atlantic Center is a partnership of the three research universities and school system associates. UD will work with the Delaware Department of Education, the University of Maryland with the Prince George's County Public Schools, and Penn State with the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

James Hiebert, UD professor of mathematics education who helped develop the funding proposal, said the primary purpose of the Mid-Atlantic Center will be to address a critical national shortage of qualified mathematics teachers and of mathematics education experts and professors to prepare them.

Through the Mid-Atlantic Center, Hiebert said, the three universities will collaborate in the design and delivery of doctoral and postdoctoral studies in mathematics education aimed at preparing leaders for school mathematics education across the United States.

It will provide innovative graduate programs, as well as pre-service and in-service mathematics education for teachers and will make use of distance learning opportunities to make programs available to students and teachers in the partner organizations.

Also, the Mid-Atlantic Center will provide tuition and stipend support for 15 doctoral students at each of the three universities and will support the development of model programs for preparing mathematics teachers.

"This grant allows us to create new learning opportunities for mathematics teachers and future leaders in mathematics education," Hiebert said. "It enables each partner to offer a better program than they could offer on their own."

"With this grant, we are building the mathematics education infrastructure," according to M. Kathleen Heid, professor of mathematics education at Penn State, who worked with Hiebert and Patricia F. Campbell, professor of mathematics education at the University of Maryland, to gain funding for the center.

"We not only need more leaders in mathematics education," Heid said, "but we need a generation of leaders prepared to make a difference in mathematics teaching in the nation's schools."

Hiebert said UD faculty will work closely with the state Department of Education and with the UD Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy.

Sally Caldwell, who will coordinate the Department of Education partnership, said, "This new venture will allow the state to recruit teachers who are even more prepared to teach to the new, higher standards in mathematics."

James T. Fey, professor of mathematics and curriculum and instruction at the University of Maryland, will be director of the Mid-Atlantic Center.