Christopher J. Doherty
Publisher of The Education Innovator
Ddirector of the U.S. Department of Education's Reading First Program
The Ingenuity Project, Baltimore, Maryland
A Little "Ingenuity" Leads Baltimore City Students to Success in Math and Science
Forty miles north of the nation's capital, in a city known as the home of Edgar Allen Poe, H.L. Mencken, and arguably the best crab cakes on the East Coast, a unique program in a traditional public school has given Baltimore City (MD) another reason to be proud. "The Ingenuity Project" at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute recently produced an Intel Science Talent Search finalist for the second consecutive year. Often regarded as the "Junior Nobel Prize," the Intel Science Talent Search, formerly known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, is America's oldest pre-college science contest. Each year the program honors especially talented high school seniors in an effort to encourage them to pursue careers in science, math, engineering, and medicine. Ryan Harrison, the 2005 Polytechnic Institute finalist and winner of fifth place honors in the overall competition, and Abe Davis, the 2006 finalist, both earned recognition by participating in the Ingenuity Project, a Baltimore-based program that offers capable and motivated students a challenging curriculum in science and mathematics.
The title of Abe's research project for the Intel competition this year may offer a glimpse into the rigor of his classes with the Ingenuity Project. "Bounding Sphere Images: A Parametric Bounding Volume Hierarchy for Collision Detection of the Graphics Processing Unit," reads not like the title of a high school thesis, but more like the subject of an article in a sophisticated science journal. Working for one-and-a-half years with Dr. Jonathan Cohen from Johns Hopkins University, Abe studied how to increase the speed at which hardware performs physical simulations. In March, Abe, along with the other 39 national finalists, will travel to Washington, DC, where his project will undergo judging during the Science Talent Institute. While in Washington, all finalists will display their projects at the National Academy of Sciences, where they will describe their research to visitors, many of whom will be notable figures in the fields of government and science. After the display session, ten winners will be selected, and the first place honoree will receive a $100,000 scholarship.
The Ingenuity Project started in 1993 with the mission to prepare highly capable and motivated Baltimore City students to achieve at nationally competitive levels in mathematics, science, technology, and related fields. A nonprofit organization funded by the Abell Foundation and the Baltimore City Public School System , Ingenuity originated as a middle school program, and then in 1997 it expanded to the high school level. In 2001, Ingenuity established an elementary program. Currently, Ingenuity serves 445 students in four Baltimore City schools: Federal Hill Preparatory School , Roland Park Middle School , Mt. Royal Middle School , and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute .
Overall, the Ingenuity Project aims to prepare students to graduate from each level of the program with strong academic skills, to consider careers in math and science, and ultimately become leaders in their chosen professions. It utilizes an advanced curriculum in science and math that was developed by master teachers who were recruited from Baltimore City, as well as surrounding counties, other parts of the country, and abroad. One such teacher, Mikahil Goldenberg, a Russian émigré and Ph.D. mathematician, currently teaches algebra, calculus, and geometry at the Polytechnic Institute. The Ingenuity curriculum focuses on reinforcing basic skills, applying advanced subject matter, engaging students in hands-on learning activities, using the scientific method to inform research, and integrating technology into classroom and laboratory exercises. All Ingenuity students must maintain an 80 percent average or above in their academic courses.
At Federal Hill Preparatory School, students in first through fifth grade study a science curriculum that combines the acquisition of content knowledge with exploration and discovery, emphasizing children's natural curiosity concerning the world around them. A "spiral curriculum" introduces basic concepts in early grades and returns to those topics in greater detail and with more sophisticated application in later grades. Students study math using the rigorous Singapore Mathematics curriculum, a system of learning in which students are led from the concrete to more abstract mathematical thinking. The program was originally developed in 1982 by a team of experts organized through Singapore's Ministry of Education.
Kindergarten students applying to the Ingenuity Project at Federal Hill are expected to read and understand mathematical concepts at a first grade level. Report cards, recommendations from teachers, and standardized test scores are reviewed for students applying to the program in later elementary grades. If students meet Ingenuity's standards throughout the elementary program, they may apply to the middle school component during the fall of fifth grade.
The original middle school program was designed to help students understand "how we know what we know, and how it is possible to find approaches to new questions." At Roland Park and Mt. Royal middle schools, students tackle research problems, first with the whole class, then in small groups and, finally, through self-directed investigation. Throughout the three-year middle school science component, students examine unity and diversity in living things, the interaction of matter and energy, and changes in the universe and the earth over time. These concepts are developed as sixth graders study earth science, seventh graders study living organisms and how they interact with the environment, and eighth graders study physics and chemistry. Like the elementary component, the middle school math curriculum incorporates instruction based on Singapore Mathematics and progresses through Algebra I. Those students who are successful in the middle school program may apply to the Ingenuity Project at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
At the high school level, all Ingenuity science and math classes are taught at an accelerated pace and cover advanced concepts. Ingenuity students may enroll in honors-level courses in English, social studies, and foreign language. Advanced Placement (AP) classes also are available in calculus, chemistry, biology, environmental science, physics, statistics, U.S. history, U.S. government, English, and Spanish. During 10th grade, Ingenuity students enroll in specific science and math classes covering topics such as probability and statistics, electricity, and "Science Technology and Society." During the summer before 11th grade, students who enroll in the Research Practicum begin working under the supervision of mentor scientists at various colleges, universities, or other organizations. The Practicum continues throughout 11th grade, and students are granted leave from campus in order to research, obtain data, and conduct any necessary observations for their projects. An extensive paper detailing the students' research and findings is due by November of their senior year. The culmination of the Practicum is entry in the Intel Science Talent Search. Based upon their interests, students may study biology, chemistry, physics, genetics, or environmental science in 12th grade.
In 2004, 19 seniors successfully completed the Ingenuity Project at the Polytechnic Institute. Two of them were honored as National Achievement Scholars, and one was honored as a National Merit Scholar. These graduates earned an average score of 1314 on the SAT, and 100 percent were accepted into college. Ingenuity graduates currently attend schools such as Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Wesleyan, and Lehigh Universities, and in 2005, their total college scholarships totaled $2.2 million. Ryan Harrison, the 2005 Intel Science Talent Search fifth place winner, currently attends Johns Hopkins University, where he was admitted via early decision on a full scholarship. After graduating in June, Abe Davis, the school's 2006 finalist, hopes to enroll at Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), or Stanford University, all schools he will be better prepared to attend because of the rigorous science and math curricula at his high school.
Currently, President Bush's " American Competitiveness Initiative " focuses attention on improving science and math education across the country through more rigorous and challenging coursework. (See the "What's New" section for more information about this new initiative.) The President's budget for fiscal year 2007 includes $380 million under the American Competitiveness Initiative that will strengthen math and science instruction in elementary and secondary schools. Baltimore City's Ingenuity Project demonstrates one district's attempt to provide its students with a high-quality education in science and math, which can ultimately prepare them to be successful in the global economy.
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