Seeding Strategies (II) to Close the Calculus Equity Gap RFP

Learning Lab’s funding opportunity “Seeding Strategies to Close the Calculus Equity Gap” (I and II) is designed to further the intent of the Grand Challenge: Overcoming the Calculus Barrier to STEM Success.

This opportunity prioritizes funding colleges and universities that experience equity gaps in calculus access and success. Applicants must provide data regarding existing equity gaps on their campuses. Moreover, proposed projects must have potential to improve learning outcomes and close equity gaps for undergraduate STEM students.

Applicants are requested to read Charting a New Course and required to propose implementation of one or more of the following curricular or pedagogical strategies within the calculus course sequence at their respective institutions. Each set of strategies below is cross-referenced to the corresponding relevant sections of the report:

1. 1. 1. Course coordination among faculty within a department around learning objectives, use of class time, assessment, and/or grading such as standards-based grading approaches; [See Deepening Professional Learning, p.18, paragraphs 3-5; Classroom Instruction, p.10-11, paragraph 4; Assessment and Grading, p.11, entire section; Rethinking Grading and Assessment Practices, p.17, entire section]
      2. Redesign placement practices and/or course(s) in the prerequisite pathway or streamline the prerequisite pathway itself leading up to calculus to better align with calculus success; [Placement, Articulation, and the Pathway to Calculus, p.8-9, entire section; Revising Placement Practices, p.12-13, entire section;]
      3. Redesign calculus for disciplines such as life sciences or computer science, using modeling and/or contextualized examples, or utilizing other prerequisites in place of calculus, such as focusing on discrete math; [Curriculum, p.9-10, entire section; Redesigning Calculus Curriculum, p.13-14, paragraphs 1-3 and Macalaster box; Redesigning On-ramps to STEM, p.14, entire section.]
      4. Re-sequence course content, such as the order that integration, differentiation, series, and limits is covered for Calculus I; [Redesigning Calculus Curriculum, p.13-14, paragraphs 4-5; see review of Bressoud’s Calculus Reordered]
      5. Integrate active learning and enhance the learning environment to support authentic student engagement and participation, including blended strategies that positively impact math attitudes and identity; and [Part One introduction, p.4, paragraph 6; Classroom Instruction, p.10-11, paragraph 3-4; Redesigning Calculus Curriculum,13-14, paragraphs 1-2; Improving Classroom Instruction and Support, p.15-17, entire section; Prioritizing Other Student Supports, p.17, paragraph 1; Deepening Professional Learning, p.18, paragraphs 6-7]
      6. Institutionalize professional development and/or community of practice for department or inter-department faculty and/or graduate student instructors on inclusive and student-centered approaches to teaching courses in the calculus sequence. [Classroom Instruction, p.10-11, paragraphs 1 and 5; Improving Classroom and Instruction Support, p.15-17, entire section; Deepening Professional Learning, p.18, entire section]

“Course” in the above strategies refers to any of the college-level courses within the calculus sequence at the respective institution (not to include remedial courses) .  

To apply for a “Seeding Strategies to Close the Calculus Equity Gap” grant, applicants must:

• • Be a public, postsecondary institution in California;
  • Propose to implement one or more promising strategies from the calculus report; (summarized in the RFP beginning on page 4) to improve the calculus course sequence;
  • Identify a department chair or dean as the project PI; and
  • Include an institutional cover letter signed by the PIs/Co-PIs and the institution’s president/chancellor, vice chancellor/vice president of instruction, or provost or equivalent.

*All times are in Pacific Standard Time (PT).

• Release of Seeding Strategies II Wednesday, July 6, 2022
• Calculus Report Webinar Recording Available Upon Request
• Submit Questions to Learning Lab: info@calearninglab.org Anytime
• Technical assistance, etc. Email us @ info@calearninglab.org to schedule an appointment.
• Proposal Submitted via Online Portal (Portal link goes live on August 1) Beginning Monday, August 1, 2022 (12:01am PST), through Friday, December 16, 2022 (5:00pm PST), or until all available awards are exhausted. Website will indicate whether awards are still available.
• Notification of Award No later than 30 days after submission.
• Deadline to execute Grant Agreement Projects and activities commence No later than 30 days after notification of award.

The Online Application Portal link goes live on August 1, 2022.

Applicants may submit all required materials through Learning Lab’s Online Application Portal, beginning on August 1, 2022 at 12:01am PT. Applications will be reviewed and awards to projects made on a rolling basis, until all award funding has been committed or December 16, 2022 at 5:00pm PT, whichever occurs earlier. Notice shall be provided on Learning Lab’s website when Seeding Strategies II is closed.

Within the application portal, applicants will be required to confirm the institution (and any partnering institutions through a consultation model or parallel implementation model, if applicable), STEM courses impacted, and the names of PIs/Co-PIs.

Applicants will also be required to upload two documents. The first upload will be a single PDF document that will include the Institutional Cover Letter and Project Narrative. The second upload will include the Detailed Budget in Excel. These elements are described in more detail in the RFP.

The documents within this section are intended to be helpful resources as your project team develops a proposal. There is no requirement for their use (with the exception of the Budget Template). Click on the buttons below to download.