Annual Report 1990-1991

It is a privilege for me, as president of the IMSA Fund board of directors, to share with you a copy of the first annual report of the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education. In previous years, as you may recall, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy\u27s annual report included information about the IMSA Fund and its donors. With the significant growth in the number of donors and programs these external contributions support, the IMSA Fund will, from this point on, have its own annual report specifically designed to illustrate the critical role the private sector plays in ensuring the success of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Excerpt: From the President, Board of Directors, IMSA Fund for Advancement of Educatio

IMSA360: Fall 2017

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! It’s a special academic year in that we begin the school year with a full budget! Over the past three years, our colleagues in public schools (K-12), who are under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), began their school year with a full budget while IMSA and the rest of the universities, which are under the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), began and operated most of the past two years without a full budget. Excerpt: From the Presiden

IMSA360: Spring 2015

As most of you know, I have been President of IMSA for only seven months, not yet a full year. I feel like I am beginning to get to know IMSA better and better each month, and what I am learning continues to excite me and encourages me to spread the word to others about this amazing place. That is why this issue is going out to hundreds of new readers for the first time, and I welcome the many new superintendents, educators, and friends who will hopefully learn more about IMSA, just as I have these past few months. Excerpt: From the Presiden

Annual Report 1995-1996

It is our privilege to share with you, our shareholders, the 1995-96 report to our investors in the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education. In more ways than one, this was yet another exceptional year for the IMSA Fund. Once again, we secured more than one million dollars in gifts and pledges to support margin of excellence initiatives at the Academy. We have averaged more than one million dollars in gifts during the past four years .... allowing us to touch the future of mathematics and science education in Illinois, and the nation. This year, a $350,000 grant from The Harris Family Foundation made it the first private sector million dollar donor ($1.1 million to be exact) to the Academy. This latest gift will allow IMSA\u27s Center for Problem-Based Learning to continue its work with educators throughout the state, nation and world. Other leadership gifts came from donors such as the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation to create a summer enrichment program for minority students; the Smithsonian Institution to advance IMSA\u27s Integrated Science program and partnerships; and Abbott Laboratories to support IMSA\u27s IMPACT II program. Excerpt: From the Chair and the Presiden

IMSA360: Spring 2009

As a teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy enables students to pursue their own compelling questions and identify and solve real-world problems. In these pursuits, they learn to collaborate with each other and the best minds around the globe. This process fosters integrative learning and enhances critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and teamwork. Our feature stories in this issue of IMSA360 take you on an amazing journey that demonstrates how IMSA students turn their passions, talents and knowledge into action. Under the guidance of inspiring faculty, staff and world experts, students have helped to establish the IMSA Energy Center which draws on students’ natural concern for their environment and their desire to improve people’s lives. As participants of the Energy Center, students join engineering and research teams to work on energy issues that address their particular interests. They learn and apply academic content as they encounter the need to solve problems for their respective teams. Excerpt: From the Presiden

Annual Report 1998-1999

We are pleased to share with you the 1998-99 annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. IMSA\u27s 13th year was characterized by the development of a comprehensive Business Plan to enable IMSA to achieve its vision of the future. The Business Plan targeted seven areas (Strategic Initiatives) for focused attention, development and growth. These were: For IMSA students, * Student Research and Inquiry • Student Leadership Development • Learning Standards and Assessment System • Great Minds Program For Illinois teachers and policymakers, • Professional Development Programs • Products (such as the Internet Toolkit) • Public Policy Initiatives • Great Minds Program Embedded in the Strategic Initiatives was Online Learning (Learning-at-a-Distance). The Strategic Initiatives and other important work at IMSA are designed to help us achieve two ambitious goals: • By the year 2003, IMSA will be a recognized exemplar and a national leader in mathematics and science teaching and learning. • By the year 2006, IMSA will be a recognized pioneer and architect in the design of a new system of learning that is inquiry-based, problem-centered and integrative and that enables learners to acquire, generate and use knowledge for the world. Excerpt: From the Chair and the Presiden

Soil Science

Objectives: Understand that soil is composed of inorganic and organic solid material, water, and air.·Investigate the properties of the inorganic solid components of soil: sand, silt, and clay. Recognize that varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay in a soil impact the soil’s ability to hold and transmit water. Experimentally determine the soil texture of a local soil sample. Determine the chemical composition of a local soil sample for pH, nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Analyze a given soil’s ability to support crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats. Provide recommendations for amending a given soil to support the needs of various crop plants.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1002/thumbnail.jp

IMSA360: Winter 2009

In just over two decades, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) has become one of the premier institutions of its kind in our state, nation and world. I can proudly say that Intel, a global leader in science and technology innovation, endorses this assertion by naming IMSA the nationwide winner of Intel’s Schools of Distinction Star Innovator Award. This award is presented annually to only one educational institution that has “a comprehensive program incorporating innovative and effective use of technology, engaging parents and the community in students’ education, fostering development and teamwork and delivering achievement of high academic standards.” There is an important dimension to the Intel Star Innovator Award that is the theme of this IMSA360 issue—engaging the community in education. It takes a wide community—teachers, staff, students, parents, alumni, trustees, donors, legislators and partners—to stimulate excellence in education. By working together and combining our resources, we accelerate the creation of new bodies of knowledge, services and programs. Excerpt: From the Presiden

Row Spacing Models

Objectives: Identify multiple row spacing models used by soybean farmers and determine how these planting arrangements impact crop yield. Explore how row spacing influences the amount of access that a plant has to the natural resources it needs to grow. Recommend a row spacing model that considers overall yield, economic efficiency, and potential environmental threats for a hypothetical farmer.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1001/thumbnail.jp

Biological Variation

Objectives: Identify different phenotypes of corn (maize) kernels. Use ratios and sampling to determine which of two different ears of corn is most likely to have produced a given sample of kernels. Use Punnett Squares to determine the genotypes of the “parents” that produced the different kernel samples. Compare and contrast traditional selective breeding techniques with genetically engineering a desired trait in corn. Model the regulation of gene expression in a hypothetical cell. Discuss the potential role that epigentic variation may play in improving corn crops of the future.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1000/thumbnail.jp