Frequently Asked Questions

Currently, 6th-8th grade math, 8th grade Algebra I, and 9th grade Algebra I teacher are eligible to join the Fellowship. As our program continues to expand, we may add additional grades and/or content areas.

FUSE tuition is $3,500 per teacher each year. However, tuition for the 2024-2025 school year is discounted to $2,350. 

No, the Science of Engagement is a series of cognitive and motivational science techniques that enhance your current instruction, curriculum, and assessment systems. 

Upon completion of FUSE activities and attendance at FUSE events, Fellows receive a $1,000 annual honorarium. The honorarium is broken into two payments at the end of each semester.

We will take this on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to Ryan Smith at ryan.smith2@austin.utexas.edu to discuss. 

The FUSE virtual coaching sessions are one-hour meetings where Fellows and FUSE Lead Facilitators engage with coaching around the implementation of the Science of Engagement modules. They take place over five different week-long periods during the year and Fellows choose which session they attend based on their own schedules. Fellows can find the schedules in Canvas. 

The fall and spring Professional Learning Institutes are day-long virtual sessions for all FUSE Fellows where they learn additional practices from the Science of Engagement, receive coaching, and review results from the Student Engagement Modules. Fellows can find the schedules in Canvas. 

Fellows will join the session on their own device and join from a quiet space. We ask that if needed, teachers be allowed to work off-campus these days.

Students in each FUSE Fellow’s classroom will take three Student Engagement Modules throughout the year. These modules allow 6ortunities for 6^th-9^th grade students to learn similar aspects related to the Science of Engagement as their teachers but through the lens of an adolescent. There are also a few questions embedded into the modules, and FUSE Fellows receive reports based on how their students respond to those questions. 

The FUSE Showcase occurs at the end of each year of the Fellowship. It is an opportunity for each Fellow to share how FUSE has supported their efforts over the year to improve self-identified change goals. Fellows can either deliver this presentation live during a virtual session or submit a recorded video.  

All FUSE Fellows receive the same key elements of the program: in-person and virtual events, a stipend, student modules and data, and coaching. Because there are more elements to the science of engagement than can be mastered by a teacher in any year, then the content is split up into cohorts in the fellowship. This allows the FUSE facilitators who specialize in different aspects of the science of engagement to be spread equitably across the fellows. Two smaller cohorts are intentionally constructed each year to maintain a more intimate size, and foster diversity of thought, experience, and regional/district demographics. Teachers stay with their assigned cohorts throughout the Fellowship.

All FUSE fellows will learn the same Science of Engagement content throughout their fellowship experience, but they may receive the content in a different sequence. This will be done to accommodate the logistical and staffing needs mentioned in response to the question above. Because FUSE is a learning community, the content and modules will be iteratively updated and assessed to maximize efficacy.

Fellows will experience a mix of whole-group and breakout sessions with smaller groups. Breakfast and lunch is provided all three days.

They will receive a detailed agenda upon arrival, but here is an overview:

The FUSE Summer Professional Learning Institute for first-year Fellows is June 25-27 and the Professional Learning Institute for second-year Fellows is July 8-9. Click here for more information about each event. 

Fellows who are unable to attend the in-person PLI on June 25-27 can attend the Virtual PLI in July. It will be a blended approach of synchronous virtual sessions and independent asynchronous work. The Virtual PLI kicks off with a three hour session on July 11th and closes with a three-hour virtual session on July 17th. Fellows who notify FUSE staff that they are attending the Virtual PLI will receive all the relevant information needed to participate. 

All FUSE Fellows earn the $1,000 Honorarium whether they attend the in-person PLI or the Virtual PLI.

Fellows will experience a mix of whole-group and breakout sessions with smaller groups. Breakfast and lunch is provided both days.

They will receive a detailed agenda upon arrival, but here is an overview: