Article Museums, Zoos, and Gardens: How Formal-Informal Partnerships Can Impact Urban Students’ Performance in Science Meryle Weinstein 1 , Emilyn Ruble Whitesell 2 , and Amy Ellen Schwartz 1,2,3 Abstract Background: Informal science education institutions (ISEIs) are critical partners in public science education, as they support the science efforts of school systems by providing authentic opportunities for scientific inquiry. This study reports findings from an evaluation of urban advantage (UA), a collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and eight ISEIs designed to improve science education in New York City (NYC) middle schools. Now in its 10th year, the program harnesses the resources and expertise of NYC’s ISEIs to (a) enhance the science content knowledge 1 Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY, USA 2 Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, New York, NY, USA 3 Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA Corresponding Author: Meryle Weinstein, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, 665 Broadway, Suite 805, New York, NY 10012, USA. Email: meryle.weinstein@nyu.edu Evaluation Review 2014, Vol. 38(6) 514-545 ª The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0193841X14553299 erx.sagepub.com at Bobst Library, New York University on March 25, 2015 erx.sagepub.com Downloaded from