Journal of Mathematics Education Leadership

Fall/Winter 2010-2011, Volume 13, Number 1

Articles in this issue

MOVING BEYOND THE WORD WALL: HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS USE LITERACY STRATEGIES

by: Ellen S. Friedland, Susan E. McMillen, Pixita del Prado
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AN ACTIVITY-BASED APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN THE MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM

by: Neal Grandgenett, Judith Harris, Mark Hofer

How can mathematics teachers design content-based, pedagogically effective instruction that integrates educational technologies in practical, feasible ways? This article presents a taxonomy of 31 different types of math learning activities, each with specific types of educational technologies recommended that can support them. These learning activity types are organized into seven genres that reflect the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ process standards: consider, practice, interpret, produce, apply, evaluate, and create. To use the taxonomy during instructional planning, teachers begin by identifying the learning objectives for a particular math lesson, project, or unit. Next, they select and sequence two or more math learning activity types, which are named according to what students do within them. Activity types that describe how students’ learning will be assessed are included in these choices. Finally, for each selected activity type, teachers consider the recommended educational technologies that appear in the taxonomy to see which, if any, are available and would assist students’ learning if incorporated into the design. Using the Mathematics Learning Activity Types Taxonomy in this way can help teachers to build their math TPACK—technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge—in pragmatic ways as they are planning for teaching. It can also support educators who are trying to make mathematics more comprehensible, practical, interesting and motivating for their students when they participate in diverse, engaging and technology-supported math learning activities.

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OBSERVING MATHEMATICS LESSONS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR PRINCIPALS TO BE UP-TO-SPEED?

by: Amy Shulman Weinberg
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USING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS PRODUCTIVELY: THE ROLE OF ADAPTATIONS.

by: Judy Mumme, Nanette Seago, Mark Driscoll, Rachel Wing DiMatteo
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Spring 2010, Volume 12, Number 1

Articles in this issue

CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP IN SELECTING MATHEMATICS MATERIALS

by: Deborah Spencer, June Mark, Julie Koehler Zeringue

Mathematics instructional materials play an important role in shaping what happens in the mathematics classroom, and therefore need to be chosen carefully. This article reports on an investigation of the mathematics materials selection process in districts and discusses the role that curriculum leaders play in those processes, and the opportunity that materials selection offers for mathematics program improvement. Research questions included: (1) What processes do school districts use in selecting mathematics textbooks? (2) What factors shape those decisions? (3) How does textbook selection differ in state-adoption and open-territory states? (4) What research do curriculum leaders find most useful in textbook selection? (5) What questions about mathematics textbooks do decision-makers need answered? This article draws on 150 interviews with mathematics curriculum leaders from districts in eight states. Findings about the role of the mathematics curriculum leader in facilitating the selection process for new mathematics instructional materials are discussed, and include the influence of district and state context, along with variations in the role that mathematics curriculum leaders play in the selection process. The article also describes the importance of determining which materials are the best fit for the district, and of building teachers’ commitment to using new materials. It also encourages leaders to consider their own role in the district materials selection process and how this process can promote improvement and bring greater coherence to a district’s mathematics program.

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SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION FROM EXPERIENCED TEACHER TO MATHEMATICS COACH

by: Fran Arbaugh, Kathryn Chval, John Lanin, Delinda Van Garderen, Liza Cummings
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PRINCIPALS’ VIEWS OF MATHEMATICS TEACHER LEARNING

by: Miriam Gamoran Sherin, Katherine A. Linsenmeier

School leaders are believed to play a central role in promoting mathematics teacher learning. Yet relatively little is known about the extent to which principals and other school leaders understand the nature of mathematics teaching and demands for mathematics teacher learning. This study examines principals’ professional vision of mathematics teacher learning, with a specific focus on how principals interpret challenges faced by mathematics teachers and the kinds of support they recommend providing in mathematics instruction. Data for the study come from interviews with thirty-five urban school principals, in which each principal was asked to respond to two mathematics teaching scenarios that called for improvements in instruction. Through phases of open and systematic coding and pattern identification, we found that most principals noticed three issues related to teacher learning — the 1) realistic nature of the scenarios, 2) role of the principal in affecting change in teachers’ practices, and 3) potential of professional development to support teacher learning. However, most principals did not deeply attend to the subject-specific nature of the scenarios. Results advance our theoretical understanding of the relationship between the practices of school leadership and teacher learning, including the role of established routines and generic versus subject-specific support.

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A DISTRICT MATHEMATICS LEADERSHIP TEAM: DEEPENING COLLECTIVE FOCUS

by: Cathy Kinzer, Janice Bradley
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Commentary on Critical Issues in Mathematics Education: WHAT ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT GAP? WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT—NOW!

by: Francis (Skip) Fennell, Mike Caraco, Beatriz S. D’Ambrosio, Felicia Phillips, Karen Mirkovich, Tom Reardon, Gail Yates

The article was influenced by sessions related to assessment presented at the 11th International Congress on Mathematics Education (ICME) held in Monterrey, Mexico in July 2008. It discusses challenges related to assessment and teaching practices that overemphasize high stakes assessment in the United States, as the country was about to release the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) and a plan to create rigorous assessments linked to the CCSS-M. The manuscript discusses a continuum of assessment distance and defines the assessment gap as the distance between types of assessments provided (e.g., classroom-based formative assessments, formal classroom exams, state-required assessments), noting that we are over-assessing far too many of our students and that while the assessments are many and varied, they are too often not connected to teaching and learning, suggesting that teachers need to regularly use assessment to help inform their teaching, and to assist them in determining student needs. To do this, the mathematics education community in the United States must focus on issues of student access and equity, and blend formative and summative assessment opportunities, if we are to honor and celebrate student knowledge and the knowledge base of the communities to which our students belong. The article closes with a series of questions for mathematics education leaders as they consider their own school or school district assessment plan and how they link such assessment opportunities to teaching and learning. 

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Spring 2009, Volume 11, Number 1

Articles in this issue

KEEPING TEACHER LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS CENTRAL IN LESSON STUDY

by: June Mark, Jane Gorman, Johannah Nikula

Lesson study in U.S. schools, inspired by the Japanese approach to teacher learning, can strengthen teaching and classroom instruction, and build teachers’ professional knowledge. Lesson study brings together small teams of teachers to develop, test, and refine classroom lessons. This article shares lessons learned from the authors’ experiences supporting teams of middle and high school mathematics teachers who used lesson study to investigate mathematics, curriculum, teaching, and student learning. This article shares some specific strategies for focusing lesson study on teacher and student learning of mathematics that emerged in this work. The strategies include: (1) doing mathematics together with colleagues, (2) analyzing the development of mathematical ideas in your curriculum, (3) examining the development of mathematical ideas across grades, (4) sharing expertise on teaching the selected topic, (5) anticipating student responses, (6) observing student thinking about mathematics, (7) focusing the post-lesson discussion on mathematical learning, and (8) bringing additional content expertise into the team’s work. Each strategy is situated in the context of a lesson study cycle using examples from actual lesson study teams. The article also highlights key strategies and reflection questions for instructional coaches or other leaders to consider when helping teams incorporate these strategies into their regular lesson study practice. 

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HIGH QUALITY COACHING USING THE LIECAL OBSERVATION INSTRUMENT

by: John C. Moyer, Connie Laughlin, Jinfa Cai
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IMPROVING MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION FOR ELL STUDENTS

by: Linda Griffin, Rhonda Barton
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THE INFLUENCE OF STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULA ON QUESTIONING IN THE CLASSROOM

by: Tim Jacobbe
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PREDICTION AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

by: Ok-Kyeong, Lisa Kasmer
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DEVELOPING A SHARED VISION FOR MATHEMATICS

by: Cathy Kinzer, Janice Bradley
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Spring 2008, Volume 10, Number 1

Articles in this issue

EFFECTIVE USE OF MANIPULATIVES ACROSS THE ELEMENTARY GRADE LEVELS: Moving Beyond Isolated Pockets of Excellence to School-Wide Implementation

by: Kathryn B. Chval, Robert Reys

This article discusses the research base on the use of manipulatives and strategies for leaders to help colleagues begin to use or strengthen their use of manipulatives so that effective school-wide implementation becomes a reality in more elementary schools.

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PRACTICES WORTHY OF ATTENTION: Improving Secondary Mathematics Teaching and Learning

by: Pamela L. Paek
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A LOCAL SYSTEMIC CHANGE PROJECT IN MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN LOW-PERFORMING DISTRICTS IN MAINE

by: Cheryl Rose, Francis Eberle
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UNCHARTERED TERRITORY: Using the Curriculum Focal Points as a Basis for Designing State Standards

by: Juli K. Dixon, Gladis Kersaint

Florida was the first state in the United States to develop state standards focused on rigor and coherence. This article describes the experiences of crafting state standards based on NCTM’s (2006) Curriculum Focal Points from the perspectives of two members of the state standards writing team. Decisions related to how to organize the standards, where to place Algebra 1, and ways to reconcile the issue of transforming instructional goals to learning objectives are shared. Implications for implementing new standards that diverge from existing standards such as how to communicate major differences from previous standards (a narrowed breadth and increased depth) are discussed and the outcome of providing remarks to further explain the new standards is presented.

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Fall 2008, Volume 10, Number 2

Articles in this issue

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Culturally Responsive Professional Development and Creating Professional Learning Communities in Guatemala

by: James Barta, Daniel Orey
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A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING DIFFERENCES ACROSS MATHEMATICS CURRICULA

by: Mary Ann Huntley
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INTERACTIONS WITH CURRICULUM: A Study of Beginning Secondary School Mathematics Teachers

by: Laura R. Van Zoest, Shari L. Stockero

The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) Summer Campus Program, held each summer since 1987, creates communities of learning that increase PreK-12 teacher’s mathematical knowledge while assisting them in the development of the pedagogical skills necessary to ensure that their increased understanding is transferred to student mathematical learning. Providing professional development that encourages teachers to examine their beliefs and practice while providing support in mathematics content and pedagogy is an on-going challenge for programs designed to promote implementation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The Summer Campus Program is designed to improve teachers’ content knowledge in mathematics in conjunction with examination of the methods of teaching mathematics embodied in the NCTM Standards. It is founded upon the principle that teachers learn best from their fellow teachers. In keeping with the view that successful professional development must take seriously the need to develop teachers themselves as experts, the Summer Campus program incorporates master teachers who have demonstrated sustained success with innovative instructional practices in their own classrooms. Master Teachers, under the direction of RUSMP’s Directors and university mathematics faculty, are responsible for planning the content of the Summer Campus Program. The RUSMP approach rests on the assumption that professionalism among mathematics teachers must include: a solid knowledge of mathematics, including the key concepts students must master; awareness of a variety of approaches to instruction and their appropriate use; and the ability to plan and reflect on instruction together with other teachers.

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GAUGING THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF REFORM-BASED CURRICULUM MATERIALS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN PROMOTING CHANGES IN TEACHER BELIEFS

by: Damon L. Bahr, Michael J. Bossé, Dennis Eggett
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TEACHER KNOWLEDGE AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: Revealing Patterns

by: Mourat Tchoshanov, Lawrence M. Lesser, James Salazar
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CURRICULUM STANDARDS, COURSE REQUIREMENTS, AND MANDATED ASSESSMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS: A Status Report of State Policies

by: Dawn Teuscher, Shannon W. Dingman, Nevels N. Nevels, Barbara J. Reys
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Spring 2007, Volume 10, Number 1

Articles in this issue

TEACHERS NEED TO SELL MATHEMATICS TEACHING: Reaching Out to Excellent High School Students

by: Alice F. Artzt, Frances R. Curcio, Naomi Weinman

This article addresses the mathematics teacher shortage by suggesting innovative recruitment methods.  It describes how recruitment into an undergraduate secondary mathematics teacher preparation program can occur while students are still in high school. One method described is as simple as having mathematics teachers extol the joys of teaching mathematics to their own students.  Another strategy is to specifically encourage their outstanding math students to consider teaching as a profession. A third very unique approach is for the college to host a math-teaching conference for high school students with motivating teacher speakers. The undergraduate mathematics teacher candidates facilitate the operation of the conference. An inspirational keynote speaker sets off the conference where over 300 students are in attendance. Speakers consist of high quality mathematics teachers who are asked to conduct workshops where they share their most innovative, engaging, hands on mathematical activities with the high school students.  At the end of their workshops they share the many reasons they love being a mathematics teacher.

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MAKING THE “CUT”: One District’s Strategy for Algebra Placement

by: Neal Grandgenett, Ph.D, Roberta Jackson

Some of the most discussed issues in mathematics education today involve Algebra and its instruction. These issues include the optimal timeline for when students first take a formal algebra course, the related selection process for getting into that first course and what algebra instruction should generally look like throughout the curriculum. Algebra isbeing recognized as a key “gate-keeper” course for high school and college success and has even been called an emerging civil rights issue” by some researchers and authors. When to place students into an algebra class and how to ensure that a student is ready for Algebra are both critical curriculum decisions for a district. In many districts, algebra placement is a process that may be undergoing considerable revision along with how algebra is integrated across the curriculum. This article describes one district’s approach for evaluating and revising their placement strategy for admitting students into their first middle school algebra course.

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THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERS AND TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICS.

by: Carole Greenes, Steve Rosenberg, Kathleen Bodie, Donna Chevaire, Charles Garabedian, Daniel Wulf, Ann Halteman, Kevin Wynn, Eileen Herlihy
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THE INTERPERSONAL SIDE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MATH.

by: Myriam Steinback, Kimberly Sherman
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WHAT?, WOW!, AND HMM…: Video Clips that Promote Discussion of Student Math Thinking

by: Katherine A. Linsenmeier, Miriam Gamoran Sherin
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THE PROBLEM-SOLVING CYCLE: A Model of Mathematics Professional Development.

by: Jennifer Jacobs, Hilda Borko, Karen Koellner, Craig Schneider, Eric Eiteljorg, Sarah A. Roberts

There is a growing consensus that mathematics teachers need to significantly expand their content and pedagogical content knowledge in order to make instructional improvements and provide increased opportunities for student learning. Long- term, sustainable professional development programs can play an important role in this regard. Our research team has spent the past several years developing a program called the Problem-Solving Cycle (PSC). This professional development model is grounded in a situative perspective on learning and draws upon theoretical and empirical evidence regarding the importance of professional learning communities and the value of using artifacts of practice to situate teachers’ learning in their classroom experience. The model takes into account the complexity of classroom teaching, the wide array of knowledge teachers need to promote the mathematical thinking of their students, and the long-term commitment required to develop such knowledge. In this article, we present the conceptual framework for the PSC, details of its enactment, and initial findings regarding its impact on teachers’ knowledge.

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AN AGENT OF CHANGE: NSF Sponsored Mathematics Curriculum Development .

by: Barbara J. Reys, Robert E. Reys

This article identifies factors that make it difficult for publishers of commercial textbooks to make significant changes consistent with curricular visions put forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Central among these factors is the lack of consensus of state standards on what and when certain topics in mathematics should be addressed. The variability of grade placement of key mathematics learning goals across different state standards results in excessive repetition and superficial treatment of topics in school mathematics textbooks.

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STATE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM STANDARDS AND REASONING

by: Ok-Kyeong Kim, Lisa Kasmer
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INTEGRATING NRC PRINCIPLES AND THE NCTM PROCESS STANDARDS TO FORM A CLASS LEARNING PATH MODEL THAT INDIVIDUALIZES WITHIN WHOLE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

by: Karen C. Fuson, Aki Murata

This paper integrates principles from two recent National Research Council Reports (How Students Learn and Adding It Up) with the NCTM Process Standards to form a Class Learning Path Model of classroom mathematics teaching that can help teachers achieve equity in mathematics learning by assisting all students to move forward within their own learning path to at least one general, mathematically-desirable, and accessible method. This model enables leaders to integrate research results from the national reports within a single equity perspective that can be used by teachers to individualize within whole-class activities. This model consists of three parts: three continuing teaching tasks that build a Year-Long Nurturing Meaning-Making Math Talk Community that enables students to move from and relate their entering informal math knowledge to formal academic math knowledge, four Classroom Learning Zone Teaching Phases used for each math topic to move all students along their own learning path, and Inquiry Learning Path Teaching that consists of seven responsive means of assistance that facilitate learning and teaching by all.

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Winter 2007, Volume 9, Number 2

Articles in this issue

LESSONS FROM A UNIVERSITY-K-12 PARTNERSHIP: Five Strategies for Mathematics Professional Development

by: Matthew G. Jones

The author summarizes his experience leading K-8 professional development in mathematics and incorporating multiple research-based approaches into a project. The strategies discussed are: giving teachers experience with mathematics content in a way that furthers teacher understanding, grappling with what reform-oriented teaching means in practice, giving teachers time to translate new ideas so that they can be enacted in the classroom, providing support for implementation, and providing time for reflection on the impact of any changes. The article focuses on how the five strategies were implemented in practice with teachers.

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MANAGER TO INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER: Developing Teachers as Leaders

by: Ted Hull
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REFORMING MATHEMATICS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS

by: Lesa M. Covington Clarkson, Lesley Craig-Unkefer
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FIDELITY AND ADAPTATION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS: Can They Co-Exist?

by: Nanette Seago

This paper investigates the relationship between fidelity and adaptation. It is intended for both professional development materials consumers and developers. We will identify the core principles of a set of well-specified professional development materials — Learning and Teaching Linear Functions — and use these to illustrate our argument about the relationship between fidelity and adaptation. We will propose a continuum of adaptation practices, from fatal to productive, maintaining that productive adaptations are ones that are consonant with underlying values and, in that way, expressions of fidelity. By explicating this continuum of adaptation practices and by playing out various scenarios where adaptation is called for, we attempt to shed light on how well specified core principles within professional development materials can provide access and opportunity for productive adaptations by facilitators.

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BUILDING COACHING CAPACITY THROUGH LESSON STUDY

by: Lucy West, Phyllis Tam, and Milo Novelo
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DEVELOPING CAPACITY WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BRING ABOUTCHANGE THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

by: Teruni Lamberg

Teacher professional development is important for supporting teachers to change their teaching practices. However, the effectiveness of the professional development depends upon teachers actually making changes in how they teach. Teachers need support within their school settings to create these changes. Therefore, cultivating capacity within the institutional setting of the school district is an important component of professional development. This article examines how boundary encounters between district leaders, teachers and professional developers/researchers can develop capacity for change within an institutional setting. The role of district leaders as brokers within a professional teaching community and the district leadership community is highlighted. This analysis contributes to the discussion on how institutionally established boundaries of communication can be broken to increase the speed, flexibility, and integration of new and innovative ideas. This paper documents how district leaders, researchers/professional developers and teachers working together can generate knowledge and resources to create an environment for changing math instruction within the institutional context of the school district.

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A MATHEMATICS TEACHER LEADER PROFILE: Attributes and Actions to Improve Mathematics Teaching & Learning

by: Jan Yow

Content specific teacher leadership is of growing importance. Based on a review of the literature, this article shares a profile of a mathematics teacher leader. The profile includes attributes and actions of a mathematics teacher leader – the characteristics and actions of a mathematics teacher leader that contribute to improved mathematics teaching and learning for all students. The profile includes 13 attribute - such as belief that all students can learn mathematics, all teachers can teach mathematics, and service as an advocate for both students and teachers -with accompanying actions that describe how a mathematics teacher leader enacts those attributes.

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Spring 2006, Volume 9, Number 1

Articles in this issue

WHAT IS THE FOCUS AND EMPHASIS ON CALCULATORS IN STATE-LEVEL K-8 MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM STANDARDS DOCUMENTS?

by: Kathryn Chval, Barbara Reys, Dawn Teuscher
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UNLATCHING MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS

by: Leslie Garrison, Olga Amaral, Gregorio Ponce
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THE COURAGE TO BE CONSTRUCTIVIST MATHEMATICS LEADERS

by: Florence Glanfield, Debbie Pushor

In this paper, we consider The Teaching Principle outlined in The Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) and the importance of teacher learning and continuous development in mathematics learning and pedagogy. We pose the question, “How might a professional development experience that invites teachers to become ‘autonomous learners’ (NCTM, 2000, p. 5) be organized?” In responding to that question, we begin, as narrative researchers, by sharing a story of collaboration in planning a summer institute about mathematics for K – 3rd grade teachers. We then unpack this story of the planning and implementation of the institute thinking about the tenets of constructivism, as outlined by Brooks and Grennon Brooks (1999), and about how these tenets contribute to the development of autonomous teacher learners.

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WHEN ONE SHOT IS ALL YOU’VE GOT: Bringing Quality Professional Development to Rural Mathematics Teachers

by: Jennifer L. Luebeck

Criteria for “powerful” professional development in mathematics have been well documented by researchers and organizations. Unfortunately, barriers of distance, time, and expense impede rural teachers from attending conferences, workshops, and college courses built on these recommendations. This paper proposes a professional development model that has successfully addressed these criteria, resulting in change in teacher knowledge, skill, and practice, with positive results for student learning. In particular, the model is analyzed against five curricular and structural criteria identified by research as essential for effective professional development: a focus on content knowledge, the use of active learning strategies, coherence with other learning experiences, sufficient duration of the experience, and collective participation by teachers.

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BALANCING ACCOUNTABILITY AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN URBAN SCHOOL REFORM

by: Linnea Weiland
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A FRAMEWORK FOR THE STRATEGIC USE OF CLASSROOM ARTIFACTS IN MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

by: Johannah Nikula, Lynn T. Goldsmith, Zuzka V. Blasi, Nanette Seago
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Fall/Winter 2005/2006, Volume 8, Number 2

Articles in this issue

MATHEMATICS LEADERSHIP NEEDED TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS: A Commentary on a Critical Issue in Mathematics Education

by: Lesa M. Covington Clarkson, Ross Taylor
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MENTORING MATTERS: HELPING TRANSITIONING TEACHERS

by: Dr. Nancy S. Lewis, Bonnie A. Swan
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GROWING TEACHER LEADERS FOR THE CLASSROOM

by: Mary S. Anderson
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Spring/Summer 2005, Volume 8, Number 1

Articles in this issue

CLOSING THE GAP THROUGH AN EXPLICIT FOCUS ON LEARNING AND TEACHING

by: Richard S. Kitchen, Julie DePree
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BIG IDEAS AND UNDERSTANDINGS AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS.

by: Randall I. Charles
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LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

by: James A. Middleton, Kay Coleman, San Juan
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Fall/Winter 2004/2005, Volume 7, Number 2

Articles in this issue

USING SCENARIO TASKS TO ELICIT TEACHERS’ ALGEBRAIC THINKING: A Recommendation for Professional Development

by: Frances R. Curcio, Daniel Scher, Sharon L. Weinberg
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CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT IN MIDDLE GRADES AND HIGH SCHOOL

by: George W. Bright, Jeane M. Joyner
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MATHEMATICS PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE: Some Things We Learned the Hard Way, and What We Do About Them

by: Michael A. Lundin, Mark Oursland, Mark Lundgren, Michael Reilly

The placement of students into mathematics courses at the collegiate level remains a contentious yet critical issue within mathematics education. This quantitative case study investigates the relationship between students' initial and final mathematics courses in high school and their first-year college GPAs. Utilizing high school and college transcripts from a comprehensive university located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the researchers analyze the impact of prior mathematics coursework on academic performance in higher education. The findings culminate in a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing the processes for guiding students toward effective placement in their first college mathematics course, thereby fostering improved educational outcomes.

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COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP HELPS TEACHERS LEARN TO USE STANDARDS-BASED LESSONS AND ANALYZE DATA.

by: Janet Herrelko

This qualitative case study documented the presentation of a standards-based workshop to three groups of teachers. Collaboration of business, government and education groups created these professional development workshops for teachers. The sites for the workshops included one urban setting and one suburban setting. Three workshops composed of three once a month sessions were presented (two in the urban district, one in the suburban district) and analyzed to reveal the beliefs teachers held regarding: standards-based lessons, the use of technology for lesson plans and data analysis. The most glaring needs of these teachers were the abilities to collect and record data from student work, analyze the data, and reporting the conclusions reached from those analyses. Recommendations were made for incorporating more opportunities for teachers to engage in collaborative planning and examinations of teaching methods. The information gained from this study should be useful to any districts that are trying to answer the question “What is quality professional development and what are some creative ways to fund it?”

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Spring 2004, Volume 7, Number 1

Articles in this issue

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THE NCTM STANDARDS: Lessons from the Rice University School Mathematics Project’s Summer Campus Program

by: Richard Parr, Anne Papakonstantinou, Heidi Schweingruber, Pablo Cruz

The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) Summer Campus Program, held each summer since 1987, creates communities of learning that increase PreK-12 teacher’s mathematical knowledge while assisting them in the development of the pedagogical skills necessary to ensure that their increased understanding is transferred to student mathematical learning. Providing professional development that encourages teachers to examine their beliefs and practice while providing support in mathematics content and pedagogy is an on-going challenge for programs designed to promote implementation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. The Summer Campus Program is designed to improve teachers’ content knowledge in mathematics in conjunction with examination of the methods of teaching mathematics embodied in the NCTM Standards. It is founded upon the principle that teachers learn best from their fellow teachers. In keeping with the view that successful professional development must take seriously the need to develop teachers themselves as experts, the Summer Campus program incorporates master teachers who have demonstrated sustained success with innovative instructional practices in their own classrooms. Master Teachers, under the direction of RUSMP’s Directors and university mathematics faculty, are responsible for planning the content of the Summer Campus Program. The RUSMP approach rests on the assumption that professionalism among mathematics teachers must include: a solid knowledge of mathematics, including the key concepts students must master; awareness of a variety of approaches to instruction and their appropriate use; and the ability to plan and reflect on instruction together with other teachers.

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Evaluating a New Mathematics Curriculum: A District’s Multi-Stakeholder Approach

by: Neal Grandgenett, Roberta Jackson, Connie Willits

Selecting a new curriculum and determining whether it will be an effective addition to the district’s instructional efforts can be one of the most challenging leadership tasks facing the district mathematics supervisor. This article describes a structured curriculum adoption and evaluation process undertaken by the Westside Community Schools in Omaha, Nebraska, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The curriculum evaluation process reviewed a new mathematics program being undertaken within the district that incorporated direct feedback from students, teachers, and parents. The evaluation strategies included a field test process involving three distinct field test groupings, with three matched control groups, to examine standardized test scores from 425 students. Surveys from 132 teachers, 596 parents, and 2,172 students were used within the comprehensive review process. The evaluation process appeared to work well for examining the impact of the new program and results confirmed that a full curriculum implementation was warranted in the 2003-2004 school year.

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Looking Inside the Classroom : Mathematics Teaching in the United States

by: Iris R. Weiss, Daniel J. Heck, Elizabeth S. Shimkus
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