Teaching Reflectively: Extending and Sustaining Use of Refo rms in the Mathematics Classroom

staff:	Kay Coleman (Principal Investigator) Kim Hertzog (Project Director) Kristine Morris (Support Staff)
grant award #:	9911849
funding began:	02-01-2000
funding ends:	01-31-2004
project focus:	Math
grade levels:	Elementary,Middle School
abstract:	9911849 COLEMAN This four-year Local Systemic Change project is designed to lead all teachers of mathematics in the Madison School District to use reflective teaching strategies and to sustain these instructional changes over time. The Madison District, in collaboration with Arizona State University, will provide professional development for all K-8 teachers over the life of the project. The TREASURmath project will assist teachers in implementing the NSF-funded curricula (Connected Mathematics Project and Investigations in Number, Data and Space) adopted in the district. During the project each participant will take either an algebra or geometry course provided by Arizona State University. This content course will broaden and deepen participants' understanding of mathematics. All participants will also take part in a weeklong curriculum-specific summer institute, which will help them develop the content, pedagogical, technological, and research knowledge to teach reflectively. The institute will be offered at three levels to accommodate teachers who have had differing levels of experience and participation in prior professional development. Also, all teachers will take part in grade level meetings one half-day every two weeks. Thirteen Mathematics Teacher Leaders (MTL) will be released half time to provide ongoing support and direction to the teachers in their schools. The impact of this project will be on 347 teachers in seven schools who serve over 5,000 students.