Title: Preparing Virginia.s Mathematics Specialists
Lead Partner: Virginia
Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University, in conjunction
with the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, two university core
partners (Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia) and
5 school district core partners offers an NSF Institute to prepare K-5
middle school Mathematics Specialists. Two cohorts of 25 teachers each
earn Masters Degrees in mathematics content and educational leadership,
which encompass the proposed activities specified for licensure as a Mathematics
Specialist by the Virginia Department of Education. Participants are
recruited from participating school systems across the state, representing
diverse populations, based on recommendations from school administrators.
The school system agrees to assign teachers who complete the Masters
Degree program to be licensed as Mathematics Specialists with sufficient
non-classroom time to carry out their responsibilities as specified under
the established Virginia description for Specialist.
The Institute
features: Four-week residential sessions in three successive summers (repeated
for a second cohort) with extensive academic year follow-up program; one
academic year distance learning class; and one academic year practicum/project
class. Courses are team-taught by university mathematics and mathematics
education faculty along with school system Master Teachers and Mathematics
Supervisors.
The Intellectual Merit of the project responds to
the need to prepare a core of Virginia's first Mathematics Specialists
for assignment in K-5 schools following the Virginia's Department of Education
endorsement of the concept of Mathematics Specialists to lead mathematics
instruction in schools across Virginia. Specialists will be leaders within
their schools assisting colleagues in teaching the mathematics their students
need in preparation for advanced mathematics and science curricula in
future years and leading teacher professional development.
The Broader
Impacts of this project are reflected in the mathematics interest and
preparation of Virginia's K-5 students resulting in increased mathematics
ability and achievement. The enhanced preparation and motivation enhances
achievement of students in mathematics and science curricula during their
succeeding K-20 studies. The project and its research/ evaluation based
refinements serve as a model for the preparation of Mathematics Specialists,
which will be sustained by partner institutions and adaptable to other
Virginia and national Specialist training programs.
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