Mathematics

CLLC is working with New York City’s Office of English Language Learners (ELLs) to develop and deliver a series of professional-development sessions with school teams focused on improving mathematics achievements of ELLs. The sessions are intended to develop a handbook for middle-grades teams which will help them use student work analysis, summaries of research on learning mathematics, and structured lesson planning to improve mathematics instruction for ELLs.

The MathScape: Seeing and Thinking Mathematically Curriculum Center provides support to school districts using the MathScape curriculum. The center offers training institutes and workshops, hosts a Web site offering online support, develops implementation materials, and disseminates information about the curriculum’s effectiveness.

This research project investigates the effectiveness of online professional development programs for teachers. Specifically, it addresses three questions: (1) How effective are online programs in improving teachers’ content knowledge and classroom practices as compared with other models of professional development? (2) How do interactions among participants and facilitators differ across online models, and how do these interactions contribute to learning? and (3) What factors make for successful online professional development programs?

The FunWorks is a digital library of career exploration resources for youth ages 11 to 15. The FunWorks provides “real world” experiences and uses children’s current interests and passions, such as music and sports, to help them explore exciting future careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The site was designed for and by children—over 300 young people have participated in the design and launch of this one-of-a-kind collection from the initial concept to design, usability testing, and launch.

EEC’s YouthLearn Initiative has been awarded this sub-task of designing training materials for the IES-led dot-EDU—DRC—Improving Basic Education for Girls. This work has included revising existing training materials around student-centered learning and contributing to the design of a train-the-trainer professional development strategy.

EDC will create professional development modules to help middle-grades teachers improve accessibility to the general mathematics curriculum for students with mild to moderate disabilities. At the center of each module will be a DVD that shows classroom footage of accessibility strategies in action. In addition to the videotape, each module will include a facilitator’s guide with professional development activities, handouts, PowerPoint slides, and other resources.

Working under the direction of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, AIM at Middle-Grades Results will work with math accessibility experts at EDC to develop two videos and accompanying professional development materials and an online course. Teachers will learn how to plan lessons and assessments with an accessibility lens. This three year effort is one of four comprehensive school improvement models that will develop, pilot, and disseminate resources.

This project addressed gaps in the current state assessment system and explored the following questions: Where are the gaps in the assessment system? Who are the students affected by these gaps? What are the appropriate assessment systems for students in the gaps? After answering these questions, the project developed and piloted an assessment prototype to address the problem and meet student needs. Completed research studies are available on the project Web site. TMAS is a cross center project with EEC and FSC within EDC.

GSDL provides high-quality digital resources to: (1) help educators promote interest and engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education by learners of all ages, particularly females; (2) encourage learners to pursue science education and future careers in science; (3) provide an inter-disciplinary examination of the role of gender in the creation, teaching, and learning of science; and (4) build community among all interested users for the purposes of inquiry, information exchange, best practices development, and mentoring.

The question about how (and what) teachers learn “on the job” lies at the crux of any effort to provide high-quality teachers for students. Focusing on mathematics teachers, this project will help shape the agenda for future research by identifying those aspects of teacher learning that have been firmly established, those aspects which bear further investigation, and those aspects about which little is currently known, but which are likely to be important for developing a full picture of teachers’ on-the-job learning.