Transcript Slide 1

Building partnerships to
strengthen mathematics teaching
and learning
Jim Lewis
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
My (relevant) background
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Math Professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
President, UNL Faculty Senate (1987 – 1988)
Chair of Mathematics (1988 – 2003)
Director, UNL Center for Science, Mathematics and
Computer Education (2003 – present)
• Chair of Writing Team for The Mathematical
Education of Teachers II
• PI for two NSF Math Science Partnerships
• Very interested in mathematics teacher education
Quick version of talk
• Need
– Improve K-12 mathematics education
– Strengthen the mathematical education of teachers
• Role for Mathematicians
• Importance of Partnerships
– Challenges
• Nebraska – An example of is possible
• Thoughts on engaging mathematicians
• Preliminary evidence that improvement is possible
Where might a mathematician have impact?
• Department of mathematics
– Quality of instruction in undergraduate math courses
– Mathematics courses for teachers
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University
Local Community
State, province or region
Nation
International
Goal: Strengthen the Mathematical Knowledge
of Nebraska Teachers (and K-12 Students)
Nebraska – 77,350 mi2
New England – 72,000 mi2
The Current U.S. Education System
Many K-12 students do not learn
challenging mathematics
Teachers are left to their own
devices in terms of continuing
their mathematical education
Those same prospective teachers
are apprenticed in classrooms of
teachers who themselves know
little mathematics
Those students enter college
unprepared for college
mathematics; the ones who do
understand mathematics often
do not to enter teaching
Future elementary teachers take
very few mathematics courses;
those taken by secondary
teachers do not prepare them to
develop mathematical
knowledge for teaching
The result
– Many teachers do not know the mathematics that
they will now be required to teach
– Many teachers do not have an opportunity to
learn that mathematics in preservice preparation
or professional development in any methodical,
sustained, planful way
Suzanne Wilson, former chair, Teacher Education at Michigan State,
presentation at the 2011 CBMS Forum on Teaching Teachers in the
Era of the Common Core
This impacts our daily lives
This was
located in
the upper
left hand
corner of
USA Today
In the U.S.
sometimes we
laugh about
our math
ability
9
And sometimes we just refuse to do math
10
A recent U.S. study linked math results
from the 2011 TIMMS and NAEP reports
• Here are some scores by nation or state based on the TIMSS
average of 500.
613 South Korea
611 Singapore
609 Chinese Taipei
570 Japan
561 Massachusetts
547 Vermont
545 Minnesota
532 Quebec (Canada)
512 Ontario (Canada)
511 Nebraska
510 Utah
509 United States
502 Arizona
502 Michigan
500 Louisiana
493 California
Is U.S. education making progress?
• … our overall public school system …
has shown little sign of
improvement, particularly in
mathematics and science
• The unanimous view of the
committee members … is that our
nation’s outlook has worsened.
• The two highest priority actions for
the nation … are to provide teachers
in every classroom qualified to teach
the subject they teach and to double
the federal investment in research.
The realities of scale
My view
Society (at least in the U.S.) expects our
universities to make a major contribution to
improving K-12 education and, in particular,
K-12 mathematics education.
and
Investing in high quality teachers is the single
most important thing we can do to improve
K-12 mathematics learning.
My view
and,
In today’s university environment,
it will help our mathematics
departments thrive if we are
recognized for major contributions to
mathematics teacher education.
Why involve mathematicians?
Because the mathematical knowledge
of teachers matters
The essential competencies of an effective teacher
are command of subject, preparation in effective
pedagogical practice, and high overall academic
performance.
To Touch the Future
American Council on Education
The Challenge
• What Mathematics do Teachers “Need to
Know” and How Should They “Come to Know”
Mathematics?
– What does it mean to offer challenging courses and
curricula for math teachers?
– How do we help teachers translate the mathematics they
come to know into classroom practice that leads to
improved student learning?
Recommendations from
The Mathematical
Education of Teachers II
• Prospective teachers need mathematics courses that develop
a solid understanding of the mathematics they will teach.
• Coursework that allows time to engage in reasoning,
explaining, and making sense of the math that prospective
teachers will teach is needed to produce well-started
beginning teachers.
• Elementary teachers – at least 12 hours on fundamental
ideas of elementary mathematics …
• Middle grades (5-8) teachers – at least 24 hours of
mathematics that includes 15 hours on fundamental ideas
of school mathematics appropriate for ML teachers.
• High School teachers – the equivalent of a major that
includes three courses with a primary focus on high
school mathematics from an advanced viewpoint.
MET2 recommendations
• Throughout their careers, teachers need opportunities for
continued professional growth in their mathematical
knowledge.
• All courses and PD experiences for mathematics teachers
should develop the habits of mind of a mathematical thinker
and problem-solver, such as reasoning and explaining,
modeling, seeing structure, and generalizing.
• At institutions that prepare teachers, teacher education must
be recognized as an important part of a math department’s
mission and should be undertaken in collaboration with math
education faculty. More math faculty need to become deeply
involved in PreK-12 math education by participating in
preparation and professional development for teachers
and becoming involved with local schools and districts.
Mathematicians cannot do it alone
Outstanding mathematics teaching requires
interdisciplinary knowledge, including:
– Mathematical knowledge
– Pedagogical knowledge
– Knowledge of the students you teach
Mathematics teaching is an extraordinarily
complex activity involving interactions among
teachers, students, and the mathematics to be
learned in real classrooms.
(National Math Panel, 2008)
The value added by a true collaboration with a
mathematics educator cannot be overestimated.
Partnerships
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Mathematicians
Mathematics Educators
Teacher Educators
K-12 Teachers
K-12 Administrators
Others ?
But Partnerships are hard to establish
and hard to maintain.
Historically
(before all of us got involved, of course)
Faculty in Colleges of Education thought teacher education
was their job. They taught many pedagogy classes and
educational psychology courses and certified teachers.
Faculty said that content knowledge was important,
but their requirements often told a different story.
Mathematicians taught math classes with a focus on
educating math majors for graduate school. They had little
respect for their students who wanted to be teachers,
especially students who wanted to be elementary teachers.
There was very little communication between the two
groups of faculty. At least this was true on my campus.
In this environment, developing a partnership is difficult.
Why are partnerships so difficult?
• Respect may be in short supply
Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not
fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who
has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make
messes in the house.
Reportedly a sign on the wall of Ron Graham’s office in
New Jersey – as reported in an article about Erdos in
The Atlantic Monthly, November 1987
Why are partnerships so difficult?
• There are cultural differences
Why Can’t a Woman, Be More Like a Man?
Professor Henry Higgins
My Fair Lady
Beliefs of Math and El Ed Faculty
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Strongly Disagree
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Disagree
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Agree
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Strongly Agree
El Ed Math Question
1.71 2.12 Stated from Traditional Viewpoint
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------2.00 2.92 Algorithms are best learned through repeated
drill and practice.
1.57 2.55 An advantage of teaching math is that there is
one correct answer.
2.00 3.22 Frequent drills on the basic facts are essential
in order for children to learn them.
1.83 2.70 Time should be spent practicing computational
procedures before children are expected to
understand the procedures.
2.83 2.14 The use of key words is an effective way for
children to solve word problems.
Beliefs of Math and El Ed Faculty
1
Strongly Disagree
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2
Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
El Ed Math Question
3.27 3.07
Stated from Reform Viewpoint
-----------------------------------------------------------------------3.29 2.25
Teachers should let children work from
their own assumptions when solving
problems.
3.86 2.78
Mathematics assessment should occur
every day.
2.71 3.40
Leading a class discussion is one of the
most important skills for a math teacher.
Barriers to a Successful Partnership at UNL
• Students took math courses before admission to
Elementary Education Program
• Methods courses grouped leaving no room for a
math class
• Math for Elementary Education was often taught by
graduate students or part-time lecturers
• Cultural differences in how instruction delivered and
students assessed
– Fall 2000 Undergraduate GPA by Department
• Math
2.53 (UNL’s lowest)
• Curr & Inst
3.64 (among highest)
(more)
Barriers to a Successful Partnership at UNL
• Math expectations seem to overwhelm students in
Elementary Education
• Student evaluations critical of math faculty
Type of Course
Faculty GPA
#Students
– Honors class
3.20
1,367
– All faculty courses
3.04
16,693
– Large Lectures
2.88
6,060
– Education Majors
2.48
726
Comments from a math class for
elementary school teachers:
(the course GPA was 2.93)
• This wasn't a course where we learn to teach math. Why
do we have to explain our answers.
• Tests are invalid. They ask questions we have never seen
before. It would help if we knew more about the
questions on the exams - If examples in class were used
on the exams.
• Her way of assessing her class aren't fair.
• There was never partial credit. When 20 people drop a
class ... there is an obvious problem. [Note: 3 of 33
students dropped the class.]
• Test materials were not consistent or reliable with the
material covered in class. Grading was very biased.
Comments from a Contemporary Math class
• (She) does a good job making the subject matter
interesting. She always seems very enthusiastic about
the class and and actual work. More teachers should be
like her.
• (She) is a great teacher with a love for her subject that
becomes addictive. It has really been my lucky pick to
have gotten her as an instructor.
• (She) made the class exciting. It is obvious she enjoys
math and teaching. She was always clear in her
expectations and directions.
• (She) was one of the best teachers I have had here at
UNL. She was always available for questions!
• This was a very good class. I failed the class last
semester with a different teacher but (she) did a
much better job and I am doing great in the class!
Ancient History
• 1987/88 – I was President of our Faculty Senate
• Fall 1998 – I became chair of the math department
• 1989 – Obtained state funding for JUMP, a junior testing
program to advice students about college
• 1989 – Small grant to develop a state math coalition
• 1990 – Applied for a Statewide Systemic Initiative grant.
• 1991 – 1998 Nebraska Math and Science Initiative
• 1995 – 1999 Math & Science Education Area of Strength
• 1996 – Permanent funding for the Center for Science,
Mathematics and Computer Education
Starting Over ~1999
• With the end of the SSI grant, we had a Center with
modest infrastructure funding but limited capacity to
fund new initiatives.
• In 1999, we formed partnership with the new math
supervisor for the Lincoln Public Schools (Matt Larson)
and together we managed to “co-fund” some
professional development workshops for teachers.
• I was heavily involved in several national publications:
– Towards Excellence: Chairing a Doctoral Mathematics
Department in the 21st Century
– The Mathematical Education of Teachers
– Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics and
Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium
Enter Ruth Heaton
Ruth was a student of
Maggie Lampert and
Deborah Ball at MSU.
Ruth and I formed a
partnership that has
lasted 15 years.
Our first joint effort
was Math Matters
a $200,000 CCLI grant
from NSF that started
January 1, 2000
Math Matters
A Mathematics – Education Partnership
Our Vision
• Create a mathematician – mathematics educator
partnership with the goal of improving the
mathematics education of future elementary school
teachers
• Link field experiences, pedagogy and mathematics
instruction
• Create math classes that are both accessible and
useful for future elementary school teachers
The result
• The Mathematics Semester
– Students in Elementary Education at UNL
participate in a 4-courses, integrated learning
experience where they take a math class, a math
methods class, a second pedagogy course, and
have a field experience in an elementary school
two days a week.
• Developed four math courses for elementary
education majors
Math in the Middle
Institute Partnership
• A 25-month (12 course) masters program that educates and
supports teams of outstanding middle level math teachers who
will become intellectual leaders in their schools, districts, and
ESUs.
• A major initiative to provide evidence-based contributions to
research on learning, teaching, and professional development.
• A special focus on rural teachers, schools, and districts.
M2 Goal
Invest in high-quality teachers in order to improve K-12 student
achievement in mathematics and to significantly reduce
achievement gaps in the mathematical performance of diverse
student populations.
Math in the Middle
Instructional Model
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SUMMER
Offer 1 and 2 week classes.
Class meets from 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
35 teachers – 5 instructors in
class at one time.
Substantial homework each
night.
End-of-Course problem set
– Purpose – long term
retention of knowledge
gained.
ACADEMIC YEAR
• Two-day (8:00 – 5:00) oncampus class session.
• Course completed as an online, distance education course
using Blackboard and Adobe
Connect.
– Major problem sets
– End-of-Course problem set
– Substantial support
available for teachers
Math in the Middle Teachers
156 teachers have earned a master’s degree.
A statewide partnership led by
university faculty
GOAL: An active, mature K-16 partnership that
can be sustained by state dollars and other grants
after the end of NSF funding and that links
mathematics teachers and school administrators
from across Nebraska with university
mathematicians and mathematics educators to
improve K-12 mathematics education in
Nebraska.
Primarily Math
• Focuses on strengthening the teaching &
learning of mathematics in grades K-3
• Six course, 18-credit hour program leading to
a K-3 Mathematics Specialist certificate
– 3 mathematics courses
– 3 pedagogy courses
• Optional 7th course focusing on leadership
• On-going support in the form of study groups
lasting 2 years after coursework
Primarily Math Teachers
Nebraska Algebra
• 9 hours of graduate coursework
– Math 810T: Algebra for Algebra Teachers
– EDPS 991: Cognition and Instruction for High School
Algebra Teachers
– TEAC 991: Field Studies in Mathematics
• Some districts are able to provide participants with
an algebra coach
– If a coach is not available, we provide a teacher mentor
• All teachers have a university mentor
New Teacher Network
• A program for secondary math teachers in their first
three years in the profession.
• 24 hours of graduate coursework
• A community of professionals sharing their
experiences as new teachers
• All teachers have a mentor
Nebraska Algebra/NTN Teachers
NSF Supported
Professional Development
• Math in the Middle Institute
– A master’s program for middle level (5-8) teachers
• Primarily Math
– An 18-hour certificate program for K-3 teachers
• Nebraska Algebra
– A 9-hour program for Algebra 1 teachers
• New Teacher Network
– A 24-hour PD and mentoring program for new teachers
• Robert Noyce NSF Master Teaching Fellowships
– A program for extraordinary master teachers
• Robert Noyce NSF Teaching Fellowships
– A postbac master’s and certification program
Sustaining the Partnership
• Nebraska Math and Science Summer Institutes
– Teachers get a 20% tuition discount
– We award about $75,000 in supplemental
fellowships each year to further lower the cost of
graduate education
– In Summer 2013, NMSSI Courses were offered in 12
Nebraska communities. (A total of 30 courses were
offered.)
– Approximately 10 high school teachers are earning a
masters each summer taking NMSSI courses.
– Between NMSSI & grant funded courses – 19.8% of
UNL summer graduate enrollment
– It is now possible to earn a master’s degree taking
all courses online.
Bringing graduate education
to Nebraska teachers
Courses were held in 12 cities: Ainsworth, Columbus, Fremont, Grand Island, Hastings,
Holdrege, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha and Scottsbluff
Sustaining the Partnership
• NebraskaMATH – Strengthening the UNL-OPS Partnership
– $5.45 million grant from The Sherwood Foundation® and the Lozier
Foundation
– Funds massive professional development for Nebraska’s largest and
most challenged district
– Primarily Math; Math in the Middle; NTN
• The Buffett Early Childhood Fund will fund a research and
PD initiative for pre-school teachers.
• LPS-UNL Professional Development program
– Title I funds will be used to fund cohorts of teachers in Primarily Math
and Math in the Middle
• An Improving Teacher Quality Grant will enable us to work
with grade 4-6 teachers in Scottsbluff
• The Educational Service Unit in Omaha is organizing all the
districts surrounding Omaha to offer Primarily Math to
another cohort of teachers.
Impact of NSF Supported
Professional Development
• Math in the Middle –
185 teachers
156 have earned a master’s degree
• Primarily Math –
282 teachers
225 have earned a K-3 Math Specialist Certificate
• Nebraska Algebra –
• New Teacher Network
75 teachers
64 teachers
• 61 still teaching in Nebraska
• Robert Noyce NSF Master Teachers
• Robert Noyce NSF Teaching Fellows
• Nebraska Math Summer Institutes
• These courses do not use NSF funds
30 teachers
13 teachers
1211 registrations
Impact on UNL
Many people are involved in NebraskaMATH
UNL faculty
- 17 from Math
Other collegiate faculty
UNL graduate students
- 54 from Math
UNL undergraduates
Master teachers
36
15
87
33
76
New math courses
for middle level and high school teachers
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Experimentation, Conjecture and Reasoning
Number Theory and Cryptology for teachers
Discrete Math for Middle Level teachers
Using Math to Understand our World
Math in the City for Teachers
Algebra for Algebra Teachers
Geometry for Geometry Teachers
Functions for Precalculus Teachers
High School Mathematics (I and II) from an Advanced
Viewpoint
• Statistics for High School Teachers
University support has been critical
• Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer
Education
– Permanent infrastructure providing staff support
• Math and Science Teachers for the 21st Century
Program of Excellence
– Approximately $350,000/yr for 13 years (2002-2015)
• Administrative Support
– Chair, Dean, Vice Chancellor, Chancellor
– University Foundation support for fund raising
Ideas for Creating and Sustaining Mathematics –
Mathematics Education Partnerships
1) Value integration of content and pedagogy.
2) Commit to a long-term partnership.
3) Build on existing relationships and capitalize on
strengths.
4) Appreciate mathematics for teaching as rigorous.
5) Mediate expectations for learning mathematics for
teaching.
6) Support one another’s goals.
7) Understand differences in how instruction is delivered.
8) Accept cultural differences in how students are assessed.
How?
• Leadership matters
• Be very specific when first asking a
mathematician to be involved
• Promote change gradually
• Respect each other and the contribution of
each discipline
• Support and reward mathematicians’ work in
K-12 educational work
Final thoughts from a former chair
• WHO are the mathematicians who take on
K-12 educational work?
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Senior mathematicians
Mathematicians who are parents
Mathematicians in leadership positions
Mathematicians who have someone to work with
Mathematicians who are asked
A new generation of mathematicians interested in
mathematics education
– Graduate students
An email from Ms. A who, as an undergraduate, took a math
class I taught and later was in the Primarily Math program.
• Did you know that when I first came to math block I:
1. Had never heard of a base 10 system. I didn't know that was
OUR number system, and I didn't know how it really worked.
2. Had never heard anyone talk about place value.
3. Had never been given a story problem without first being told
which operation to use.
4. Had never been asked to talk about or write about math.
5. Had been told to "show my work", but never to JUSTIFY my
answer.
6. Was terrible at mental math because I tried to do the algorithms
in my head. (It's hard to keep track of which numbers I borrowed
from and which numbers I "carried the one" for without paper!)
7. Was never presented with the fact that fractions can go on a
number line just like whole numbers.
I could go on …
A message from Ms. A
• Now none of those things are true! Now, I feel very capable
of doing math. Even if I don't know how to do a particular
problem, I know that I have strategies to get started and
persevere. In addition to that, now I feel like I know how to
help OTHERS feel capable of doing math successfully.
Ms. A is now an outstanding kindergarten teacher. She is part
of a district curriculum implementation team and we have
hired her as a master teacher to assist in our professional
development program for primary grade teachers.
Does NebraskaMATH make a difference?
Primarily Math teachers and the
Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Assessment
Primarily Math Teacher MKT
1
0.75
0.5
0.25
Ct 1
Ct 2
0
Ct 3LPS
2009
-0.25
-0.5
-0.75
-1
2010
2011
2012
Ct 3west
Control
Primarily Math Teacher Beliefs
Does NebraskaMATH make a difference?
The impact of a knowledgeable K-3 math coach on an
elementary school’s culture
Good Teachers Matter
Comparing state data to one district with good teachers
100
90
80
70
60
Nebraska
50
Gordon-Rushville
40
30
20
10
0
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
TEMA-3
Across 3 large
districts, 2009-2012,
grades K-3, we are
seeing consistent and
significant increases
in TEMA-3 scores,
particularly for
students who start
below average
Above, Fall
Above, Spring
At, Fall
At, Spring
Below, Fall
Below, Spring
Total people with complete data
139
125
313
285
153
141
551