Lancaster Children Excelling in Mathematics

School District Of Lancaster, Lancaster PA

Investigators

Abstract

Funded under the guidelines for Local Systemic Change (LSC) through Teacher Enhancement, this five-year project is a collaboration among the School District of Lancaster (Pennsylvania), LaSalle University, and the Education Trust. The project supports professional development and curricular implementation for 400 teachers of mathematics in grades K-12 and 30 administrators, to meet the District's goal of having 90% of students meet high mathematics standards by 2005. Lancaster's LSC plan includes: 1. 180 hours of professional development for 400 mathematics/support teachers in implementing Everyday Mathematics in grades K-6, Impact in grades 7-8, and NSF-supported instructional materials (Interactive Mathematics Program, Core-Plus, or Math Connections) as the core for all mathematics students in grades 9-12. 2. An additional 90 hours of staff support through modeling, coaching, and collaboration with internal and external mentors. 3. 150 hours of instructional leadership training for administrators and school-based mentors (Instructional Facilitators). 4. Community mathematics fora on supporting mathematics learning. School-based Instructional Facilitators (IF) provide daily support for teachers in improving teaching and learning through modeling, coaching and facilitating teacher collaboration. Each of the District's thirteen elementary schools, four middle schools, one alternative secondary school, and one high school has at least one IF. In addition to the required LSC core evaluation, the project's evaluation includes a student achievement component: (a) the Pennsylvania State Assessments measuring students' progress in mathematics at grades 5, 8, and 11; (b) the New Standards Reference Exam measuring students' progress in mathematics at grades 4, 7, and 10; and (c) district-wide, 9-week assessments (performance-based tasks adopted and adapted from nationally recognized assessments, including Exemplars and Maryland State Assessments) measuring students' progress throughout the year in mathematics at grades 3, 5, 8, and 11.