Development of Courses and Recruitment Models for Attracting and Preparing Middle Grade Mathematics Teachers

University Of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

"Development of Courses and Recruitment Models for Attracting and Preparing Middle Grade Mathematics Teachers" is a three-year project that addresses the needs of middle grade mathematics teachers through the development and delivery of four foundational mathematics courses with accompanying support materials and the development and implementation of an aggressive teacher recruitment model. Funded under the Teacher Enhancement guidelines for Mathematics and Science Courses for Improving Teacher Qualifications, the project's leadership -- a collaborative between mathematics faculty from the College of Arts and Science and mathematics education faculty from the College of Education at the University of Missouri - Columbia -- develops three-credit courses designed to provide middle grade teachers with a strong mathematical foundation and connect the mathematics they are learning with the mathematics they will be teaching. Courses focus on algebraic and geometry structures, data analysis and probability, and the mathematics of change; and employ standards-based middle grade mathematics instructional materials as a springboard to learn mathematics in depth. The courses are designed for teachers choosing a grade-level change (primarily elementary), middle/secondary teachers in oversupplied disciplines, individuals seeking career changes for entry into teaching, middle grade mathematics teachers seeking to upgrade their content knowledge, and traditional pre-service middle grade mathematics teachers. The recruited teachers pilot the courses and supplemental materials [companion modules] in Summer Institutes and in semester courses offered at off-campus sites. The program of courses provides a core that leads to certification for teaching middle school mathematics for participants and others throughout Missouri and is informed by the current national recommendations of the CBMS Mathematical Education of Teachers Project, Draft Report. The first year of the project's timeline is devoted to the development of the courses and materials, including a contractual commitment from a professional publisher for the publication and national dissemination of the supplemental materials, and the development of recruitment models for identifying and attracting middle school mathematics teachers. The remaining two years are spent on implementing the recruitment models, field-testing, revision of materials, and dissemination in Missouri and nationally. Project evaluation focuses on participants' understanding of the fundamental mathematics concepts within each course, their knowledge of standards-based middle school mathematics instructional materials and how these relate to the mathematical content in the four courses, as well as the effectiveness of the courses on changes in teachers' classroom practice.