Charting a Course for the Future: A Wisconsin Perspective

Kevin McLeod

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Department of Mathematical Sciences

MSP STEM Summit

Washington, D.C.

December 12, 2007

Presentation outline

Background on Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership

Wisconsin licensure and UW-M teacher preparation programs

UW-M Mathematics Focus courses Questions and Challenges

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP)

• Core partners:o University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)

o Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)

o Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

UW-Milwaukee

One of two public doctoral research universities in Wisconsin

Over 28000 students 13% of new freshmen are

MPS graduates Degrees/certifies 65% of

MPS teachers

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Largest Midwest 2-year technical college

57,000 students at 4 campuses (13,400 FTEs)

21% of new freshmen are MPS graduates

Milwaukee Public Schools 93,000 students in 218 schools Largest school district in Wisconsin 27th largest district in the nation Nearly 6200 teachers 87% minority student population:

58% African American, 20% Hispanic, 13% White, 5% Asian, 1% Native American

75% receive free or reduced lunch Student achievement is well below state averages;

gaps persist for all subgroups(Source: 2005-2006 MPS Report Card)

UWM/MATC Mathematics Faculty Involvement with MMP Activities

Mathematics course design teams Monthly Teacher Leader meetings Writing and validating learning targets for

grades K-8 Validating Classroom Assessments Based on

Standards for grades 2-8 College placement test preparation

materials Accelerated/intensive sections of remedial

college math courses Summer bridge program

Wisconsin Teacher Licenses

Early Childhood (ECE, Birth-age 8)

Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence (MCEA, grades 1-8)

Early Adolescence through Adolescence (EAA, grades 6-12)

UWM MCEA Program Structure

Required of all MCEA students: 2 content area minors, 18 semester-hours each

Option A:Mathematics or Natural Sciences

Option B: Social Studies

or English/Language Arts or Bilingual/ESL/World Languages

The Mathematical Education of Teachers (MET) Report

Joint publication of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America, 2001

Recommends coursework for prospective teachers at elementary grades, middle grades, and high school

MET Report Recommendations

Prospective middle grades teachers of mathematics should be required to take at least 21 semester-hours of mathematics, that includes at least 12 semester-hours on fundamental ideas of school mathematics appropriate for middle grades teachers.

CBMS. (2001). The Mathematical Education of Teachers.

MET Report Recommendations

Prospective middle grades teachers of mathematics should take coursework in:Number and OperationsAlgebra and FunctionsMeasurement and GeometryData Analysis, Statistics and Probability (Optionally) Calculus, focusing on concepts and applications

CBMS. (2001). The Mathematical Education of Teachers.

UWM Mathematics Focus Area Courses for MCEA Majors

Problem Solving Geometry Discrete Probability and Statistics Algebraic Structures Calculus Experience

Prospective teachers need mathematics courses that develop a deep understanding of the mathematics that they teach.

The mathematical education of teachers should be seen as a partnership between mathematics faculty and mathematics education faculty.

There needs to be more collaboration between mathematics faculty and school mathematics teachers.

MET Report Recommendations

Design Team Philosophy for Pre-service Courses

Mathematics faculty provide rigorous mathematics content.

Mathematics education faculty focus on mathematical knowledge for teaching.

Classroom teachers (Teacher-in-residence) make connections to classroom practice.

Teachers-in-Residence Experienced teachers from the

Milwaukee Public Schools.

On special assignment at the university.

Link academic teacher preparation and urban classroom practice. 

Align teacher preparation and K-12 reform initiatives.

MPS Mathematics Fellows Program

MCEA minor offered to practicing MPS teachers, over 15 months

53 teachers enrolled in at least one course

27 completed at least 4 courses 10 completed 4 focus courses,

Intermediate Algebra, and Calculus

Questions and Challenges

How can teachers acquire the content knowledge they require to teach mathematics?

How can STEM faculty contribute to this process?

o Especially in-service teacherso Especially middle-grades teachers

o Graduate credit in mathematics for middle-grades teachers?

MMP website www.mmp.uwm.edu

DeAnn Huinkerhuinker@uwm.edu

Kevin McLeod kevinm@uwm.edu