Creative Use of Pencils

Kentucky Center for Mathematics

Linda Jensen Sheffield, Executive DirectorKirsty Fleming, Project Director

Gary Palmer, Director of Coaching ProgramsAlice Gabbard, Director of Intervention Programs

Jonathan Thomas, Assistant Director of Intervention ProgramsBill Nostheide, Technology Director

The Kentucky Center for Mathematics will make available professional development for teachers in reliable, research-based diagnostic assessment and intervention strategies, coaching and mentoring models, and other programs in mathematics.

House Bill 93signed March 2005

･ Create a shared vision of high-quality mathematics instruction.

･ Enhance Pre-K through 16 teachers’ mathematics knowledge and ability to differentiate instruction.

･ Enhance the awareness and knowledge of Pre-K-12 teachers, adult educators, and postsecondary faculty regarding effective mathematics resources and provide them the support necessary to use the resources effectively.

Committee for Mathematics Achievement

Goals and Objectives

Collaborations

Kentucky Department of Education Council on Postsecondary Education Educational Professional Standards Board STEM Task Force Public and Private Postsecondary Institutions Appalachian Mathematics and Science Partnership (AMSP) Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI) Adult Education/GED Collaborative Center for Literacy Development (CCLD) Edvantia Council of Chief State School Officers Gear-Up Kentucky Regional Educational Co-operatives Regional Special Education Co-operatives Math/Science Leadership Support Network

www.kymath.org

The Futures Channel

Go to the website:www.thefutureschannel.comScroll to the bottom of the

opening page and click “site map”

Scroll down and find/click “Kentucky Schools”

Kentucky page should come up – Enter your name and school

Diagnostics and Intervention

Mathematics Coaching

Two Main Programs

Regional Support

Santa = Tooth Fairy + 275 pounds

Maybe = Yes/No + No/Yes

Parallel Parking = Bumper Cars – Amusement Park

Crazy = Talking to Oneself – (Cell Phone + Ear Piece)

Nagging = Reminding + Reminding + Reminding

New Math, Equations for Living by Craig Damrauer

New Math

Equations for Living

KCM Diagnostic Intervention Program

A state-wide commitment to assessing a child’s current status and adjusting mathematics instruction accordingly.

Mathematics InterventionTeachers (MITs)

Diagnosis and Intervention

Approximately 1,900 primary students are being served by 46 Mathematics Intervention Teachers (MITs) during the 2006/2007 school year.

Alice Gabbard (KCM Director of Diagnostic Intervention Programs) and the Regional Coordinators are providing on-line and in-person support to the MITs.

Diagnosis and Intervention

Forty one new MITs were selected in January 2007. The KCM will make available, in 2007-2008, advanced training for existing MITs and introductory training for new MITs.

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Middle Grades Pilot Programs

The Middle Grades Mathematics Pilot Program is designed to measure the effectiveness of distinct mathematics programs to improve teacher knowledge of content and pedagogy while increasing student achievement.

Middle Grades Pilot Programs

Three programs are currently being studied: America’s Choice Carnegie Cognitive Tutor I Can Learn

Jonathan Thomas (KCM Assistant Director of Diagnostic Intervention Programs) is coordinating the research on these programs.

Research and Data Collection

Primary and Middle Grades Intervention Programs

Subjects Data CollectedTeachers Content knowledge

Pedagogical content knowledgeAttitudes and beliefsFocus groups, surveys and anecdotal data

Administrators Surveys and anecdotal data

Students Content knowledgeAttitudes and beliefs

More Pencils

Watermelon Cubes

A PictureCan

Generate1,000

Problems

KCM Coaching Program

A State-wide Commitment to Improving Mathematics Professional Development

Tony Wagner’s Theory of Change

““Teachers, working alone, with little Teachers, working alone, with little

or no feedback on their instruction, or no feedback on their instruction,

will not be able to improve will not be able to improve

significantly, no matter how much significantly, no matter how much

professional development they professional development they

receive.”receive.”

Essential Features of Teacher Professional Development

1. It must be grounded in inquiry, reflection, and experimentation.

2. It must be collaborative.3. It must be sustained and ongoing.4. It must be connected to teachers’ work.5. It must engage teachers in concrete tasks.

Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995

Essential Features of Teacher Professional Development

Instructional Coaching addresses

all of these critical professional

development features.

What is a Coach?

Mathematics Coach - (defn) a school-based professional developer who collaborates with educators to identify and assist with the implementation of proven teaching methods.

What is Coaching?

“Coaching is not telling people what to do; it’s giving them a chance to discuss and examine what they are doing in the light of their intentions.”

Flaherty, 1999

What is Coaching?

What is Coaching?

Installation Guaranteed

The Impact of Coaching(Joyce and Showers, 1998)

2006-2007 KY Coaching Cohort

67 Mathematics Coaches 17 High School, 13 Middle School, 37

Elementary School 58 Female, 9 Male

28 Districts

Working with approximately 800 teachers

Mathematics Coaches

Coach Locations

Benefits of Coaching

Coaching gives schools the ability to share, every day, the skills of a highly qualified peer.

The coach serves as a catalyst for building collaborative and reflective teachers.

Training becomes personalized.

Benefits of Coaching continued

Coaching builds on a decade of research that suggests school-based, job-embedded training is the best way to sharpen teacher skills. (Making Our Own Road, Richard, 2003)

Flexibility allows coaching strategies to be aligned with a school’s instructional goals and Kentucky’s core content.

The Big Four

A Coach’s Focus:

Classroom Management Content Knowledge Instructional Strategies Assessment Strategies

Jim Knight, Instructional Coaching, 2007

High Cognitive Demand

“Opportunities for student learning are not created simply by putting students into groups, by placing manipulatives in front of them, or by handing them a calculator.”

NCTM Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics, 1991NCTM Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics, 1991

Factors Associated with Decline of High Cognitive Demands

1. Students press the teacher 2. Teacher shifts the emphasis to correctness3. Not enough time to wrestle with the

problem4. Classroom management5. Task not relevant to students6. Students are not held accountable

A Coach’s Charge

Foster Teamwork

Teacher Attitudes

Teachers are more educated than ever before.

The ratio of teachers that resign within the first five years:

1 out of 2 (National Education Assoc.)

Teacher Efficacy and Coaching

Cognitive Coaching positively impacts teacher’s beliefs and attitudes.

Those who went through training were not only more satisfied with their careers, they had more enthusiasm and joy for teaching. (Edwards and Newton, 1993)

Teachers high in efficacy tend to:

experiment more with teaching methods (i.e. differentiation, questioning strategies, etc.)

plan more

persist longer with students that struggle

spend more time talking with colleagues about teaching

Cohort Comments

Coaches “We are working more as a community. We

are developing common assessments and teachers are following a curriculum map.”

“I’m facilitating a math focus group at the high school. It encourages teachers to meet regularly and share ideas for worthwhile tasks and assessment strategies.”

Program Specifics

Training Support Funding Application

Support for the Coaches

Summer Training Math Solutions – 5 days

Math content, pedagogy, instructional strategies Cognitive Coaching – 2 days

Coaching skills Administrator Joins Coach – 1 day

Planning, Implementation, Maintenance

Follow-up Training Three 2-day training sessions are planned

during the school year where teachers will further learn and refine their coaching skills

Support for the Coaches

Regional Coordinators Part time field support for the coaches – each is

located at a state university Affinity Groups

Weekly conferences via the internet where coaches can network

The Kentucky Center for Mathematics Established in March 2006 at Northern Kentucky

University to support mathematics initiatives in Kentucky

Funding

The KCM pays for: Training

Math Solutions & Cognitive Coaching Travel, Meals, Lodging Stipend and Substitute pay Coaching Materials & Online Conferencing

equipment

The School pays for: The coach’s salary

Funding a Coach

Possible Options: Use Title I & II funds Creative Scheduling with Current Staff Hire a retired teacher part time Two schools share a coach

More than two schools is detrimental

District level coach Must not have evaluative responsibilities

2007-2008 Cohort

Applications are Due April 13, 2007 Visit the coaching page on the KCM

Website for more details:www.kymath.org

Contact Gary Palmer with questions:palmerg@nku.edu