Renewing Mathematics Teaching Through Curriculum (RMTC)

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9618896 Van Zoest Renewing Mathematics Teaching through Curriculum (RMTC) is a collaborative of fifteen high schools in southwestern Michigan that have recently adopted the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) instructional materials in their quest to improve mathematics teaching so that all students can develop mathematical power. In this four-year professional development and curricular implementation project, all 154 mathematics teachers in the targeted schools participate in an integrated, reflective cycle of teacher enhancement activities comprised of eight-day summer sessions, biannual meetings of all participants, and regular and frequent contact among teachers in school buildings that includes peer mentoring, class observations, common planning periods, and small-group meetings. Each teacher participates in an average of 382 hours of professional development over a three-year period. As a Local Systemic Change through Teacher Enhancement in Mathematics, Grades 7-12, project, RMTC has five key elements: (1) RMTC is integrally connected with the exemplary curriculum that the collaborative teachers use in their classrooms; (2) the approach that RMTC takes to professional development is consistent with the approach the exemplary curricula take to student learning; (3) RMTC acknowledges that systemic change in mathematics education requires the commitment and understanding of the communities beyond the mathematics department and school; (4) RMTC takes advantage of the unique strengths the individual schools bring to the collaborative to help in overcoming each other's weaknesses; and (5) the formation of RMTC was initiated by teachers and continues to be guided by both teachers and administrators in the collaborative schools. The project will also produce products to share the ideas generated by RMTC with other districts that are facing the challenge of implementing an innovative mathematics curriculum. A WWW site will permit immediate dissemination of information and, by the conclusion of the project, summary products will be produced in multimedia format (CD-ROM), as well as paper copy. Non-federal cost-sharing in the project is over $ 750,000, of which more than $ 150,000 is derived from Western Michigan University and approximately $ 600,000 from the participating school districts.