A Greater Birmingham Partnership: Building Communities of Learners and Leaders in Middle School Mathematics

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ABSTRACT-0412373A Greater Birmingham Partnership (GBMP): Building Communities of Learners and Leaders in Middle School Mathematics is fundamentally targeting the improvement of middle school mathematics, with implications for both future and current teachers, and with a secondary focus on high school teachers of mathematics. The core partners include the lead organization, Birmingham-Southern College, as well as, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and eight Greater Birmingham Alabama school districts: Bessemer City, Fairfield City, Homewood City, Hoover City, Jefferson County, Mountain Brook City, Shelby County, and Vestavia City School Systems. A significant supporting partner is the Mathematics Education Collaborative (MEC) of the State of Washington.The overarching goal of the GBMP is to significantly improve the mathematics achievement of approximately 22,000 students in grades 6-8, while narrowing the mathematics achievement gaps among varied populations of students, through a number of strategies, which include: (A) engaging all 274 middle grades teachers of mathematics in a series of mathematical content courses centered on deep mathematical problems; (B) leadership development of middle grades teachers as members of Mathematical Support Teams (60 teachers), Mathematics Focus Groups (40 teachers), and Mathematical Study Groups focused on special topics; (C) design/modification of university mathematics courses for pre- and in-service teachers, including the integration of engineering ideas that will focus students on the powerful application of mathematical ideas; (D) placement of interns in classrooms of teachers that model exemplary practices in mathematical instruction; (E) establishment of teacher certification in middle grades mathematics; (F) parental engagement as advocates for high quality mathematics for all students; (H) enhancement of the capacity of administrators to identify and support quality mathematical instruction; and (I) exploration of research questions associated with mathematical learning by middle grades students (metacognitive processes, motivation, social interaction, accommodations), efficacy of professional development strategies, obtaining consistency of solid mathematical reform in eight disparate-some of which serve very privileged populations and others which serve extremely disadvantaged populations-school districts simultaneously, studying pedagogical change in university faculty as a result of their collaborations with K-12 districts, and optimizing features of mesosystems-Institutions of Higher Education and K-12 factors that maximize effectiveness.The GBMP brings together classroom teachers of mathematics, school administrators, university faculty (mathematicians, engineers, and educators), experts in professional development, researchers, community and business leaders, and the Alabama State Department of Education to focus on the curricular, pedagogical, mathematical content, certification, and parental interests that must be synergistically addressed in order to support all middle grades learners in acquiring the mathematical power necessary for success in the 21st century.