Math for America Los Angeles: Elevating Mathematics and Computer Science Instruction through Teacher Leadership

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Noyce Track 3: Master Teacher Fellowships project seeks to address the problem of unequal access to quality mathematics and computer science education in high-need school districts. One reason for this inequity is a shortage of highly-effective mathematics and computer science teachers in secondary schools. This project aims to (1) improve access to high-quality mathematics and computer science instruction in secondary schools in the greater Los Angeles area; (2) cultivate teacher leaders through intensive professional development; and (3) conduct research on the relationship between teachers' participation in communities of practice and their development of teacher leadership. The project will involve collaborative efforts between University of Southern California, Harvey Mudd College, six school districts in the greater Los Angeles area, and the nonprofit Math for America Los Angeles. This project will fund a total of 34 Master Teaching Fellows over two cohorts to meet varying critical needs involving mathematics and/or computer science in their school. Pairs of teachers from the same school will be selected as Fellows. Fellows will create an improvement plan for their schools' mathematics and/or computer science instructional needs. They will also participate in monthly professional development meetings, summer computer science training designed by the investigators, and academic team teaching with Fellows at their school. In addition to helping teachers produce sustainable change within their departments and schools, this project will also explore effective means to support the integration of computing and mathematics in secondary instruction. In addition, this project will produce new knowledge about the relationship between teachers' participation in communities of practice, the development of teacher leadership, and the development of teachers' equitable and ambitious teaching practices. Such systemic improvements have potential to produce more equitable outcomes in STEM instruction in high-need districts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.