The Mathematics Teacher Training Institute (MTTI)

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The Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides support to principal investigators who undertake an institutional self-analysis in preparation of efforts that specifically address institutional transformation. Institutions are expected to conduct scientific studies that yield results on critical pedagogies and culturally sensitive interventions that contribute to the success of HBCUs in educating African American STEM undergraduates, the likes of which will be broadly disseminated to the scientific community. The project at University of the District of Columbia (UDC) seeks to plan the essential research questions, experimental designs and programmatic activities for developing a Mathematics Teacher Training Institute (MTTI) that would support a larger, institutional initiative for producing more STEM graduates from underserved communities in the region. The goal of this project is to establish MTTI at UDC based on the content conceptualization framework and delivery method developed by the Southern Initiative Algebra Project. The institute’s purpose is to equip higher education faculty with tools to train mathematics teachers at the secondary schools that primarily serve underrepresented minority populations in the region. As such, the institute will also develop professional development training sessions that are grounded in culturally appropriate and responsive STEM pedagogies for mathematics instructors at the middle school, high school and college-level. The impact of the proposed approach will be evidenced via mathematics outcomes of participating students attending UDC and partnering K-12 schools. Activities of this project include: formalizing partnerships with area high schools and the Educational Testing Service; training of undergraduate students to serve as mathematics tutors in the UDC partner schools; training of mathematics teachers from partner institutions; and assessment and study of MTTI training strategies. The project will be guided by an external advisory committee.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.