NSF Institute: Preparing Virginia's Mathematics Specialist

弗吉尼亚联邦大学弗吉尼亚联邦大学与弗吉尼亚数学与科学联盟、两个大学核心合作伙伴(诺福克州立大学和弗吉尼亚大学)和5个学区核心合作伙伴提供一个NSF研究所来培养K-5中学数学专家。两组25名教师每人获得数学内容和教育领导力方面的硕士学位，这包括弗吉尼亚州教育部为获得数学专家执照而指定的拟议活动。参与者是根据学校管理人员的建议，从全州参与的学校系统中招募的，代表不同的人群。学校系统同意分配完成硕士学位课程的教师获得数学专家资格，并有足够的非课堂时间来履行弗吉尼亚州既定的专家描述中规定的职责。该研究所的特点是：连续三个暑假举行为期四周的住宅课程(第二批重复)，并提供广泛的学年后续方案；一个学年远程学习班；以及一个学年实习/项目班。课程由大学数学和数学教育教职员工以及学校系统的硕士教师和数学导师团队授课。在弗吉尼亚州教育部认可数学专家领导弗吉尼亚州各地学校数学教学的概念后，该项目的智力价值回应了为分配到K-5学校而培养弗吉尼亚州首批数学专家核心的需求。专家将是学校内的领导者，帮助同事教授学生在未来几年准备高级数学和科学课程所需的数学知识，并领导教师的专业发展。该项目更广泛的影响体现在弗吉尼亚州K-5年级学生对数学的兴趣和准备上，从而提高了他们的数学能力和成绩。加强的准备和动机提高了学生在接下来的K-20学习期间在数学和科学课程中的成绩。该项目及其基于研究/评估的改进是培养数学专家的模式，将由伙伴机构提供支持，并适用于弗吉尼亚州的其他专家培训方案和国家专家培训方案。

Title: Preparing Virginia.s Mathematics Specialists Lead Partner: Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, in conjunction with the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, two university core partners (Norfolk State University and the University of Virginia) and 5 school district core partners offers an NSF Institute to prepare K-5 middle school Mathematics Specialists. Two cohorts of 25 teachers each earn Masters Degrees in mathematics content and educational leadership, which encompass the proposed activities specified for licensure as a Mathematics Specialist by the Virginia Department of Education. Participants are recruited from participating school systems across the state, representing diverse populations, based on recommendations from school administrators. The school system agrees to assign teachers who complete the Masters Degree program to be licensed as Mathematics Specialists with sufficient non-classroom time to carry out their responsibilities as specified under the established Virginia description for Specialist. The Institute features: Four-week residential sessions in three successive summers (repeated for a second cohort) with extensive academic year follow-up program; one academic year distance learning class; and one academic year practicum/project class. Courses are team-taught by university mathematics and mathematics education faculty along with school system Master Teachers and Mathematics Supervisors. The Intellectual Merit of the project responds to the need to prepare a core of Virginia's first Mathematics Specialists for assignment in K-5 schools following the Virginia's Department of Education endorsement of the concept of Mathematics Specialists to lead mathematics instruction in schools across Virginia. Specialists will be leaders within their schools assisting colleagues in teaching the mathematics their students need in preparation for advanced mathematics and science curricula in future years and leading teacher professional development. The Broader Impacts of this project are reflected in the mathematics interest and preparation of Virginia's K-5 students resulting in increased mathematics ability and achievement. The enhanced preparation and motivation enhances achievement of students in mathematics and science curricula during their succeeding K-20 studies. The project and its research/ evaluation based refinements serve as a model for the preparation of Mathematics Specialists, which will be sustained by partner institutions and adaptable to other Virginia and national Specialist training programs.***