The Accessible Calculus Project: Advancing Equity by Democratizing Access to Advanced Mathematics

该项目是一个为期三年的研究合作，涉及代数项目，肯尼索州立大学的STEM教育研究创新中心和全国黑人工程师协会。该项目旨在证明数学课程的设计，教学和实践方式影响微积分的获得和成功。该项目将与两组数学教师和他们的学生合作，在高中代数II的背景下介绍和发展微积分的概念。这种方法有可能提高所有学生的量化素养水平，并增加微积分准备就绪的学生，因此STEM准备就绪的学生。该项目的主要目标是根据代数项目的多项式微积分和五步课程流程开发一个全面的，与标准一致的代数II课程。这种微积分的几何学介绍并不需要分析的机制。文化响应的五步过程强调学生的声音，利用自然语言来发展对抽象数学概念的有意义的、有联系的理解。第二个目标是通过这种合作课程开发提高参与教师和学生的知识和技能。教师和学生都将对数学有更深入的了解，而教师也将学习文化敏感的数学和课程设计。最后，该项目旨在鼓励参与者认识到他们的声音和专业知识，获得代理和数学或数学教育的积极身份。根据行动研究的原则，青年，教师和专家研究团队将开发案例研究，以研究该项目参与者之间的声音，机构和身份的出现。此外，专家研究团队将确定学生和教师掌握微积分基本概念的程度，并确定学生和教师认为有价值的正式和非正式学习环境中数学教学实践的关键要素。该合作项目由STEM教育活动中的种族平等（EDU Racial Equity）资助。该活动支持研究和实践项目，调查种族平等因素如何影响科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）教育和劳动力的改善。获奖项目旨在集中STEM企业内受系统性不平等影响最大的个人，社区和机构的声音，知识和经验。这项活动符合NSF的核心价值，即支持来自全国人口群体，地区和组织类型多样性的杰出研究人员和创新思想家。教育大学的各个项目为种族平等活动提供资金，以表彰其项目与董事会四个部门的集体研究和开发目标的一致性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project is a three-year research collaboration involving the Algebra Project, the Center for Innovation in STEM Education Research at Kennesaw State University, and the National Society of Black Engineers. The project aims to demonstrate that the way in which mathematics curriculum is designed, taught, and practiced impacts access to and success in Calculus. The project will work with two teams of math teachers and their students to introduce and develop the concepts of Calculus in the context of high school Algebra II. This approach has the potential to raise the level of quantitative literacy for all students and increase the pool of Calculus-ready and hence STEM-ready students.The primary goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive, standards-aligned Algebra II curriculum based upon the Algebra Project’s Polynomial Calculus and Five-Step Curricular Process. This geometric introduction to differential and integral calculus does not require the mechanisms of analysis. And the culturally responsive Five-Step process emphasizes student voice, drawing on natural language to develop meaningful, connected understandings of abstract mathematical ideas. A second goal is to enhance the knowledge and skills of participating teachers and students through this collaborative curricular development. Both teachers and students will gain a deeper understanding of mathematics, while teachers also learn culturally responsive pedagogies and curriculum design. Finally, the project aims to encourage participants to recognize their voice and expertise, gain agency and a positive identity in mathematics or mathematics education. Drawing upon the tenets of Participatory Action Research, the youth, teacher, and expert researcher team will develop case studies to examine the emergence of voice, agency, and identity among participants in the project. In addition, the expert research team will determine the extent to which students and teachers have mastered the fundamental concepts of the differential and integral calculus, and identify the critical elements of mathematics instructional practice, both in formal and informal learning environments, that students and teachers consider valuable.This collaborative project is funded through the Racial Equity in STEM Education activity (EDU Racial Equity). The activity supports research and practice projects that investigate how considerations of racial equity factor into the improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. Awarded projects seek to center the voices, knowledge, and experiences of the individuals, communities, and institutions most impacted by systemic inequities within the STEM enterprise. This activity aligns with NSF’s core value of supporting outstanding researchers and innovative thinkers from across the Nation's diversity of demographic groups, regions, and types of organizations. Programs across EDU contribute funds to the Racial Equity activity in recognition of the alignment of its projects with the collective research and development thrusts of the four divisions of the directorate.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.