Part B: Mathematics & Science Partnerships

Regent University      

Inquiring Young Minds Want to Know had one overall goal which was to close achievement gaps by engaging elementary science teachers in job-embedded, sustained professional development to improve content knowledge and pedagogy. Grant activities provided intensive professional development in two main components: Inquiring Minds Summer Institute and Science Professional Learning Communities. The Inquiring Minds Summer Institutes provided a total of seventy two teachers with an intensive four-day institute that spanned two summers. Teachers were able to experience hands-on, minds-on approaches to teaching through inquiry and the nature of science through content activities and by designing experiments. Teachers were given the opportunity to participate in Conversations with a Scientist. This innovative opportunity allowed elementary teachers to have a personal and upfront conversation with a scientist that has conducted research studies. Through conversations and engaging activities, teachers were able to make connections between how research is conducted in the real world of a scientist and how those same processes can be brought to life in the K-5 classroom. The Science Professional Learning Community allowed teachers to work together in grade-level teams to use Curriculum Topic Study and Lesson Study to improve their understanding of lesson alignment and the implementation of best practices in the classroom.

Old Dominion University

The Partnership for Teaching and Leading a Quality Science Program project goals were to actively engage elementary school science teachers in integrated training in science content, pedagogy, and formative assessment skills.  The project also provided the requisite professional development, knowledge base, and instructional leadership skills to school leaders in order to support quality science instruction. Elementary teachers and school leaders in Northampton County Public Schools participated in field-based training and web-based learning activities.
Project materials for this project are posted on the ODU STEM in Action website.

Emory and Henry College

Contemporary Teaching of Science and the Nature of Science – In collaboration with 16 school divisions in Virginia Superintendents’ Region 7 and the Southwest Virginia Public Education Foundation, Inc., Emory & Henry College offered professional development on Earth Science and Physical Science content, pedagogy, assessment, and the nature of science to teachers in Grades K-5 focused on supporting the implementation of the 2010 Science Standards of Learning.  This professional development was offered through coursework, e-learning, on-site follow-up, and resource sharing.  An interactive website was developed for this project which contains curricular and instructional resources.

George Mason University

Building Fundamental Mathematics for Number Sense – This project was a mathematics and science partnership between the COMPLETE Center (Center for Outreach in Mathematics Professional Learning and Educational Technology), faculty from George Mason University (GMU), and school divisions in Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Falls Church City, Fairfax County, Manassas City and Prince William County). Using a systemic and sustained approach to high quality teacher professional development through content-focused summer institute and content-focused coaching in the Fall Lesson Study for Kindergarten through second grade mathematics teachers, special educators, and teachers of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, we focused on: a) Modeling Mathematics Ideas aligned to the 2009 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) for mathematics content, classroom strategies, and student assessment standards; b) Developing problem based assessment and performance based tasks for younger students in mathematics; c) Activities to differentiate instruction with parallel tasks that enrich critical thinking aimed at increasing the academic achievement of diverse populations; d) Developing need-based onsite and e-learning professional and curricular resources (video clips of exemplar lessons, real-life mathematics connections and concepts modeled using virtual manipulatives) to ensure that all teachers are able to participate in high-quality professional development that result in improved teaching practice and enhanced student learning.

Emory and Henry College

In collaboration with 19 school divisions in Virginia Superintendents’ Region 7 and the Southwest Virginia Public Education Foundation, Inc., Emory & Henry College implemented a Regional Mathematics Professional Development Center for grade bands 4-6 to improve outcomes on the state mathematics SOL assessments.   Participants completed specifically designed college mathematics courses in two intensive summer institutes bridged by academic year follow-up delivered via e-learning and on-site visits.  An interactive website was developed for this project which contains curricular and instructional resources.

Longwood University – Institute for Teaching Technology through Innovative Practice

The Collaborative for Math Professional Development (CoMPD) was designed to improve the content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge of grade 4-6 teachers and enable them to transform instructional practices to improve mathematical learning and develop mathematical thinking in all students.  The CoMPD program allowed four cohorts of teachers to participate in an institute designed to develop mathematics content knowledge about the SOL fractions strand.  The course, "Fraction Sense for 4-6 Teachers" focused on the mathematical content and processes that support the ‘number and number sense’ and ‘computation and estimation’ strands identified in the 2009 Virginia 4-6 Mathematics Standards of Learning.  In addition, the five NCTM and Virginia process standards – problem solving, reasoning and proof, connections, communication, and representation – were emphasized throughout the course.  While participants learned how students confront these mathematical concepts and processes, they also explored the mathematics content for themselves. Participants read about 4-6 mathematics content in classroom settings, analyzed work samples of students doing mathematics, explored mathematical concepts and a variety of representations, examined the role of open questions and parallel tasks in differentiating mathematics instruction, and synthesized teaching implications related to current mathematics education research.

University of Virginia

Mathematics Capstone Course – The 21st Century Teaching Leads to 21st Century Learning: Responding to Virginia’s College and Career Readiness Initiative: Secondary Mathematics extension grant enabled the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies Office of Mathematics Outreach in collaboration with 18 school divisions to develop and facilitate a 12-month professional development experience for teachers. The professional development activities were specifically designed to support high school teachers and school divisions around the Mathematics College and Career-Readiness Performance Expectations (M-CCRPE) in preparation for implementation of the senior capstone course.

As a result of their participation in this project teachers learned about Virginia’s Mathematics College and Career-Readiness Performance Expectations (M-CCRPE) that provide the framework for the new senior level capstone course for mathematics. The teachers reviewed the expectations for the capstone course and suggestions were developed during the project for implementing the capstone course. The teachers developed their knowledge and skills to provide instruction and to facilitate inquiry learning as well as how inquiry learning supports students developing 21st Century Skills.  The teachers learned to use the 5E lesson planning model along with the Buck Institute for Education (BIE Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit planning process. Participants worked in small groups to create and pilot units of instruction and instructional activities to support inquiry-based learning.

The 40 instructional units created as part of the 21st Century Teaching Leads to 21st Century Learning: Responding to Virginia’s College and Career Readiness Initiative: Secondary Mathematics have been reviewed by experts and are now available at the project website.

Radford University

Mathematics Professional Development Center – This project supports high school teachers to improve their mathematics content, pedagogy, and assessment related to teaching Algebra I, Algebra II, AFDA, Geometry, and the Mathematics Capstone Course. Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Roanoke Higher Education Center, Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, New College Institute, and the MathScience Innovation Center partnered to offer distance-education graduate courses for 130 high school teachers in the Southwest, Southside, and Richmond regions. Courses include Linear Algebra for Teachers (VCU), Algebraic Structures, Functions, and Sequences for Teachers (VCU), Foundations of the Number System (RU), Equity and Diversity in Mathematics Education (RU), Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometry (RU), Applied Statistics for Teachers (VCU), and Educational Technology (RU). Courses address knowledge and best practices related to teaching Virginia’s 2009 Mathematics SOLs and/or Mathematics Performance Expectations for Virginia’s College and Career Readiness Initiative.

George Mason University

Modeling Mathematical Ideas for Rational Numbers and Proportional Reasoning – This project was a mathematics and science partnership between the COMPLETE Center (Center for Outreach in Mathematics Professional Learning and Educational Technology), faculty from George Mason University (GMU) and six school divisions that included: Alexandria, Falls Church City, Fairfax County, Manassas City, Prince William County, and Petersburg. Using a blended approach with high quality onsite professional development (through summer institutes and follow up seminars and content-focused coaching through Lesson Study) and GMU Mathematics e-learning Network (content-focused webinars, video clips and research lessons as exemplars that align with the 2009 SOL standards), the center  provided sustained, intensive, and high-quality professional development for mathematics teachers, special educators, and teachers of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students that addressed needs identified in the school/district professional development plan. The mission of the COMPLETE Center was to promote excellence in mathematics teaching, learning and collaborative coaching in Northern Virginia through innovative and solution-oriented initiatives. Success in professional development requires a systemic approach to change involving long-term teacher professional development, curriculum development, sound implementation strategies, and collaboration. Therefore the project: a) Delivered content–focused professional development and coaching, integrating research based practices aligned to the 2009 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) for mathematics content (with focus on rational numbers and proportional reasoning), classroom strategies, and student assessment standards; b) Provided targeted opportunities for meaningful mathematics learning to underrepresented populations to increase the academic achievement of special education, LEP and economically disadvantaged students; c) Developed need-based on-site and e-learning professional and curricular resources to enhance teacher learning through collaborative network (district leaders, coaches, GMU faculty and students, national experts) to ensure that teachers are able to participate in high-quality professional development that result in improved teaching practice and enhanced student learning.

Longwood University – Institute for Teaching Technology through Innovative Practice

The K-3 STEM Kairos: Engineering Everywhere project was funded through a Mathematics and Science Partnership grant funded by the Virginia Department of Education.  Higher Education and non-profit partners included Longwood University’s Cooke’s College of Arts and Sciences, Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices, Danville Science Center, Science Museum of Virginia, and Frank Batten College of Engineering (ODU).  Teachers from the following school divisions participated in this opportunity: Amelia, Carlisle School in Danville, Danville, Halifax, Nottoway, Lunenburg, Martinsville, Pittsylvania, and Sacred Heart School in Danville.  The goal of STEM Kairos: Engineering Everywhere was to enhance technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPCK) of thirty-two grades K-3 teachers in designing STEM units based on understanding by design model and in facilitating problem-based learning. 

Sweet Briar College

Through a Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant from the Virginia Department of Education, Lynchburg College and Sweet Briar College partnered with Central Virginia schools to help 4th and 5th grade teachers provide high quality, inquiry- and problem-based instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM subjects). Teams of teachers used an interactive lesson study approach to develop integrated STEM units featuring inquiry-based and problem-based learning strategies that address the needs of Central Virginia school divisions in grades 4 and 5. During the 2011-12 school year, inquiry-trained teachers worked in partnership with STEM faculty educators at the two colleges. They developed, implemented, assessed, and reviewed lessons to create a set of 6 fully integrated STEM units that are supported with proven materials including training videos to accompany each unit. The www.STEM4Teachers.org website also includes an Inquiry Webinar, a self-guided, internet-enriched tutorial on inquiry teaching and learning.  We currently have a paper submitted to Science & Children that highlights one of the lessons, Electrical Engineers, for a special edition of that journal on Engineering in STEM.

Virginia Tech

The IBED model was to help teachers in grades 6-8 understand and integrate the engineering design process into their science, mathematics, and technology classrooms based on their own disciplinary expertise and interests to help motivate and excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning.  The IBED model was co-developed by a Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering professor and a Virginia Tech Science Education professor along with input from administrators and teachers in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Virginia to create an educational approach designed to meet the needs of teachers.  The IBED model is a general engineering design process that is applicable to teachers' individual classroom topics and interests.  The IBED model is intended to provide teachers with both a basic understanding of how engineers approach and solve problems as well as a template to help them create their own exciting and meaningful engineering design activities pertinent to their own educational goals for their students.

We have created a website that describes the Inquiry by Engineering Design (IBED) model in detail.  It includes detailed instructions on how to create an engineering activity for use in a middle school activity using the IBED Template.