This report provides the perspectives of multiple respondent groups -- districts, principals, and math teachers -- on math-focused professional learning (PL) for teachers. The authors explore the factors that district and school leaders consider when selecting math-focused PL. These factors include principal autonomy to select PL; teachers'…

Across the United States, there are many elementary aged students whose parents or themselves are from Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America having Mayan heritage. In alignment with instructional concepts that build a positive classroom culture encouraging higher level learning for all students, the authors designed and implemented a curriculum…

Increasingly, state departments of education, school districts, and high schools are recognizing that many students graduate from high school underprepared for college-level coursework in mathematics. Many are referred to remedial education when they arrive at college. To help students become better prepared for college and avoid remedial courses…

This paper describes the design principles and implementation of a novel approach for a K--12 teacher professional development (PD) program. The approach integrates training focused on development of model eliciting activities (MEAs) within authentic engineering design tasks, collaborative 3D model design and fabrication, and inspirational site…

Florida Atlantic University implemented a number of changes in the College Algebra course in an attempt to improve student success. We summarize these changes, and how they have affected the course. We also discuss possibilities for future improvements. (Contains 3 figures and 1 footnote.)

During the school year leading up to summer 2015, summer leaders in Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Rochester made concerted efforts to integrate their summer learning programs into the core priorities and operations of the larger school district as a strategy to increase sustainability. This report examines these efforts and their impacts. The…

This study draws upon survey and administrative data on over 9,000 teachers in 336 Miami-Dade County public schools over 2 years to investigate the kinds of collaborations that exist in instructional teams across the district and whether these collaborations predict student achievement. While different kinds of teachers and schools report…

The Wallace Foundation is funding a multiyear demonstration project to determine whether voluntary, district summer learning programs can stem summer learning loss for low-income students. Six districts--Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Duval County (Florida), Pittsburgh, and Rochester, New York--were selected for the demonstration project and…

This report presents a second program review of Mathematics and Statistics in the State University System of Florida (SUS) that was conducted in 1989-90. The report reveals that all nine SUS institutions offer degree programs in Mathematics; five SUS institutions offer 10 degree programs in Statistics. It is noted that improvement has occurred…

Describes the use of an integrated learning system (ILS) in a performance-based diploma program for at-risk students at a Florida high school. Academic and vocational requirements are explained; the role of the teacher is discussed; and a sidebar describes an ILS program for a high school math curriculum in Indiana. (LRW)

A curriculum was developed for 18 at-risk students at the fourth grade level, integrating state minimum skills for math and communication. The goal was to teach basic skills and critical thinking skills (CTS), and to see an increase in motivation, self-esteem, and student attendance through a hands-on project of building a dollhouse and its…

Describes a program in the Dade County (Florida) Public School System which developed career-related courses of study in academic subjects, namely mathematics and language arts. (Editor)

The influence of curriculum control policies on sense of autonomy and job satisfaction was studied for 195 high school mathematics and social studies teachers in California, Florida, and New York. Teachers reported high personal control over content and pedagogy, and there was little evidence that constraints affected efficacy or satisfaction.…

The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared…

The student performance standards of excellence in mathematics, science, social studies, and writing for Florida schools were developed cooperatively by the Florida Department of Education, local school district personnel and representatives of institutions of higher education. These standards and skills were reviewed by teachers and supervisors…