Charting a Course for the Future: A Wisconsin Perspective Kevin McLeod University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Mathematical Sciences MSP STEM Summit Washington, D.C. December 12, 2007

Presentation outline  Background on Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership  Wisconsin licensure and UW-M teacher preparation programs  UW-M Mathematics Focus courses  Questions and Challenges

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership (MMP) Core partners: o University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) o Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) o Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

UW-Milwaukee  One of two public doctoral research universities in Wisconsin  Over students  13% of new freshmen are MPS graduates  Degrees/certifies 65% of MPS teachers

Milwaukee Area Technical College  Largest Midwest 2- year technical college  57,000 students at 4 campuses (13,400 FTEs)  21% of new freshmen are MPS graduates

Milwaukee Public Schools  93,000 students in 218 schools  Largest school district in Wisconsin  27th largest district in the nation  Nearly 6200 teachers  87% minority student population: 58% African American, 20% Hispanic, 13% White, 5% Asian, 1% Native American  75% receive free or reduced lunch  Student achievement is well below state averages; gaps persist for all subgroups (Source: MPS Report Card)

UWM/MATC Mathematics Faculty Involvement with MMP Activities  Mathematics course design teams  Monthly Teacher Leader meetings  Writing and validating learning targets for grades K-8  Validating Classroom Assessments Based on Standards for grades 2-8  College placement test preparation materials  Accelerated/intensive sections of remedial college math courses  Summer bridge program

Wisconsin Teacher Licenses  Early Childhood (ECE, Birth-age 8)  Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence (MCEA, grades 1-8)  Early Adolescence through Adolescence (EAA, grades 6-12)

UWM MCEA Program Structure Required of all MCEA students: 2 content area minors, 18 semester-hours each Option A: Mathematics or Natural Sciences Option B: Social Studies or English/Language Arts or Bilingual/ESL/World Languages

The Mathematical Education of Teachers (MET) Report  Joint publication of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America, 2001  Recommends coursework for prospective teachers at elementary grades, middle grades, and high school

MET Report Recommendations Prospective middle grades teachers of mathematics should be required to take at least 21 semester-hours of mathematics, that includes at least 12 semester-hours on fundamental ideas of school mathematics appropriate for middle grades teachers. CBMS. (2001). The Mathematical Education of Teachers.

MET Report Recommendations Prospective middle grades teachers of mathematics should take coursework in:  Number and Operations  Algebra and Functions  Measurement and Geometry  Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability  (Optionally) Calculus, focusing on concepts and applications CBMS. (2001). The Mathematical Education of Teachers.

UWM Mathematics Focus Area Courses for MCEA Majors  Problem Solving  Geometry  Discrete Probability and Statistics  Algebraic Structures  Calculus Experience

 Prospective teachers need mathematics courses that develop a deep understanding of the mathematics that they teach.  The mathematical education of teachers should be seen as a partnership between mathematics faculty and mathematics education faculty.  There needs to be more collaboration between mathematics faculty and school mathematics teachers. MET Report Recommendations

Design Team Philosophy for Pre-service Courses  Mathematics faculty provide rigorous mathematics content.  Mathematics education faculty focus on mathematical knowledge for teaching.  Classroom teachers (Teacher-in- residence) make connections to classroom practice.

Teachers-in-Residence  Experienced teachers from the Milwaukee Public Schools.  On special assignment at the university.  Link academic teacher preparation and urban classroom practice.  Align teacher preparation and K-12 reform initiatives.

MPS Mathematics Fellows Program  MCEA minor offered to practicing MPS teachers, over 15 months  53 teachers enrolled in at least one course  27 completed at least 4 courses  10 completed 4 focus courses, Intermediate Algebra, and Calculus

Questions and Challenges  How can teachers acquire the content knowledge they require to teach mathematics?  How can STEM faculty contribute to this process? o Especially in-service teachers o Especially middle-grades teachers o Graduate credit in mathematics for middle-grades teachers?

MMP website DeAnn Huinker Kevin McLeod