Transcript Milwaukee Area Technical College

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
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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)
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Core partners:
o University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)
o Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)
o Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
UW-Milwaukee
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One of two public doctoral
research universities in
Wisconsin
Over 28000 students
13% of new freshmen are
MPS graduates
Degrees/certifies 65% of
MPS teachers
Milwaukee Area Technical
College
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Largest Midwest 2year technical college
57,000 students at 4
campuses (13,400
FTEs)
21% of new freshmen
are MPS graduates
Milwaukee Public Schools
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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: 2005-2006 MPS Report Card)
UWM/MATC Mathematics Faculty
Involvement with MMP Activities
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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
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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
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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
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Problem Solving
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Geometry
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Discrete Probability and Statistics
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Algebraic Structures
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Calculus Experience
MET Report Recommendations
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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.
Design Team Philosophy
for Pre-service Courses
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Mathematics faculty provide rigorous
mathematics content.
Mathematics education faculty focus on
mathematical knowledge for teaching.
Classroom teachers (Teacher-inresidence) make connections to
classroom practice.
Teachers-in-Residence
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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
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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
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How can teachers acquire the
content knowledge they require to
teach mathematics?
o Especially in-service teachers
o Especially middle-grades teachers
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How can STEM faculty contribute to
this process?
o Graduate credit in mathematics
for middle-grades teachers?
MMP website
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www.mmp.uwm.edu
DeAnn Huinker
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[email protected]
Kevin McLeod
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[email protected]