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Eric.ed.gov – An Exploration of Preservice Teachers’ Reasoning about Teaching Mathematics to English Language Learners

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Research indicates that many English learners (ELs) have not been effectively supported in meeting their academic learning goals. This explains, in part, the growing interest and corresponding research on the essential teacher knowledge-base for teaching ELs. Despite the attention paid to this issue, research on preservice teachers’ reasoning and instructional decision-making, especially regarding teaching mathematics to ELs remains underexplored. For this reason, we examined–through the use of authentic teaching scenarios–how ten preservice mathematics teachers, at the end of their teacher training, chose to present mathematical concepts to their EL learners. We also studied, in depth, the rationale behind their choices. Qualitative analyses of these data revealed that pre-service mathematics teachers’ instructional decision making was grounded in their perceptions of ELs as either a homogenous or a markedly… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Changing Lives, Strengthening America. National Math and Science Initiative Annual Report, 2010

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents the annual report of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) for 2010. Four years ago, NMSI was just an idea. NMSI not only hit the ground running in 2007, it picked up the best ideas in the country and rolled them out in schools and universities from coast to coast. Within a year of its creation, NMSI had awarded grants to six states to bring college-level Advanced Placement courses to more students, raising the bar in math and science education in public high schools. A new foundation was established for more students–rich or poor, urban or rural–to succeed in college. Grants were also awarded to 13 universities to implement the highly successful UTeach program to recruit, inspire and train the next generation of… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Targeted Teacher Recruitment: What Is the Issue and Why Does It Matter? Policy Snapshot

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Districts across the country are facing severe shortages of teachers–especially in certain subjects (math, science, special education, career and technical education, and bilingual education) and in specific schools (urban, rural, high-poverty, high-minority, and low-achieving). The severity of the teacher shortage problem varies significantly by state, district, school, and subject. As such, many experts argue that efforts to address shortages should be less about recruiting teachers generally and more about recruiting and retaining the right teachers, in the right subjects, for the right schools. Several states have recently enacted targeted teacher recruitment legislation in one or more of the following areas to attract teachers to high-need schools and subjects: research and data collection; state and district innovations; career pathways and grow-your-own programs; preparation and licensure; financial incentives; and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Rebooting Education in America. National Math and Science Initiative Annual Report, 2009

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents the annual report of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) for 2009. 2009 has been a tremendous year for the NMSI. The team members are working as an agent of change in the U.S. public education system, dramatically improving math and science education for young people. Its AP Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) has already produced impressive results. In the first year, the program schools in its six states produced a 52 percent increase in the number of AP courses passed in math, science, and English (MSE). One of the keys to success in APTIP is providing high-quality professional development for the existing teacher corps. In 2009, NMSI provided AP training to 478 teachers across the country. The second program, UTeach, works to… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – California Teacher Workforce Trends Signal Worsening Shortages. Research Brief

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In the past year, overall teacher workforce trends in California have worsened, with especially severe consequences in special education, math, and science, and significant threats in bilingual education. California’s teacher shortage has worsened as teacher demand grows and teacher supply stagnates. As a result, districts are having to hire a growing number of teachers on substandard permits and credentials, which are increasing more quickly than are preliminary credentials. California’s goals for high-quality education will be undermined if the state continues to supplement an inadequate teacher supply with underprepared teachers who leave at high rates (two to three times greater than prepared teachers), thereby provoking greater churn in high-need schools and depressing student achievement. To address the shortfalls, this brief offers three solutions. [For the full report “Addressing… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Math and Science Are America’s Future. National Math and Science Initiative Annual Report, 2008

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents the annual report of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) for 2008. Eighteen months ago, the National Math and Science Initiative did not exist. Today NMSI is helping lead the country forward in math and science. In just 18 months, NMSI has rolled out the first round of grants and has implemented programs in 14 vanguard states. In 2007, NMSI awarded grants of $13.2 each to non-profits in six states to institute AP Training and Incentive programs and grants of $2.4 million to 13 institutions of higher learning for the replication of the UTeach training program for math and science teachers. These programs are essential to address two of the country’s most pressing challenges: (1) Getting more American students to master the math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Can UTeach? Assessing the Relative Effectiveness of STEM Teachers. Working Paper 173

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: UTeach is a well-known, university-based program designed to increase the number of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in the workforce. The UTeach program was originally developed by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin but has rapidly spread and is now available at 44 universities in 21 states; it is expected to produce more than 9,000 math and science teachers by 2020. Despite substantial investment and rapid program diffusion, there is little evidence to date about the effectiveness of UTeach graduates. Using administrative data from the state of Texas, we measure UTeach impacts on student test scores in math and science in middle schools and high schools. We find that students taught by UTeach teachers perform significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – In Their Shoes: Teachers Experience the Needs of English Language Learners through a Math Simulation

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Given the increase in the number of culturally and linguistically diverse students in American schools, it is vital for teacher education programs to address the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in their courses. Mainstream, general education teachers who did not previously experience this student population in their classes are now seeing high numbers of ELLs among their students. Therefore, all teachers, not just specialist English as Second Language (ESL) or bilingual professionals, need to be prepared to work with ELLs (Lucas & Grinberg, 2008). Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about ELLs can be influenced by their lack of empathy for these students’ experiences and backgrounds. Many pre-service and inservice teachers need not only to learn strategies to work with ELLs but also to feel what it is… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Inspiring Minds through a Professional Alliance of Community Teachers (IMPACT): Evaluation Results of the Cohort 1 Math and Science Apprentice Teachers. CRESST Report 826

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This evaluation reports findings from a study of a UCLA teacher education program called IMPACT, Inspiring Minds through a Professional Alliance of Community Teachers. To measure program quality and goal attainment, the evaluation team used a comprehensive, multiple measures approach which included instructional artifacts, classroom logs, measures of pedagogical content knowledge, performance assessments, and teaching attitudes and beliefs. The evaluation team found that math and science teacher apprentices who completed the IMPACT program generally had a positive opinion of the program and applied what they learned in the classroom to their teaching. However, the team also found that the program did not significantly increase the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers nor contribute to substantial changes in teacher instructional strategies across lessons. Differences found in the experience and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Perceptions of Preservice Teachers about Adaptive Learning Programs in K-8 Mathematics Education

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Adaptive learning programs are frequently used in the K-8 mathematics classroom. These programs provide instruction to students at the appropriate level of difficulty by presenting content, providing feedback, and allowing students to master skills before progressing. The purpose of the study was to seek to interpret how preservice teachers’ experiences influence their perceptions and plans to integrate adaptive learning programs in their future K-8 mathematics classroom. This was a qualitative study with 17 participants who were enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program. Data was collected and analyzed from archived journals the participants completed as a part of their K-8 Math Methods course, a survey, and semi-structured interviews. The findings from this study indicate that the participating preservice teachers perceive adaptive learning programs to be beneficial for… Continue Reading