Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition

Journal of Mathematics and Science

Special Issue: The Role of the Elementary Mathematics Specialist

Overview

A number of national reports focused on improving student learning in mathematics, coupled with strengthening teachers’ understanding of mathematical concepts, have begun to call for the placement of mathematics specialists in elementary schools, K-6. These reports (The Mathematical Education of Teachers, 2001; Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, 2001; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards of School Mathematics, 2000; Keys to Math Success: A Report from the Maryland Mathematics Commission, 2001) have converged around a common idea.

Each report calls for a mathematics specialist or a mathematics teacher-leader to be placed in elementary schools to be a resource in professional development, teaching, curriculum development, assessment, and parent and community education to improve the teaching, learning, and assessment process. The NCTM Principles and Standards of School Mathematics states (2000, p.375): “There is an urgent and growing need for mathematics teacher-leaders – specialists positioned between classroom teachers and administrators who can assist with the improvement of mathematics education.”

The work of a mathematics specialist, math coaches, or teacher-leader specialist, whatever the role is called, can be distributed within a number of different models. A specialist can provide professional development within the context of actual classroom situations through long or short-term co-teaching arrangements. Likewise, a specialist can work with teachers through the context of grade-level planning and debriefing sessions built around a lesson study model. A specialist can lead a parent series focused on key concepts in elementary mathematics. Also, she can design professional development sessions for the faculty and administrators focused on the implementation of a new curriculum. There are multiple opportunities to bring professional development in elementary mathematics directly into the school and classroom.

Well-qualified teacher-leaders in a specialist role can have a significant influence on strengthening the mathematical, pedagogical, and assessment knowledge of classroom teachers who are frequently under prepared to deliver a rigorous mathematics program to a classroom of diverse learners. While the role of a reading specialist has been a part of elementary schools for many years, interestingly a specialist in mathematics has taken longer to develop.

With support from ExxonMobil, the Virginia Council for Teachers of Mathematics, the Virginia Council for Mathematics Supervision, and the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, the next issue of the Coalition's Journal for Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations, will devote the entire issue to the mathematics specialist role. Co-editors of this issue will be Jean Moon from the ExxonMobil Foundation and Loren Pitt from the mathematics department at the University of Virginia and President of the Virginia Coalition. It is our expectation that this issue will also be published on the Coalition's web page. For over 14 years the ExxonMobil Foundation has supported a national program in which school districts can apply to develop a K-5 mathematics specialist role. Since the Program’s inception since 1987, the Foundation has funded over 120 projects throughout the United States and the Netherlands.

We are seeking submissions of papers to the Journal for Mathematics and Science that will address and expand upon the following topics.

• Why a specialist? What in the present condition of elementary mathematics education makes the specialist role particularly timely? What does research tells us about the specialist role, about its effectiveness as a school-based strategy?

• Examples from the field (schools and districts) where the specialist role (or coach or lead teacher) has been integrated into a district’s mathematics program. What does this work look like? What has worked? What are the lessons learned? What has been a disappointment? What particular skill sets do specialists bring to their work?

• What do we know about the content and pedagogical preparation for a specialist’s role? How can the work of teaching mathematics be redistributed to bring authority to the specialist’s role? What is the case to be made for importing professional development into the classroom? How does this model help to integrate a different kind of professional development into the work of schools?

• What can we learn from specialists in other disciplines? Can reading help inform the mathematics specialist role? What do examples of specialists roles look like in Science?

• What roles can be played by institutions of higher education and state departments of education in preparing specialists? What is being done? What do those models look like?

Manuscripts may be submitted to

Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition,

Attention: Loren D. Piit

University of Virginia

Zehmer Hall Annex

P.O. Box 400762

Charlottesville, VA 22904-4762

e-mail: ldp@virginia.edu

Submissions will be refereed and notice of acceptances will be made to the authors. Submissions should be made in an electronic format, preferable as an e-mail Word attachment, but files on discs on CDs are acceptable. Due date for submissions: 15 December 2002

Contact information:

Dr. Loren Pitt

University of Virginia

Department of Mathematics

P.O. Box 400137

Charlottesville, VA 22904-4137

(434) 982-5205

ldp@virginia.edu

Dr. Jean Moon

ExxonMobil Foundation

321 Reedy Meadow Road

Groton, MA 01450

cjmoon@earthlink.net