- Year 2016
- NSF Noyce Award # 1035315
- First Name Martin
- Last Name Bonsangue
- Discipline Mathematics
- Co-PI(s)
Mark Ellis, California State University, Fullerton, mellis@fullerton.edu
Ruth Yopp, California State University, Fullerton, ryopp@fullerton.edu - Presenters
Jenny Kim, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, jennyxkim@gmail.com
Ruth Coney, Colton High School, ruthyconey@gmail.com
Need
MT2 will increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of highly qualified mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher leaders in high-impact areas in and near Orange County through a comprehensive two-fold design. Teaching Fellows will complete a Master of Science in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Teaching Foundational Mathematics, in conjunction with completion of requirements for a secondary school teaching credential, thus creating excellent bridges between pedagogy and advanced STEM content. Master Teaching Fellows will in years 1-2 support Teacher Fellows using an innovative co-plan and co-teach fieldwork model and in years 3-5 will be supported in earning National Board Certification.
Goals
The Fullerton Mathematics Teacher and Master Teacher Fellows project [FULL MT2] will develop a group of mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher leaders who will work together to serve as master/student teachers, mentor/mentee teachers, current and future district and community leaders, and current and future college/university liaisons. We will identify ten (10) Master Teaching Fellows (MTF) with priority given to mathematics teachers from two high-need school districts, Norwalk-La Mirada USD and Anaheim Joint Union HSD, at the middle school and high school levels. We will also identify two cohorts of ten (20 total) Teaching Fellows (TF) in mathematics who will partner with the MTF leaders.
FULL MT2 will increase the pool of highly qualified mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher leaders in high-impact areas of Orange County through a comprehensive two-fold design. Teaching Fellows will complete a Master of Science in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Teaching Foundational Mathematics, in conjunction with completion of requirements for a secondary school teaching credential, thus creating excellent bridges between pedagogy and advanced STEM content. Master Teaching Fellows will be supported in earning National Board Certification, as well as serve as master teachers, teacher mentors, and district and community leaders and college and university liaisons. Moreover, the program features extensive involvement of STEM faculty through instruction in graduate level programs, professional development-like workshops, and mentoring of FULL MT2 Fellows. Project MT2 adds four distinct and perhaps new aspects to the national Noyce experience.
(1) Participation of future middle school and FLM mathematics teachers. This is the fastest-growing group of crossover mathematics teachers in the state and has perhaps the greatest potential for impact (Johnson et. al., 2005; NCTAF, 2002).
(2) Focused preparation for teaching English learners. The credential and Master’s degree coursework includes significant and ongoing attention to best practices for teaching mathematics to English learners (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008; Firestone et. al., 2006; Moschkovich, 1999). Two courses in the credential program, EDSC 330 and EDSC 410, provide TFs with specific practices that support content literacy and language development in content classes. Candidates are assessed on their proficiencies with these strategies through the performance-based Teacher Performance Assessment before earning their credential. The masters program includes coursework that explores writing in the content class (EDSC 506) and research about best practices for support English learners in mathematics (EDSC 530).
(3) Integrating mathematics and technology. The candidates will be prepared as mathematics teachers who are expert in technology utilization in mathematics instruction (Niess, 2005). Two courses in instructional technology (EDSC 304 and EDSC 504) are part of the credential and masters programs, respectively. Additionally, many courses in the masters program will be taken in an online format.
(4) National Board Certification for MTF. Currently there are no NBC mathematics teachers in Orange County, CA. Significant considering the teacher and student populations targeted by FULL MT2, research has found that “students with NBC teachers gain 12 percent of a standard deviation more than others on the end-of-grade exam in mathematics, all else equal” and that “NBC teachers benefited Black and Hispanic students more than other students” (Cavalluzzo 2004, pp. 25-26). Project MT2 will produce ten (10) MTFs who will have completed the requirements to be considered for NB Certification, including extensive use of video to analyze and reflect on one’s teaching practice (NBPTS 2008, 2009).
Approach
Master Teacher Fellows
:
Preparing teachers is a joint responsibility of the university and the K-12 schools in which they complete their student teaching. Highly skilled and well trained Master Teachers are essential to the success of any teacher preparation program, and training experienced teachers to assume the role of Master Teachers is an important undertaking (Elliott, 2002; Feiman-Nemser, 2001; Jonson, 2002). With the exception of several specially funded Master Teacher training opportunities, training happens at the school sites with the individual supervisor; thus, Master Teachers may not necessarily have the opportunity to acquire a sense of their place in the bigger picture of preparation of new teachers. Additionally, Master Teachers often work in isolation with their student teachers and have few formal opportunities to interact with colleagues who are also preparing future teachers. The proposed project will not only further develop selected middle school and high school mathematics Master Teachers forward in their development as teachers, but will also ensure that they are well prepared to support their newest colleagues as members of a larger community. We aim to develop Master Teachers’ mentoring skills through the establishment of a professional learning community of Master Teacher Fellows who participate in a series of Master Teacher trainings.
In a thorough review of data and prior research on National Board Certification, the National Research Council (Hakel, Koenig, & Elliott, 2008) found strong evidence that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) remain in the profession longer, demonstrate increased collegiality and leadership abilities, and that their students show greater academic gains and exhibit better writing and critical thinking skills than those of their non-NBCT peers with these effects greatest for NBCTs working with low-income students. The leadership development goals of the NSF TF/MTF program are well-aligned with the characteristics found in National Board Certified Teachers (NBPTS 2008, 2009). During their last three years as MTFs, the Fellows will be engaged in the National Board certification process. This will include monthly candidate support sessions from August to April at CSU Fullerton and regular online communication between sessions.
Teacher Fellows
:
Teaching Fellows will complete the NCATE-accredited credential program in Mathematics or Foundational Level Mathematics (http://ed.fullerton.edu/SecEd/Credential_Prog/). The state of California requires that secondary teachers complete a series of prerequisite education courses. At CSU Fullerton these provide candidates with knowledge and skills in: a) the philosophy, sociology, and history of education (EDSC 310); b) the biological, cognitive, and sociocultural transitions of adolescents (EDSC 320); c) literacy development across the curriculum (EDSC 330); and d) secondary student diversity (EDSC 340).
In the extern (first) semester credential candidates complete 250 hours of fieldwork and are gradually inducted into the student teaching experience in an environment of collegiality and support. They also attend weekly seminars on general pedagogy (EDSC 440S), methods of teaching mathematics (MAED/EDSC 442), personal proficiency in educational technology (EDSC 304), and strategies for teaching English learners (EDSC 410). Throughout the program, candidates develop skills and knowledge to meet the California Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs; http://ed.fullerton.edu/SecEd/TPA/TPEs.htm).
In the student teaching (second) semester, candidates take full control of teaching three (3) periods daily and remain at the school site two additional periods for conferencing and planning. During this semester, candidates attend a weekly content-specific seminar (MAED/EDSC 449S), are formally observed several times by their university supervisor, and are evaluated on their progress toward demonstrating proficiency in the Teacher Performance Expectations by their Master Teacher and supervisor.
Offered through a collaboration between the Department of Secondary Education and Department of Mathematics and built around the National Board Core Propositions, the Masters of Science in Secondary Education with emphasis in Teaching Foundational Mathematics provides advanced preparation for teachers interested in strengthening their content knowledge, instructional practices, and leadership skills related to their work as mathematics educators. The rigor of the program, taught by full-time faculty, would also prepare one well to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics education. Program courses will be taken in a hybrid format (blend of face-to-face and online format) with a total of 31 units required for completion (see Table 3). Courses in these programs will be taught by faculty from CSUF and SAC. For more information and a video about the Masters program, visit http://ed.fullerton.edu/SecEd/Gradprgm/
Outcomes
Fellows Outcomes
:
** Five of the seven MTFs have successfully earned National Board Certification; the remaining two MTFs will re-do sections of the certification process in spring 2016 as needed. We expect that each of them will be successful on this attempt.
** Twenty-two of the twenty-two TFs have completed their preliminary credential in either Foundation Level Mathematics or Mathematics.
** Twenty of the twenty-two TFs have secured a full-time, tenure-track teaching position in a high-need school district in California. Two of the TFs are working as full-time substitute teachers.
** Seventeen of the seventeen TFs who began the program in Year 2 or 3 completed their Masters Degree in Secondary Education With An Emphasis in Foundation Level Mathematics.
** The Fellows as a group are more diverse than the teaching profession and better reflect the diversity of students in Orange County’s public schools. For example, 31.0% of the Fellows are Hispanic, 27% are Asian American, 7 % are African American, 21% are White, 7% are Pacific Islander, and 7% are Middle Eastern.
CSU Fullerton Credential Program Outcomes:
The co-plan, co-teach model piloted through MT2 helped to inform the implementation of this model throughout the entire secondary teacher credential program in 2013. In 2015 CSU Fullerton received funding from the Bechtel Foundation to transform ALL teacher credential program (elementary, secondary, and special education) to a clinical residency model using co-plan, co-teach. The lead partner school district is Anaheim Union High School District and several MTFs are helping lead this effort.
Broader Impacts
Dissemination Outcomes:
MT2 leaders and Project Fellows published three peer-reviewed refereed articles related directly to the project:
1. Ellis, M. W., Barnhart, T., & Milch, L. (2012). Understanding National Board Certification: A Guide for Teachers and Those Who Support Them. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Abstract Gives educators pursuing National Board certification and those supporting candidates in their efforts a thorough, accessible examination of all aspects of certification for First Time candidates, Take One! Candidates, Retake (or Advanced) candidates, and National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) working on Renewal.
2. Berry, R. Q., & Ellis, M. W. (2013). Multidimensional teaching. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 19(3), 172-178.
Abstract Example of how a middle school teacher used knowledge of students’ backgrounds and interests to engage them in standards-based learning about integers. Selected for NCTM’s Research to Practice Award for 2014.
3. Yopp, R., Ellis, M., Bonsangue, M., Duarte, T. (Fellow), & Meza, S. (Fellow). (2014). Piloting a co-teaching model for mathematics teacher preparation: Learning to teach together. Issues in Teacher Education, 23(1), 91-111.
Abstract Discusses the implementation of a co-teaching model at the middle school and high school levels in foundational level mathematics classes (courses from seventh grade mathematics through geometry) in high-need schools, together with implications for teacher training and directions for further research.
MT2 leaders had four externally funded grants totaling $2,341,141 related directly to the project:
1. Costa, V., Ellis, M., & Bonsangue, M. (2011 through 2015). Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative. California State University Chancellor’s Office. (Funded $800,000).
2. Ellis, M., Martinez-Cruz, A., Tran, N., Matsuda, M., & Yamaguchi, J. (2012). Transforming Academic and Cultural Identidad through Biliteracy. National Science Foundation Mathematics and Science Partnership (DUE 1238260). (Funded $1,491,141).
3. Ellis, M., Bonsangue, M., & Yopp-Edwards, R. (2011). Mathematics Ambassadors Program. Mathematics Science Teacher Initiative Augmentation Grant, California State University Chancellor’s Office. (Funded $25,000).
4. Keller, J., Ellis, M., Barnhart, T., Estrada, K., & Diffenbaugh, P. (2011). Teams Enacting Classroom Innovations. Google. (Funded $25,000).
MT2 leaders and Project Fellows made forty-seven (47) presentations at local, statewide, and national conferences related directly to the project. Thirty-three of these (70%) featured Fellows as primary presenters or co-presenters. Each (100%) of the seven MTFs and fifteen of the twenty-two (68%) TFs participated in one or more presentations.
