When Grace Ochidi and Olufola<\/u>kemi Omoruyi tell their first- and second-grade classes that it\u2019s time for mathematics, the response is always enthusiastic now. \u201cThey say \u2018yay,\u2019\u201d Omoruyi said.<\/p>\n
And Ralpheal Brown, their principal at Hopkins Lloyd Community School, said the whole school culture around mathematics has become stronger.<\/p>\n
The teachers and principal are part of a group of 12 Milwaukee public schools taking part in a unique professional development program to improve mathematics teaching, learning and leadership in their schools.<\/p>\n
The project, funded through a grant from MPS, started in January 2023, and brought the school teams together monthly for three hours on Thursday evenings to learn how to improve mathematics teaching. The group also met for two full days last summer.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unusual, said DeAnn Huinker, professor of mathematics education, because it includes principals or sometimes assistant principals in the sessions. \u201cSo often we\u2019re only working with teachers, but it\u2019s exciting to have the principal there.\u201d<\/p>\n
By involving the principals, Huinker said, the overall culture of mathematics in the school can improve.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s interesting about the project is that it can involve some \u201cmath anxious\u201d people, she added. \u201cSome principals say, \u2018oh math isn\u2019t really my thing, but I know we really need to work on it in our school.\u2019\u201d Sometimes, teachers encouraged principals to take part in the project or principals encouraged teachers to participate, Huinker said.<\/p>\n
The project has three pillars.<\/p>\n
One is ambitious mathematics instruction \u2013 helping teachers and administrators build their knowledge base about effective mathematics teaching.<\/p>\n
The second pillar is a slice of mathematics. \u201cWe try to pick a math topic to build the knowledge of the principals and the teachers in that area,\u201d Huinker said. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful and fascinating because the principals \u2013 some of them haven\u2019t really thought about math in quite a while.\u201d Teachers and principals work together on hands-on activities \u2013 like making fraction strips \u2013 that can help make math more accessible for students.<\/p>\n
The third pillar is leadership, according to Huinker: helping teachers and principals build their content knowledge to provide mathematics leadership to all the teachers in a school.\u202f\u201cEverything we do we tie to this pillar.\u201d<\/p>\n
The response from MPS is enthusiastic.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we have continued to work with the principal and teacher teams, we are also beginning to see the teachers in the projects become leaders within their buildings and supporting colleagues to develop a love of teaching mathematics,\u201d said Danielle Robinson, mathematics instruction coach for the MPS Central Region.<\/p>\n
Participants have really valued the partnership between 51ÁÔÆæ and MPS, said Beth Schefelker, project staff manager for MPS. These teachers take learning seriously since instructors are connected to current research from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and also working at UW-Milwaukee to prepare future teachers, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MPS team has brought forward a process on how to study state standards to identify expectations and then analyze student work to pinpoint areas in need of growth,\u201d Schefelker said. This process has led school teams to develop a common understanding of standards-based student solution strategies.\u00a0\u201cSchool teams have taken this process back to their schools and are thrilled to report the positive outcomes of this work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s so exciting to watch principals work alongside their teachers…taking risks, having open conversations and sharing small success,\u201d Schefelker said. \u201cI’ve been able to observe various people evolve into critical leaders of mathematics.\u201d<\/p>\n