From the Editor
Most mathematics teachers recognize the need for effective staff development; unfortunately, there is a critical shortage of superior inservice workshops. The California Mathematics Council (CMC) has developed a position paper on staff development that could serve as a model for Alberta.
The 10,000-member CMC believes professional organizations should play a major role in shaping the professional development of teachers. Although it feels that mathematics teachers are facing unique challenges, we feel our interests are best served by providing teachers with ongoing, high quality staff development. A statement of our position on professional development follows.
I. Teachers should play a major role in planning, implementing and evaluating staff development programs that are designed for them.
A. Planning should take place at the school level by a committee composed of a majority of teachers. The purpose of this committee is to
1. develop a coherent three- to five-year staff development plan that presents a rationale for the selection of issues addressed, describes the format and sequence of their delivery and determines which activities are appropriate for which teachers;
2. promote collegiality by involving all teachers at a school site in staff development activities;
3. respond to the individual need of the teachers by providing flexibility in content and timing of staff development activities;
4. provide for coordination among subject matter initiative$, recognizing
that staff development in each subject must be sustained
over a period of time beyond the adoption year;
5. correlate staff development of administrators’ with that of teachers.
B. Successful program implementation is based on teacher involvement.’
1. Wherever possible, teachers should be the instructors in the staff development program.
2. It is essential to provide teachers with sufficient time and/or resources to support their involvement.
3. Teachers also need access to resources to implement instructional changes based on their staff development experiences. Programs such as the Classroom Teacher Instructional Improvement Program (CTIIP), mini-grants and so on provided this support in the past. Some similar mechanism should be restored.
C. Teachers’ assessment of the success of staff development efforts should be considered the crucial factor in evaluating staff development.
1. Evaluation should be ongoing and should provide input to the continuing process of planning staff development programs.
II. Staff development for those teaching mathematics should be consistent with the Mathematics Framework, the K-8 Model Curriculum Guide and the Model Curriculum Standards.
1. Mathematics teaching requires subject-specific staff development.
2. The link between content and delivery of instruction must be demonstrated consistently.
3. Integration with other subject areas should not be attempted without a well-established mathematics program consistent with the Mathematics Framework.
4. Staff development must be conducted in the same manner as teachers teach their students, so that the experiences of the teacher become a model for the experiences of the learner.
5. Generic teaching strategy workshops are unlikely to meet these criteria and are often at odds with them.
III. Staff development should be adequately supported with financial, human and institutional resources.
A. Implementing successful staff development requires significant financial resources. The level of support for mathematics must be responsive to the dramatic changes in our society; they require a substantially increased competence in mathematics, science and technology for all our citizens.
1. Until mathematics curricula are changed from a nineteenth century arithmetic program to a twenty-first century problem solving program, everyone teaching mathematics needs at least four days of mathematics staff development each year.
2. Resources are required to provide materials and cannot be limited to textbooks alone.
3. Released time must be available for teachers, not only to attend inservice sessions, but also to promote collegiality, that i.s, time to meet and plan with other teachers, to observe other teachers, and to coach and be coached.
4. Professional development is impossible if substitute teachers are not available to provide released time. District policies must place a priority on providing qualified substitute teachers so that staff development activities may be reliably planned and conducted.
5. Staff development ac ti vi ties for teachers should be conducted in the same manner as they are for other professions.
B. The goal of staff development i.s to maximize the potential of the teachers in the school.
1. Selected teachers from each site should be given the opportunity to attend in-depth, month-long institutes, as well as subsequent time to share their knowledge with colleagues.
2. Teachers who lack sufficient background in mathematics and teaching mathematics must be given support to obtain additional courses in mathematics content and pedagogy.
3. At each school, one person should be responsible for insuring that teachers receive support to match their needs and priorities. The recommended level of support for elementary school teachers is one resource specialist for a maximum of 100 teachers.
4. Support for secondary school teachers may be provided via mentors, department chairs or other teachers who have the mathematics teaching expertise, the time and the interest in providing assistance.
C. Significant institutional change i.s required to support successful staff development in California.
1. Changes at the school site must be made so that assessment of students and teachers is consistent with curriculum content and improved instructional practices.
2. Knowledgeable site/ district administrators must be available to comprehend the necessary changes, support long-term teacher development, and advocate these changes when working with parent and other constituent groups.
3. At the state level, California should create projects, similar to the California Writing Project and the California Mathematics Project, in all major curricular areas and provide month-long, in-depth staff development for teachers who take a leadership role in their schools. Sufficient resources must be available to serve all geographic areas of the state and to provide continuing support to past participants of projects.
4. Regional centres should be established to provide ongoing staff development consistent with the above principles. Unlike specific subject projects, which provide intensive staff development for relatively few teachers, regional centres have the potential to reach the majority of teachers in the state.
As educators, we are aware that our future society is directly related to the quality of today’s classroom. Professional growth activities are vital to improving the educational system.
Art Jorgensen
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