Slides for "A Mathematician in a K-8 School" Talk

A Mathematician at a K-8 School

Debra Borkovitz

Wheelock College

dborkovitz@wheelock.edu

Overview

1. Introduction

2. The Title II Grant/Young Achievers School

3. Newer Topics in Math Curriculum

4. Arithmetic

5. Some Thoughts/Discussion

The Massachusetts Coalition for Teacher Quality and Student Achievement is a statewide initiative dedicated to enhancing the quality of teacher education by providing teachers with the skills and knowledge they require in order to be successful educators in Massachusetts' urban public schools.

The MassCoalition teams seven universities with public schools in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, all united by five core objectives. Working with parents, community organizations, and business partners, these partnerships work to foster the development of communities of inquiry and practice, all striving to ensure that students in urban schools receive an excellent education.

Colleges Involved in Partnerships

· Boston College (Boston Public Schools)

· Clark University (Worcester Public Schools)

· Lesley University (Boston Public Schools)

· Northeastern University (Boston Public Schools)

· UMass Amherst (Springfield Public Schools)

· UMass Boston (Boston Public Schools)

· Wheelock College (Boston Public Schools)

Objectives of Grant

1. Increase the participation of Arts & Sciences faculty in teacher education to ensure strong content knowledge

2. Expand the school- and community-based nature of teacher education to provide greater practical experience

3. Improve instruction in literacy across the content areas both in teacher education and in our partnering public schools

4. Recruit, train, and retain cohorts of ethnically diverse beginning teachers

5. Promote the MassCoalition's capacity to conduct research and inform public policy on issues of teacher quality

Young Achievers School

· Pilot School

· Founded in 1995 by parents, community leaders, and teachers from Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan

· 305 Students, grades K1-8

· Seamless Day Program 7:30 a.m. 5 p.m.

· Where children live: 44% Dorchester, 16% Roxbury, 12% Jamaica Plain, 11% Hyde Park, 8% Mattapan, 5% Roslindale and 4% from other neighborhoods

· Over 60% on free or reduced price lunch

Mission: The Young Achievers is dedicated to creating a science and mathematics focused K-8 elementary/ middle school that promotes academic excellence for all students in a just and caring community of learners.

Julio Henriquez (founder, quoted in 1999):

We saw this school as an opportunity to develop a theme that was greatly needed. Math and science were the disciplines that really don’t get valued in this community the minority community. We thought that by putting the focus and emphasis on math and science and creating a school that would focus on that, we would give kids a seamless opportunity to go from K-8 and transfer those elite skills into a high school of math/science