Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Track 3 Project: Cultivating Elementary Mathematics Specialists

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national need for improved mathematics teaching and learning in elementary schools. Cultivating Elementary Mathematics Specialists (CEMS) will achieve this goal by preparing and supporting a cadre of Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMSs) who are highly effective mathematics teachers and teacher leaders. Participating elementary teachers will engage in sustained, intensive, and evidence-based professional learning, endeavoring to develop mathematical content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and capabilities, productive beliefs, and leadership skills of an EMS. As EMSs, they will provide effective mathematics teaching grounded in research-based ambitious practices, use effective coaching practices, and engage in teacher leadership. The improved learning experiences offered to students should bolster their mathematics proficiency and confidence. The EMSs' leadership will take various forms, such as coaching novice teachers or teacher candidates, providing professional development for teachers, and sharing resources with family and community members. This varying teacher leadership with different audiences aims to foster wide-reaching change in mathematics education. The EMSs' coaching of novice teachers and teacher candidates has the potential to strengthen teacher induction and the hiring pipeline. This project at The University of Alabama includes partnerships with four school districts, Tuscaloosa City, Jefferson County, Montgomery County, and Tuscaloosa County, and two non-profits, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and Ed Farm. CEMS has three goals: (1) increase the number of EMSs in high-need school districts; (2) prepare and support EMSs who are highly effective mathematics teachers and teacher leaders; and (3) support EMSs as they serve as teacher leaders, including effectively coaching novice teachers and teacher candidates. Over the next 6 years, 30 elementary teachers will be developed as EMSs in the districts, teaching and directly impacting ~19,500 students and coaching at least 150 teacher candidates or novice teachers. The EMSs' leadership will directly impact numerous educators, school leaders, and family and community members. Partnerships between multiple organizations are critical, aiming to develop collective responsibility for improving the professional development of teachers, the preparation of teacher candidates, and students' learning. Grounded in conceptual framings and research on the preparation and support of EMSs and mathematics teacher education and professional development, participants will complete university graduate courses and engage in professional learning communities and individual mentoring. Mixed methods will examine the influences of CEMS, investigating changes in participants' mathematical knowledge, beliefs, and instructional and coaching practices, as well as participants' actions and influences as teacher leaders. On-going dissemination of CEMS will target various audiences and outlets, advancing knowledge in the fields of mathematics teacher education and professional development, particularly of EMSs in high-need schools. This Track 3: Master Teaching Fellowships project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.