University Partners with Middle and Junior High School Math Teachers

As Arkansas phases in the new Common Core State Standards curricula, teachers across the state will have to adjust to these national standards. They will need to develop new activities and materials for their students, and in some cases, teachers will have to become familiar with new subject matter.

In order to facilitate this shift, a program called the University of Arkansas Engineering & Mathematics Partnership will provide curriculum workshops and evaluations for 6th-8th grade math teachers in the Northwest Arkansas area.

The program, which is funded by a $283,000 per year grant from the Arkansas Department of Education, will specifically target teachers who serve student populations with high levels of poverty or a large number of English language learners or teachers who work in schools designated by No Child Left Behind as “in need of improvement.” Fourteen middle and junior high public schools are participating, as well as one private school.

During classroom visits and summer workshops, university faculty and administrators will help the teachers design, implement and evaluate hands-on classroom activities that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for mathematics.

The primary investigator for this program is Bryan Hill, assistant dean in the College of Engineering. Co-principal investigators include Ed Clausen, professor of chemical engineering; Carol Gattis, associate dean of the Honors College; Nick Tschepikow, former director of the Northwest Arkansas Education Renewal Zone; and Janet Woodland, assistant clinical professor of mathematical sciences. George Denny, professor of educational statistics and research methods, is the external evaluator.

“This team has a proven track record for designing and implementing highly successful curriculum-related workshops and solid evaluations and results for middle schools teachers,” said Hill. “We’re very excited about this opportunity to partner with the area’s math teachers as they make this transition.”