June 2007
Minnesota MSP Grants
Highlighting
Professional
Development
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District Grant:
Professional Development in Mathematics
Leader Learning x Teacher Learning
for
Student Success
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DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHICS
 Suburb of Minneapolis
 10,600 Students
 10 Elementary Schools, 3 Junior Highs, 1 High School
 22% Free and Reduced Lunch
 25% Minority; 9% ESL; 11% Special Education
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NO SMALL
TASK:
CHANGING
MATH
CHANGING
MINDS
WHAT WE
TEACH
ADOPTION-INITIATION
Opening up the Process
Guarantee
for Better
Student
Learning
HOW WE
MEASURE IT
HOW WE
TEACH IT
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Mathematical Knowledge
Required for Teaching
The demands of teaching require that teachers
possess a specialized knowledge of mathematics
that differs from common content knowledge. The
ability to decompress or “unpack” mathematical
concepts is essential as teachers strive to manage
the development of their students’ understanding.
Hence, teaching requires a pedagogical content
knowledge comprised of a much deeper
understanding of mathematics than has been
typically recognized.
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CURRICULUM RENEWAL
A Vision For
Improvement
Organizational Structure
Teaching Practices
Action Taken
Strategic Plan
District Math Coordinator
Focus on Teaching Rather
than Teachers
Professional Development
Increased Professional
Development
Budget Allocation
Federal Title Programs
Leadership
Training for Principals,
Mentors for Elementary, and
Board of Education
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MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
(MDE)
COLLEGE AND
UNIVERSITY
PUBLISHER
MATH
DISTRICT 191
CONSULTANT
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A Community of Learners
This project was
strengthened by the
perspectives and
knowledge the team
brought to the
collaboration. The
learning was not only
for the participants—
the planning enriched
the practices of all
involved.
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-Nancy Nutting, consultant
Elementary Math Mentor Model
• Team of 5-7 teachers in each building, including
Special Education and Title 1 staff
• Facilitate late start sessions examining student work
• Help set pacing schedule
• Develop common assessments
• Share expectations and enthusiasm for the curriculum
• Assist in Summer 2005 Institute and facilitate
complete use of the curriculum in each building in
2005-2006
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Sioux Trail
Team
My own understanding has grown and now I am able to
take my students to a higher level because I am at a
higher level. Had I just had an inservice on a curriculum,
I would have only taken it as far as my own
understanding would allow. Without this deeper
understanding, my teaching would have reverted to past
habits that were more comfortable. Learning the math
content at a deeper level has increased my ability to
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help students understand mathematical concepts.
2004-2006
Professional Development
• Building capacity among teachers
through Summer Institutes, Professional
Development Days, Late Start Days, Department
Meetings and Staff Meetings
• Rethinking leadership among administrators
and teachers through administrative sessions
focused on mathematics and collegial work among
staff
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Summer Institute 2004
• Over 75 teachers from all elementary school sites
(including Title I and Special Ed)
• Ten full days in June, 2004
 Learning components of Everyday Mathematics
 Learning significant math content: number sense,
computation, geometry, algebraic concepts
 Working as school teams and grade level teams
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District 191 Elementary Staff Development in
Mathematics - 2004-05
Sept. 1
Oct. 18
Jan. 28
Feb. 11
½ day Professional Development
Day
All elementary teachers/admin
5 schools AM, 5 schools PM – at
grade band sites
Mentors from 5 schools AM.
5 schools PM, meet at
specified site
½ day Professional
Development Day
All elementary
teachers/admin
5 schools AM, 5 schools
PM – at grade band sites
Mentors from 5 schools
AM.
5 schools PM, meet at
specified site
½ day Professional
Development Day
All elementary
teachers/admin
5 schools AM, 5 schools
PM – at grade band sites
Mentors: Grades 3-6 AM
and K-2 PM, at Vista
View
½ day Professional
Development Day
All elementary
teachers/admin
5 schools AM, 5 schools
PM – at grade band sites
Mentors: Grades K-2 AM
and 3-6 PM, at Vista
View
School based Study Groups – Reading Helping Children Learn Mathematics
Sept 23
Nov. 10
Dec. 7
Mar. 2
May 10
2 hr. late start – mentors +
rest of staff at school sites
Focus on Student Work from
Everyday Math
2 hr. late start –
mentors + rest of
staff at school sites
Focus on Student
Work from
Everyday Math
2 hr. late start
Building Plans
2 hr. late start –
mentors + rest of
staff at school sites
Focus on Student
Work from
Everyday Math
2 hr. late start –
mentors + rest of
staff at school sites
Focus on Student
Work from Everyday
Math
Sept. 14 or 15
Math Mentors meet in grade
band groups
Nov. 3 or 4
Math Mentors meet in
grade band groups
Feb. 22 or 23
April 18 or 22
Math Mentors meet in
grade band groups
Math Mentors meet in
grade band groups
School based Staff Meetings may include professional development in mathematics and discussion of math program
Summer Institute 2005
• Extensive training for all Elementary Staff
• Mentors assist their colleagues with lessons
learned
• Content focused on number sense,
algebraic thinking, and geometry
• Extended support from University/College
professors, publisher consultants, and
teacher experts
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Summer 2005
Teacher Quotes
• I felt a lot of aha’s throughout the two
weeks. Finally many math concepts had
meaning to me.
• …Math for me has always been
teaching/learning a traditional algorithm,
mastering it, and then moving on. Now, I’ve
learned to connect math to become more
meaningful and understandable
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Summer 2005
Teacher Quotes
• With the addition of each lesson, discussion,
and activity, my knowledge and confidence
has increased.
• I’ve become more flexible in my own
mathematical thinking.
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Summer 2005 Evaluation
Over 90% of teachers responded
strongly agree or agree to:
• My questions and concerns were
effectively addressed during the training.
• I learned from the knowledge and
experiences of the others in the room.
• I gained new knowledge and/or skills to
teach math.
• I am confident about my ability to teach
Everyday Math.
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District 191 Elementary Staff Development in
Mathematics - 2005-06
August 30
October 17
January 23
February 24
½ Day Professional
½ Day Professional
½ Day Professional
½ Day Professional
Development Day
Development Day
Development Day
Development Day
All elementary
All elementary
All elementary
All elementary
teachers/admin
teachers/admin
teachers/admin
teachers/admin
Grades 1, 3, 5 AM Grades K, 2, 4, 6 AM
Grades 1, 3, 5 AM
Grades K, 2, 4, 6 AM
Grades K, 2, 4, 6 PM Grades 1, 3, 5 PM
Grades K, 2, 4, 6 PM
Grades 1, 3, 5 PM
SITE WORK
Math Mentors meet with grade level within their buildings.
September 29
2 hr. late start –
Performance
Appraisal
November 9
2 hr. late start –
Performance
Appraisal
December 6
March 8
May 9
2 hr. late start
Building Plans
2 hr. late start –
mentors + rest
of staff at
school sites
Focus on Math
2 hr. late start –
Performance
Appraisal
November 29
December 1
February 28
March 2
Grades 3-6 Math
Mentors
Grades K-2 Math
Mentors
Grades 3-6 Math
Mentors
Grades K-2 Math
Mentors
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Summer Institute 2006
• Approximately 120 K-8 teachers attending
• Teachers selected 2 math content areas to
study in depth throughout the 8 days
• Instructional concerns include the
following: differentiating instruction,
Special Education, ELL, Title I, Gifted &
Talented, Struggling Students, and Math
Games
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Administrators
Three professional development sessions
– Set goals, develop strategies
– Experience mathematics from the curriculum
materials
– Discuss research about best instructional
practices in mathematics
– Examine tools to help lead the implementation
of new learning materials
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Quote - Elementary Teacher
I have a clearer understanding about
what my students know and how to
address their missing information or
misunderstandings. I have the materials
and information to move students further
in math understandings than ever before.
I believe my students are developing a
stronger understanding of mathematics,
its application and the relationships
within math topics.
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CAREI Findings
• Students in Math Mentor classrooms averaged
higher change scores across all three grade-band
groups (grade 3 to 4; grade 4 to 5; grade 5 to 6).
• A significant statistical difference was found for
the 4th to 5th grade and 5th to 6th grade groups
which shows that students in Math Mentor
classrooms increased their composite
mathematics standard scores on the ITBS at a rate
greater than that of their peers in non-Math
Mentor classrooms.
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CAREI Findings
• There appears to be a difference in the level of
questioning Math Mentors use in interacting
with their students about mathematics that is not
as prevalent in non-Math Mentor classrooms.
Math Mentors, in their second year of
implementation, generally engage students in
higher order thinking and address the
mathematical content in a deeper way than their
colleagues.
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CAREI Findings
• District 191’s elementary mathematics teachers generally
feel that students are having greater success and are
more excited about mathematics when compared to
previous classes.
• They feel that students with high and average
mathematical abilities are having more success using
Everyday Math, but have concerns about how students
with low mathematical abilities are faring with the
Everyday Math curriculum.
• Teachers are very confident in the ability of Everyday
Math to help students meet grade level standards and in
their own abilities to accurately assess student learning.
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