1

Why should MSRI be involved in education, and

how?

Today’s session

Overview of mathematics education in the U.S. and introduction to MSRI initiative: Deborah Ball

Mathematicians’ involvement in education:Undergraduate enrichment program: Ricardo CortezMath circles and Olympiads: Hugo RossiMathematical education of teachers: Hung-Hsi WuPartnerships: Herb Clemens

Commentary: Hyman Bass

2

3

Today’s Session

Overview of mathematics education: Deborah Ball

Specific programs and focal points for mathematicians’ engagement in education:– MSRI Undergraduate Program: Ricardo Cortez – Math Circles: Hugo Rossi

– Mathematical education of teachers: Hung-Hsi Wu

– Partnerships: Herb Clemens

Commentator: Hyman Bass

4

Mathematics education: A brief snapshot

1. Achievement 2. Curriculum3. Assessment4. Teaching 5. Teachers and professional education6. Research7. Reform8. Cooperation of stakeholders

5

Achievement

• Unevenly distributed• Achievement gap between poor

and middle class students• Summer loss

6

What is the “achievement gap”?

• In 2005, 69% of 8th graders scored above “basic” level on NAEP Math

• Significant differences by race: 42% of African American, 52% of Latino, and 80% of White 8th graders score at this level

• And by income level: 51% of low income students scored above “basic”; 79% of others

7

How does U.S. achievement compare internationally?

• U.S. 15-year-olds were outperformed in math by students in 23 of 38 other countries

• They were outperformed in science by students in 18 of 38 countries

8

Changing demographics: Percentage distribution of the race/ethnicity of public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade: Fall 1972 and

2005

78

58

15

16

6

20

1

7

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1972 2005

other

hispanic

black

white

9

LANGUAGE MINORITY: Percentage of 5- to 17-year-olds who spoke a language other than English at home and who spoke English with difficulty

3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5

9

1213 14

17 18 19 20

0

5

10

15

20

25

1979 1989 1992 1995 1999 2001 2003 2005

spoke a language other than English at home

spoke a language other than english at home, and spoke english with difficulty

Changes in home language: Percentage of public school students in kindergarten through 12th

grade: Fall 1979 and 2005

10

Curriculum• No national curriculum or goals ––

curriculum determined locally• Many different curricula; teacher

discretion• Influence of Texas and California• NSF-funded curriculum materials

(less than 20% of the market)

11

Assessment• Many different tests• Districts choose tests and frequency of

administration• Most states have assessments;

increasing number of states require test for high school graduation

• NCLB (2001): States to choose assessment to which schools will be accountable

12

Teaching

• Lack information about practice, but most indicators suggest “business as usual”

• Mathematics teaching shaped by text, teacher, policy context

13

Teachers: Recruitment, professional education and retention

• Over 1300 institutions prepare teachers• Teacher certification requirements vary by state, and by level• Some teacher certification undergraduate; some master’s

level• Many unqualified or uncertified teachers in urban districts• Mathematics preparation unaligned with professional

demands• Retention problems due to poor working conditions, lack of

professional education, salary competition from other sectors

14

Teaching is the largest single occupation in the U.S.

Numbers of Employed Persons by Occupation (2003)

3,681 3,6323,343

2,449

1,884 1,842 1,811 1,639 1,6171,362 1,313

952 819

185 180

0500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,000

teachers (elementary, middl..secretaries and administrati..janitors, maids, household...

registered nursessales representativeswaiters and waitresses

home health aides

accountants and auditors

chief executives

engineers (all types)

counselors and social workers

lawyers

physicians and surgeons

psychologists

architects (non-naval)

Occupation

Number Employed (in thousands)

15

Disparities in teacher qualifications for different groups

of students

Source: Condition of Education (2003)

16

Qualified teachers: Middle school

Source: Condition of Education (2003)

17

Research• Low funding for basic research and design

research• Much more funding for intervention with

modest or no evaluation• Education research criticized for

fragmentation, lack of cumulative knowledge, weak connection to practice

• Recent efforts to improve research: criteria for scientific research, infrastructure for improving research community, panels to set research priorities

18

“Reform”• “New math” (1960s) –– new curriculum materials;

changed college track of high school mathematics• Standards movement (beginning with NCTM in

1989): more complex goals, all students• New curriculum materials, new work on

assessment• Under-investment in teacher development

(lessons from “new math” era)• Growing attention to teacher knowledge problems• Challenges of implementation

19

Cooperation among stakeholders

• Problems of mathematics education are multi-disciplinary and require multiple forms of expertise

• Recent reports: Glenn Commission, Adding It Up, RAND Math Panel, National Math Advisory Panel (2008)

• “Math wars”• Mathematicians taking renewed interest in

mathematics education: Constructive engagement and need for more access and opportunity to develop and provide useful resources

20

What is theMathematics in Society

Initiative of MSRI and why are we doing

it?

21

Enhancing and specifying our involvement in

education• Articulating education more explicitly

as an aspect of the Institute’s agenda• Adding a member to the Board of

Trustees (2002)• Creating an Education subcommittee • Developing an Education Advisory

Committee• New activities

22

Current Education Activities

• Math circles for kids and teachers• Math Olympiad• Resources on the web• Education working conferences

(funded by the National Science Foundation, Noyce Foundation, Bechtel, Texas Instruments, Center for Proficiency in Teaching Mathematics at the University of Michigan)

23

Conference Series:Critical Issues in Mathematics

EducationTopics:1. Assessing students’ learning (March 2004)2. Mathematical knowledge for teaching (May 2005)3. Raising the floor: Progress and setbacks in the struggle

for quality mathematics education for all (May 2006)4. Teaching Teachers Mathematics (May 2007)5. Teaching and Learning Algebra (May 2008)

Possible future topics:1. Professional development & teacher education2. Instructional uses of technology3. International studies of mathematics education

24

Goals of MSRI’s Education Workshops

• Bring together people from different disciplines and from practice to investigate and work on fundamental problems of education

• Engage mathematicians productively in problems of education

• Build resources for tackling challenging problems in mathematics education

• Shape a research and development agenda