Milwaukee Public Schools University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
description
Transcript of Milwaukee Public Schools University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Alliance for Teaching
Mathematics to Special Education Learners
Strengthening
Content Knowledge and Collaboration of
General and Special Education Teachers Milwaukee Public Schools
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Math and Science Partnership MeetingWisconsin Department of Public InstructionOctober 19, 2010
Vision
• Improve mathematics performance for students in grades 4–9, particularly for students with special needs and for students who struggle, and
• Support a school culture for collaboration of general and special education teachers on improving math learning for all students.
Goals
• To strengthen the mathematics content knowledge of general and special education teachers;
• To enhance mathematics instructional and assessment practices, focusing on appropriate accommodations and modifications for special education students;
• To increase collaboration on math instruction between general and special education teachers.
Project Overview
Project Staff• UWM Mathematics
– Kevin McLeod
• UWM Mathematics Education– DeAnn Huinker
• UWM Special Education– Judy Winn
• MPS Teachers and Specialists– Melissa Hedges, Math Teaching Specialist– Chris Guthrie, Special Education Teacher– Beth Schefelker, Math Teaching Specialist– Mary Spidell, Special Education Supervisor
Project Timeline
Participants
• Year I – 35 participants
Certification General Ed 9
Special Ed 19
Other 7
Teaching experience 1-16+ years 7-928.6%
0-322.9%
Grade Levels Elementary 12
Middle 13
Both 10
Year 1
• Met 19 Tuesdays January through July • Focus
– Numbers and Operations– Barriers to learning mathematics
• Language, visual perception, behavior
– Scaffolded instruction to address barriers
Projects/Assignments
Evaluation• Evaluation 1. Content Knowledge
What is the impact on teachers' math knowledge for teaching? Are there differential effects on general education versus special education teachers?
• Evaluation 2. PracticeWhat is the impact on teachers' perspectives on teaching math? What is the impact of the project on teachers' classroom practice?
• Evaluation 3. CollaborationWhat changes are observed in collaborative practices of general and special education teachers as a result of project participation?
• Student AchievementWhat is the impact on student achievement in math, both overall and for student subgroups, specifically special education students?
Measures• Content Knowledge
– Mathematical Knowledge for Teachers (MKT)• Practice
– Teacher Surveys – Focus Group– Informal probes– Observations
• Collaboration– Surveys– Focus Group
• Student Achievement– WKCE– Benchmarks
Content Knowledge(Numbers and Operations)
Teacher NCOP Year I MKT Scores
N Mean NCOP Score
Standard Deviation
Mean Gain
Pretest 31 -0.12 0.98 0.45
Posttest 31 0.33 0.78
ComparisonGroup 86 0.05 0.76
Practice
Collaboration
Student Achievement Benchmarks Q2 – December, 2009 and Q4 May, 2010
Student Population Growth (Scale Scores)
Math Alliance All MPS
General Education Mean 15.06 12.76
N 359 28,658
SD 26.90 28.77
Special Education Mean 20.51 15.12
N 141 6457
SD 29.43 31.94
All Students Mean 16.60 13.20
N 500 35,115
SD 27.71 29.40
Our Challenges
• Curriculum development– Sparse special education math– Little guidance in linking two fields– Understanding philosophical differences
• Collaborative planning and teaching– Ways to integrate the strands– Challenges consistent with teacher collaboration
literature – e.g., time, instructor content knowledge
Our Challenges
• Range of teacher content knowledge• Linking project participants to student
mathematics achievement results – District data– Roles of participants
• Attrition