6 August 2005

Longwood math department involved in statewide effort to improve math instruction in grades K-8

Teachers Candie George (left) and Marie Keough work in Longwood's Probability and Statistics Institute.

Longwood University's Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is involved in a collaborative statewide effort to improve math instruction in grades K-8.

The two-week Probability and Statistics Institute that Longwood hosted recently, attended by some 47 teachers from across the state, is part of the Virginia Mathematics Specialist Project. The project, funded through the Virginia Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, is creating "mathematics specialists" for the state's elementary and middle schools who are "released from classroom responsibilities so they can support their colleagues' professional growth, promoting enhanced mathematics instruction and student learning throughout their schools," according to one description.

Also as part of the project, which involves a partnership between eight colleges and universities and 28 school divisions, master's programs in math are being implemented at some colleges and universities. "The work on this grant allowed us to develop our master's program in Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/K-8 Math," said Dr. Sharon Emerson-Stonnell, associate professor of mathematics, who coordinates that program and also coordinated the Longwood institute.

Dr. Robert Webber, professor of mathematics, also taught in the institute, which ended Aug. 5. "Longwood took the lead in developing the institute," said Dr. Emerson-Stonnell.

Similar institutes were held earlier this summer at William & Mary (Geometry and Measurement) and Emory & Henry (Numbers and Operations), as well as last summer at James Madison University (Numbers and Operations) and the University of Virginia (Rational Numbers).

"Virginia Commonwealth University and Norfolk State University are not doing institutes but are involved in the project by developing institutes," Dr. Emerson-Stonnell said.

It will take two years for participating teachers to cycle through the program, she said. Planning began in the summer of 2003, and course offering started last year.

All of the institutes were team-taught, and participants lived on the host campus. The other instructors in the Longwood institute were Dr. Loren Pitt of U.Va., who is the overall director of the project, and Pam Cropp, curriculum specialist in K-12 math and secondary science for the Culpeper County schools. Dr. Pitt is the president of the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, which is involved with the project.