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School partnerships that have been established between:
- Michigan State University and Grande Ledge, MI Public Schools
- University of Missouri and Columbia, MO Public Schools
- Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo, MI Public Schools
Each partnership provides a context for research, doctoral student preparation, and professional development. Partnerships provide opportunities
to develop and test strategies and to produce new knowledge about the role and impact of curriculum materials on student and teacher learning.
Each partnership affords an interesting and unique opportunity for four groups of teaching professionals to work and learn together - preservice
teachers, practicing teachers, doctoral students, and university faculty. The program of research and development in the school partner sites
has the following goals:
- Enhance the "mathematics for teaching" knowledge of each group through professional development focused on curriculum.
- Develop learning activities that enhance the skill and knowledge of all four constituent groups and can be shared across the three universities
and with the broader community.
- Study the role of curriculum in enhancing teachers' knowledge of mathematics for teaching and their understanding of mathematical practices as
they impact teaching and learning.
- Provide opportunities for the development of curriculum leadership within each of the partner districts through seminars, workshops, and
graduate programs focused on curriculum.
The school sites serve as laboratories for understanding all aspects of curriculum in schools. How do teachers use curriculum? How do they
alter or supplement text material and why? To what extent and how do curriculum and assessment analysis tools stimulate teachers' deeper engagement
with mathematical content, the flow of mathematical content over a series of grade levels, and consideration of instructional strategies that fit
the goals of instruction? What are the political forces that affect curriculum choices and implementation in the site?
As noted, the various partnerships share some common goals. At the same time, the diverse school settings and the particular context with regard
to curriculum implementation provides opportunities for Center staff to study the impact and viability of particular teacher learning strategies.
For one example, see the description in this report under the heading "Cross-Site Research Study."
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