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Annual Report Overviews
Colorado Mathematics Middle School Teacher Enhancement Project (COMMSTEP) Project Activities Overview
Project Activities–Overview The four-and-one-half year Colorado Mathematics Middle School Teacher Enhancement Project (COMMSTEP) supports 330 teachers in 44 Colorado schools for professional development and implementation of standards-based instruction and assessment through the use of exemplary NSF-funded middle school instructional materials in mathematics. This Local Systemic Change through Teacher Enhancement in Mathematics, Grades 7-12, project builds upon the successful work of the Colorado Statewide Systemic Initiative and TEAM 2000, a high school Teacher Enhancement project. Middle schools whose students attend high schools implementing the Interactive Mathematics Program as part of Colorado's TEAM 2000 project serve as COMMSTEP primary target schools. Major components of the project include (1) examination and selection of materials, choosing from among Connected Mathematics Program (CMP), MathScape: Seeing and Thinking Mathematically, and Mathematics in Context; (2) annual summer institutes; (3) monthly or quarterly school-year workshops; and (4) monthly meetings with COMMSTEP teacher mentors and on-line telecommunications support. Over the life of the project, the entire mathematics faculties in partnering middle schools participate in COMMSTEP. Sixth-grade teachers attend a two-week summer institute followed by nine monthly school-year workshops, and fully implement their school's chosen instructional materials during their first year of participation. Seventh- and eighth-grade teachers phase in their school's materials over a two-year period. These teachers attend one-week summer institutes followed by four quarterly school-year workshops for two years. All middle grades teachers receive two years of workshop and mentor support. In addition to the required LSC core evaluation, the project collects two other important kinds of data: (1) student achievement data and (2) data that describes district capacity to support high quality mathematics curriculum and teaching (e.g., district capacity to support reform-oriented classroom practices), comparing COMMSTEP schools/districts with other school districts. Summary of major activities and accomplishments • COMMSTEP conducts monthly workshops throughout the school year. Workshops were conducted on Wednesday and repeated the following Saturday during the 1999-2000 school year. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, workshops are conducted on Thursday and repeated on the following Saturday. Cohort 1 teachers’ participation began in the summer of 1999, and Cohort 2 teachers’ participation began in the summer of 2000.
• COMMSTEP’s 2000 Summer Institute was held June 19-30, 2000.
• COMMSTEP’s Leadership Team has regular monthly meetings with additional meetings scheduled as needed. • COMMSTEP’s Advisory Board held its first meeting March 2-3, 2000. • During Spring 2000 COMMSTEP’s Project Director held individual site meetings with all participating schools’ mathematics teachers and the building administrators. • COMMSTEP mentors completed professional development training in "Cognitive Coaching" and "Professional Development Presentation Skills." Mentors have begun training in "Facilitating Collaborative Groups." • COMMSTEP project personnel created a pre/post-test that was administered to all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the project during the 1999-2000 school year. There were separate assessments for each grade level, even though some questions appeared at more than one grade level. The pre-tests were administered in October 1999 and the post-tests were administered in May 2000. The test consisted of five multiple-choice items, five 5-minute items, and one 15-minute item. The test was designed for a 45-minute class period. However, students may have additional time if needed. Calculators may be used on the test. Test items were selected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the New Standards Project, and from three middle school mathematics curricula: Connected Mathematics, MathScape, and Mathematics in Context. Pre- and post-tests from approximately 5,500 students were scored during a scoring conference June 12-14, 2000. Middle and high school teachers participated in the scoring conference. The COMMSTEP assessment has been updated for administration during the 2000-2001 school year. The pre-test was administered during September 2000 to approximately 12,000 students. Post-test administration is scheduled for May 2001, and the COMMSTEP 2001 Assessment Scoring Conference is scheduled for June 11-14, 2001. • COMMSTEP received supplemental funding from the Colorado Institute of Technology and the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics to support the 2000 Assessment Scoring Conference and the 2000 Summer Institute. |
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