Implementation of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with Minority Students

Format

Poster Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Valdosta State Universtiy

Second Presenter's Institution

Fulton County Schools, Georgia

Third Presenter's Institution

Valdosta State University

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Florida Department of Education

Fifth Presenter's Institution

Valdosta State University

Location

Harborside East & West

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Relevance

RELEVANCE:

This proposal is related to Strands 1. Reducing the achievement gap, and 2. Academic instruction (reading, writing, mathematics, or science) for students at risk of failure. In an era of high-accountability and high-stakes testing teachers are challenged to find ways to create learning environments focused on active student participation where learning is constructed through higher-order competencies. This study was prompted by the recent adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and examines the common practices of successful math teacher models in relation to its implementation. Low math achievement has plagued many low performing African American and Hispanic middle students over the years. This proposal links the issue of achievement gap and the critical issue of math instruction in low performing middle schools. This presentation will address this need and participants will gain both insights and tools based on research to more effectively address the need for improving student math achievement of at-risk African American and Hispanic students.

Brief Program Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

What are the common practices used by teachers who find success implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with African American and Hispanic American students? What aspects of the classroom/school environment impact the common practices of teachers who find success implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with American and Hispanic American students? Analysis of the common practices used by math teachers and aspects of the classroom/school environment that impact diverse teacher’ active engagement in CCSSM may provide valuable data for increasing math performance of at-risk minority students and overall school achievement. The researchers will share these findings and in turn share important insights and techniques for closing the math achievement gap.

Summary

SUMMARY:

In summary, even with the current goals of CCSSM, curriculum inequalities are still present in schools with large populations of African American and Hispanic American students. Teachers who predominately serve minority students are challenged to create classroom-learning environments that will emphasize students’ active participation in meaningful mathematics. The results of this study challenge school organizational structures to focus more on teacher support and less on the pressures of evaluation systems and test scores that limit teacher creativity. This study exposes the various pressures teachers face during eras of high-stakes testing and curriculum reform and reveals opportunities of creating student-centered academic environments in which teaching and learning occur at high levels. The teachers in this study recognized the challenges they faced teaching minority students. They navigated CCSSM by making students’ achievement central to their implementation of curriculum reform and by recognizing that their positive dispositions towards the curricula resources impacted their students’ mathematical thinking. Participants in this presentation will be provided with study results and practices associated with successful math instructional strategies that may increase math achievement of African American and Hispanic middle school students. Conference participants will receive a descriptive analysis of the three emergent analytical major themes from this study. These are: (1) views navigating CCSSM, (2) teacher/student relationships and effective learning and (3) organizational structures drive CCSSM. Presenters will share proven, viable and effective implementation strategies that make a difference with African American and Hispanic students. Copies of the interview protocols used for data gathering and data analysis matrices showing how data was reduced to three analytical themes will be shared with participants. School district practitioners and university researchers have validated the study results. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of persons with different perspectives giving a more balanced view of applying the insights and knowledge gained from the study. In addition, participants will have access to the presenters for questions once the conference is over. Participants will be encouraged to contact the researchers and seek technical assistance once they return to their work sites.

Evidence

EVIDENCE:

The initial efforts to analyze the common practices used by teachers who find success implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with African American and Hispanic American students and examine aspects of the classroom/school environment that impact diverse teachers’ active engagement in CCSSM morphed into a formal dissertation. Middle school math teachers within an identified Georgia school district were selected for the study. All teachers implemented Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with African American and Hispanic students. In accordance with a basic qualitative interpretive research design, data was collected through interviews, classroom observations and review of school policy and other related documents. The constant comparative method was used to identify recurring patterns and themes emerging from the data.

Similar studies have examined the challenges and successes teachers face as a result of their beliefs and orientations towards curriculum reform, but few studies have explored successful common practices used to implement CCSSM with African American and Hispanic students since this is a relatively new curriculum (Drake & Sherin, 2006; Manouchehri & Goodman, 2000; Remillard & Bryans, 2004). Other researchers have cautioned for more awareness of teachers’ perceptions and beliefs as they implement curriculum reform, particularly with minority students (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Drake & Sherin, 2006; Gay, 2013; Manouchehri & Goodman, 2000). They suggested many teachers lack the possible skills to support students effectively and oftentimes “neither the curricula nor the work conditions…provide opportunities for professional growth” (Schoenfeld, 2002, p.22).

This timely study of the implementation strategies of CCSSM by successful math teachers provide teachers with valuable instructional tools to achieve higher student performance in CCSSM, and insights into aspects of the classroom/school environment that impact diverse teacher’ active engagement.

Biographical Sketch

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Ronny Green is Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Valdosta State University. His school site experiences include serving as a guidance counselor, school administrator and school principal. He was recognized as an Outstanding Principal by the Florida Department of Education. He served for five years with the State of Florida coordinating leadership development for the State of Florida via the Florida Council on Educational Management. He has served for years as a mentor to new principals and principals at failing schools. His book Natural Forces: How to Significantly Increase Student Achievement in the Third Millennium focuses on systems thinking and leadership development and has sold in the thousands. rgreen@valdosta.edu

Dina Savage recently received her doctorate form Valdosta State University. She has served as a math coach in the Fulton County School System of Georgia. She has served her professional career in the K-12 public school setting. Her professional experiences include serving as a middle and high school math teacher. dlsavage@valdosta.edu

Rudo Tsemunhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Valdosta State University. She has international school site experience that includes serving as a, school principal in Zimbabwe and program coordinator for an educational initiative in Boston, MA. rtsemunhu@valdosta.edu

Kathy Nobles is the Director of School Improvement at the Florida Department of Education. She has experience as a classroom teacher, school media specialist and school principal. Other experiences include the Florida Department of Education as a regional data coach and the state data captain, and four years with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) as a consultant providing professional development and technical assistance to districts in the panhandle region. kathynobles@fldoe.org

Bill Truby is an Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University in the Department of Educational Leadership. He is a retired professional educator with 43 years of experience: teacher, coach, assistant principal, associate principal, athletic director, head master, adjunct professor and school system superintendent for 8 years in Lamar County, GA. He has lead start-up schools and low-achieving schools and districts to higher levels of success and new standards of excellence. He has authored 2 books and has provided columns on education for newspapers for years. He has been a sought-after speaker throughout his career on a variety of topics, especially those dealing with leadership, motivation, and ethics. wftruby@valdosta.edu

Keyword Descriptors

Students at risk, Reducing the achievement gap, Mathematics, Quality instruction

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 5:30 PM

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Mar 7th, 4:00 PM Mar 7th, 5:30 PM

Implementation of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with Minority Students

Harborside East & West

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

What are the common practices used by teachers who find success implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with African American and Hispanic American students? What aspects of the classroom/school environment impact the common practices of teachers who find success implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with American and Hispanic American students? Analysis of the common practices used by math teachers and aspects of the classroom/school environment that impact diverse teacher’ active engagement in CCSSM may provide valuable data for increasing math performance of at-risk minority students and overall school achievement. The researchers will share these findings and in turn share important insights and techniques for closing the math achievement gap.