Development of Texas Master Mathematics Teachers Through the Rice University Mathematics Leadership Institute

Authors: Anne Papakonstantinou, Jackie Sack, Richard Parr

Teachers who successfully earned MMT certification have been recognized in their districts and schools as exemplary teachers. Currently, the only teachers in both districts with MMT credentials are also MLI lead teachers. The districts have taken note of this achievement. Two MMT-certified teachers have earned career promotions to district-level instructional-support positions. MMT-certified MLI lead teachers belong to a unique knowledgecommunity as a result of the joint MLI and MMT experience. Their mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge increased, resulting in increased self-efficacy as teachers, instructional coaches and advocates for strong mathematics programs in their schools and districts. This is evidenced by pre- and post-program content tests completed by both cohorts during their first Summer Leadership Institutes (see Mc Coy, 2007). When data are available, an analysis of student achievement for students taught by MLI MMT-certified teachers will be conducted with respect to their peers in their respective school districts and their peers statewide.

References:
Craig, C. J. (1995). Knowledge communities: A way of making sense of how beginning teachers come to know in their professional knowledge contexts. Curriculum Inquiry, 25(2), 151-175.

McCoy, A. (2007). Year 3 Evaluation Report: Rice University Mathematics Leadership Institute RUSMP DN: 07-04.

National Science Foundation (2007). Student Results Show Benefits of Math and Science Partnerships. http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109725&org=NSF&from=news.

MLI Website: http://nsfmli.rice.edu/