COMET • Vol. 23, No. 01 – 05 January 2022

ARTICLES & ANNOUNCEMENTS (CALIFORNIA FOCUS)

(1) California Mathematics Framework Timeline Revised

At its meeting on November 3, 2021, the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved a proposal from the California Department of Education to modify the timeline for the 2022 revision of the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. No comments on this consent item were offered by the public. The latest timeline revision moved the commencement of the second 60-day field review from December 2021 to early 2022, with final action on the Mathematics Framework expected to occur at the SBE’s July 2022 meeting. The dates of the second comment period will be posted on the Mathematics Framework website (https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/) when the revised draft has been finalized.

The delay in the initiation of the second public comment and review period reflects the time-intensive nature of the development of new draft chapters following the first 60-day public comment period, during which over 500 individuals and groups submitted suggestions for changes to the draft. The SBE anticipates that additional time will also be needed following the second 60-day field review to fully evaluate public comments, thus the extension of the final action to July. 

This agenda item is available at https://bit.ly/3JwASfb for automatic download (.docx).

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(2) Virtual Workshops on the Mathematics Framework Revision

Cal Poly Pomona will be hosting free monthly California Mathematics Project (CMP) workshops on the Mathematics Framework revision from 5:00-7:00 p.m. PT on the following dates: January 18, February 15, March 15, and April 19. The Zoom meeting link is https://cpp.zoom.us/j/85045380239, and the password is CMP-CPP. 

A variety of speakers and topics will be showcased. All are welcome to attend, but registration will be required. Please reach out to Becki King (rcking@cpp.edu) to be added to the mailing list to ensure notification about these workshops, including the topics, speakers, registration information, and more.

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(3) Virtual Presentation for Mathematics Educators about the TRU (Teaching for Robust Understanding) Framework 

The Alameda Contra Costa Council of Math Educators (www.meetup.com/ACCCME/) is sponsoring a free presentation on January 22 (10 a.m.-1 p.m. PT) by Alan Schoenfeld, author of Mathematical Problem Solving and professor at the University of California, Berkeley (https://gse.berkeley.edu/alan-h-schoenfeld). He will be speaking on the TRU (Teaching for Robust Understanding) framework, describing five dimensions of a mathematically powerful classroom. The session description notes that TRU Math was developed to highlight critical components of teaching and learning, providing a means of structuring observations and discussions with teachers. These components include the mathematical content; cognitive demand; access to the mathematical content; agency, authority, and identity; and formative assessment.

For more about the TRU framework, which is applicable across all learning environments, visit https://bit.ly/TRU-Framework To read about the TRU Math rubric, visit https://bit.ly/TRU-Math 

To register for this presentation, visit www.meetup.com/ACCCME/events/282418114/  

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(4) Virtual Workshops on Teaching Fraction Concepts and Operations

Two regional sites of the California Mathematics Project – the Bay Area Mathematics Project and the Santa Clara Valley Mathematics Project – are partnering to provide teachers with free mathematics professional learning opportunities via Zoom. Upcoming Saturday morning workshops will focus on developing conceptual understanding of fraction operations for grades 3-6 teachers and will be hosted by Suzanne Damm and Julie Silva Spitzer. The workshops will utilize the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) Progressions documents (https://bit.ly/CCSSM_Progressions). Sessions are independent of each other and require separate registration (links below):

– Addition and Subtraction of Fractions (Grades 3-5): January 8, 9 a.m.-12 noon

https://bit.ly/SJSU-Jan8-AddSubFractions

– Multiplication of Fractions (Grades 3-5): February 5, 9-11 a.m. 

https://bit.ly/SJSU-Feb8-MultFractions

– Division of Fractions (Grades 4-6): March 5, 9-11 a.m. 

https://bit.ly/SJSU-March5-DivideFractions

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(5) Curtis Center’s Mathematics and Teaching Conference

The UCLA Curtis Center for Mathematics and Teaching will host its 15th annual Mathematics and Teaching Conference on March 5, 2022. The conference consists of plenary talks and breakout sessions within three strands: Mathematics for K-12 Teachers, Pedagogy for Teaching K-12 Mathematics, and Research and Recommendations in Mathematics Education. The program for the 2021 conference, which provides information about the Curtis Center and detailed session and speaker profiles from last March’s conference, is available at https://bit.ly/2021MathTchgConf 

For a list of speakers for this year’s conference, as well as registration information, please visit https://curtiscenter.math.ucla.edu/conferences/ or contact Helen Chan, Director of K-8 Professional Development at the Curtis Center, at hchan@math.ucla.edu. 

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(6) Engaging Children in Joyful Mathematics – The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival

URL: www.jrmf.org/

Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival (JRMF) events aim to engage students and the community in joyful mathematics. To learn more about JRMF activities, events, support, and strategies, consider attending an online meeting of the math festival community. Meetings are generally held from 4-5:30 p.m. PT on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The next four meetings will be held virtually on January 12, January 26, February 9, and February 23 from 4-5:30 p.m. PT. To register, visit www.jrmf.org/events/engaging-children-in-math 

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(7) Options for Meeting the Subject Matter Competence Requirement for Teaching Credential Candidates in California

Assembly Bill 130 (TK-12 Education Trailer Bill), which was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newson last July, included an expansion of the options for prospective teachers to demonstrate subject matter proficiency for their intended teaching credential. For example, an applicant to a Single Subject Teaching Credential program in mathematics can now have their subject matter competence requirement satisfied by attainment of a mathematics degree or by a combination of coursework and applicable CSET subtests.  Prior to the passage of AB 130, the applicant would have been required to have taken a Mathematics Subject Matter Preparation Program approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) or (alternatively) to have passed all three mathematics CSET subtests.  

CTC staff have created a website on subject matter proficiency requirements: https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/subject-matter-requirements Included is a link to an informative webinar (October 18, 2021) and accompanying presentation file: https://bit.ly/SMR-Webinar2021 and  https://bit.ly/CTC-SMCR-Pres 

At its meeting on December 9, 2021, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing addressed Agenda Item 2F, “Proposed Adoption of Regulations Regarding New Options for Meeting the Subject Matter Competence Requirement.” This agenda item was presented by David DeGuire, Director of the Professional Services Division, and is available at https://bit.ly/SMCR-Dec2021  

After 1.5 hours of discussion, the Commission moved to approve the draft regulations language as presented and to direct Commission staff to submit an emergency regulations package to the Office of Administrative Law for expedient implementation. An excerpt from the regulations is included below. The full regulatory package is expected to be brought back before the Commission within the next three to six months, with a likely modification of the list of approved majors satisfying the subject matter competence requirement for a given teaching credential (e.g., potentially permitting an undergraduate degree in ethnic studies to satisfy the subject matter competency requirement for those intending to pursue a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science). 

Following the vote, Commissioner Marquita Grenot-Scheyer asked the Commission staff to “pull together a subject matter discipline group representative of the various segments” to help develop the permanent regulations to be brought back to the Commission in early 2022.

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Approved emergency regulatory language from Agenda Item 2F (boldface added):

§ 80096. Determination of Subject Matter Competency.

(a) When reviewing official transcripts for subject matter competency…, acceptable coursework shall be defined as: 

     (1) Coursework earned with a grade of “C” or higher. [Note: This includes a C-] Coursework earned with “Pass,” “Credit,” or another designation deemed by the institution of higher education to be equivalent to a grade “C” or higher is also acceptable. 

     (2) Coursework that is degree-applicable to an Associate or higher degree and credit-bearing. Remedial coursework is not acceptable. 

     (3) Coursework that was completed at a regionally accredited institution of higher education. 

     (4) Upper division or graduate coursework that exceeds one or more subject matter domain, if the course content requires existing knowledge of the subject matter domain. 

(b) When reviewing official transcripts for subject matter competency for a Single Subject Credential…, a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates shall mean: 

     (1) For the single subject areas of Agriculture, Art, Business, Dance, English, Health Science, Home Economics, Industrial and Technology Education, Mathematics (Math), Music, and Theater, successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education where the title of the degree earned includes the subject area of the credential to be earned in the name of the major. 

     (2) For the single subject area of Physical Education, the title of the degree must include either Physical Education or Kinesiology. 

     (3) For the single subject area of Science, successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education where the title of the degree earned includes the science concentration subject area of the credential to be earned in the name of the major, as follows: 

          (A) For the Foundational-Level Science credential, successful completion of any degree major offered by the science department of a regionally accredited institution of higher education. 

          (B) For the Biological Science credential, the title of the degree must include the area of Biology. 

          (C) For the Chemistry credential, the title of the degree must include the area of Chemistry. 

          (D) For the Geoscience credential, the title of the degree must include the area of Geoscience or Earth Science. 

          (E) For the Physics credential, the title of the degree must include the area of Physics… 

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(8) Free Online CSET Mathematics and Science Workshops for Spring 2022 

The Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI) at California State University (CSU) Fresno will offer an interactive online workshop series reviewing the content assessed on CSET: Mathematics Subtest III (calculus; test code 213) on Wednesdays from January 26 through April 6, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (Dates/times for the CSET: Mathematics Subtests I and II summer series will be announced in a future issue of COMET.)

During the first half of 2022, MSTI-Fresno State will also offer two 4-week series of day-long CSET science workshops for the five CSET subtests for science (test codes 215, 217-220):

– Series #1: February 26; March 12, 19, 26

– Series #2: June 4, 11, 18, and 25

Registration is required to receive course materials and session links from the instructors for these free series of workshops: https://bit.ly/CSET-Workshops21-22  For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/MSTI-Fresno-FA21-SP22

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MSTI-CSU Northridge also offers free online, interactive workshops for CSET: Mathematics Subtests I-III and CSET Science. Visit https://bit.ly/MSTI-CSUN21 for links to mathematics and science CSET workshop pages, which contain recordings of past workshops and other resources. 

To be placed on the mailing list for 2022 CSET mathematics and science workshops at CSU Northridge, visit https://bit.ly/3rlQk4l 

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(9) Online Single Subject Mathematics Methods Course to be Offered during Summer 2022

This summer, MSTI-Sacramento State will be offering Single Subject mathematics and science teaching methods courses (required for a Single Subject teaching credential in a given content area). The mathematics methods course (EDSS 376) will be offered on June 6-July 29 and will be fully online; financial support from MSTI may be available. The science methods course will be offered during the same timeframe and will include four in-person class sessions. 

In addition, free face-to-face CSET: Mathematics Subtests I and II courses will be offered by Sac State during summer 2022.

For more information about these courses, please contact Jenna Porter, Coordinator of Sac State’s Single Subject credential program and MSTI director, at jmporter@csus.edu  Also visit https://bit.ly/SacState2022MSTI 

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(10) BAMM! Bolstering the Advancement of Masters in Mathematics – Call for Participants

Source: John Rock, Cal Poly Pomona (jarock@cpp.edu)

The BAMM! (Bolstering the Advancement of Masters in Mathematics) program is a supportive community of master’s students and mentors that provides financial support for students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or Mathematics Education after earning their master’s degree at one of the three participating California State University (CSU) campuses: Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State, and San Francisco State. BAMM! is a cohort-based NSF-funded program offering up to $20,000 in scholarships (up to $10,000 per year for 2022-23 and 2023-24) while students pursue their master’s degree.

Key features include advanced coursework in the mathematical sciences, research experiences, continual guidance, and opportunities to attend conferences to network and gain experience presenting results. For more information (including campus contact information), please visit https://bit.ly/BAMM-Info  Applications for Fall 2022 admission are currently being accepted and are due in April. Visit https://bit.ly/31kjbyk for details. 

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(11) National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive and Subsidy Programs

Assembly Bill 130 provided funding for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification Incentive Program (2021-2026). Awards of up to $25,000 will be provided to any teacher who has attained NBPTS certification if the teacher teaches at a high-priority school for at least five years. A link to the program application was posted yesterday on the California NBPTS website (https://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ps/nbptsprogram.asp). The deadline to submit this application (direct link: https://bit.ly/3ePVlO7) is February 28, 2022. 

In addition, teachers with at least three years of PK-12 teaching experience who wish to pursue National Board certification are eligible for a $2500 NBPTS Subsidy Award, with half of the funds to be disbursed upon application and the remaining half disbursed upon successful National Board certification. Categories for NBPTS certification (including mathematics and science) are listed here: https://bit.ly/3mNU928 

The application for the NBPTS Subsidy Program (2021-26) is available at https://bit.ly/NBPTS-Subsidy22 and is due by 4 p.m. on 31 January 2022.

For more information on this program, view the information webinar at https://bit.ly/3eF8adW (October 19) and the discussion at the November 3, 2021, meeting of the State Board of Education: Item 7, Time Marker 04:23:50 on https://bit.ly/32TcLGC.  

To receive updates via e-mail notification, subscribe to the California National Board Incentive listserv by sending a blank message to Join-california-national-board-listserv@mlist.cde.ca.gov

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(12) Five Educators Recognized as 2022 California Teachers of the Year

On October 15, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that five K-12 educators had been selected as 2022 California Teachers of the Year (CA TOY) and will serve as ambassadors for the teaching profession throughout 2022. One of these five, Alondra Diaz, a third-grade teacher from Orange County, was selected to represent California in the National Teacher of the Year program (https://ntoy.ccsso.org/), a year-long professional learning opportunity for outstanding educators coordinated by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO; https://ntoy.ccsso.org/ccsso/). 

In addition to Alondra, the following four teachers were selected for this high honor:  (a) Nichi Aviña (middle school science teacher, Riverside County), (b) Tiffany Jokerst (Gr. 9-12 mathematics and engineering teacher, San Diego County; see interview below), (c) Sovantevy Long-Latteri (special education teacher, Orange County), and (d) Virginia Vasquez (AP Language and Composition teacher, Los Angeles County). 

Aviña, who immigrated from the Philippines as a child, was honored by the San Diego City Council, who voted to proclaim October 26 as “Nichi Aviña Day” in the city of San Diego, where she was a long-time resident. A news report noted that Aviña “created a STEAM Lab, established an art mentoring program, received multiple EcoRise environmental grants, and re-developed the school garden.” Visit https://bit.ly/3sQnOeY to read more.

Visit https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/ct/awardees2022.asp for more information about the 2022 honorees, and go to https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/ct/ for more information about the CA TOY program.

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Related article:

(13) “Tiffany Jokerst: Teacher of the Year Makes Math Meaningful” by Laura Groch

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune – 26 December 2021

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently interviewed Tiffany Lynn Jokerst, a 2022 California Teacher of the Year who teaches math and engineering at Santee’s West Hills High School in the Grossmont Union High School District. Jokerst shared that she became a teacher of mathematics and engineering due to “the curiosity and wonder these subjects provided,” as well as because she “saw the need for more female role models in this area of study.” A primary goal is to reduce mathematics anxiety and increase her students’ confidence in mathematics.

Jokerst stated, “My primary strategy for piquing interest in math is to find ways to make every lesson relevant and valuable. When students can see how math connects to real-life issues and how it can function in their lives, they are interested in exploring it more deeply. I also ensure that students are problem-solving and reasoning through tough problems with their peers each day.”

She believes that her experience with distance learning resulted in important professional collaboration and empowered her as a teacher. Jokerist also noted that “the students have thrown themselves into learning and have accomplished so much learning in the past few months.”

Visit https://bit.ly/TJokerst-SDUT to read the full interview. 

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(14) State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Plan to Build Statewide Mentoring Program, Calls for Participation

Source: California Department of Education

URL: https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr21/yr21rel101.asp 

On 23 December 2021, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced plans to build a statewide mentoring program to help all California students and is calling for participation from mentoring organizations in the state that would like to be part of the initiative. The goal of the effort is to connect caring adult volunteers to California students who need extra support to be successful in school…

The primary focus will be to support students in middle and high school, but students in any grade level can be supported in any part of the state, including students in urban, rural, suburban, or frontier communities. The program will focus on students of color, low-income students, and any other students in need of additional support. Mentors can provide career coaching, motivational talks, and basic tutoring, but mainly will serve as caring adults who can help students find success in school and in life… Thurmond credits his teachers and caring adults in his community for helping him overcome challenges such as losing his mother to cancer at the age of six and growing up in an Afro-Latino immigrant household where his family often relied on public assistance programs to provide when there was not enough food in the house.

Access the website above for more details. Organizations interested in supporting this mentoring program for California students should contact mentoring@cde.ca.gov. 

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ARTICLES & ANNOUNCEMENTS (NATIONAL FOCUS)

(1) Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching – Nomination Deadline: January 7

The deadline to nominate an elementary school teacher for a prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is this Friday (January 7). Teachers may submit a PAEMST application through February 6.  For more information, as well as links to the nomination and application pages, visit www.paemst.org 

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(2) Call for Proposals: FREE (Fostering Relevance, Engagement, and Equity) Virtual Mathematics Conference 

The 35th Annual Mathematics Conference at Perimeter College, Georgia State University will be held virtually on February 11, 2022. Keynote speakers are Kyndall Brown and Pamela Seda, authors of Choosing To See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom (https://bit.ly/PC-GSU2022Keynote).  

Proposals are being accepted through January 14 from prospective speakers (10- to 20-minute recorded presentations will be due by February 4). For more details about the Call for Proposals, visit https://bit.ly/PC-GSU2022-CfP 

To register for this free virtual conference, visit https://bit.ly/PC-GSU-2022Reg

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(3) Call for Presenters: International Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness Conference

The 12th International Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness (MCG) conference will be held in Las Vegas on September 25-28, 2022, immediately preceding the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) annual conference in Los Angeles. The theme of the conference is mathematical expertise and innovation. 

This is only the second time the conference has been held in the United States. It is sponsored by the International Group for Mathematical Creativity and Giftedness (IGMCG; https://www.igmcg.org), an affiliate of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (https://www.mathunion.org/icmi). To join IGMCG free of charge, visit https://bit.ly/IGMCG-MemAppl 

Conference proposals, including brief papers for the proceedings, are due by February 15, 2022. An electronic version of the proceedings is expected to be available prior to the conference.

For more information, visit the conference website at https://www.igmcg.org/conf12, and contact program chair Linda Sheffield (sheffield@nku.edu) with any questions.

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(4) Society for Science Celebrates Centennial, Supports Variety of STEM Competitions and Outreach/Equity Efforts

In 2021, the Society for Science celebrated a century of independent and respected science journalism (Science News, Science News for Students). The organization was established as Science Service in 1921 by E.W. Scripps with the support of University of California professor and zoologist Edward Ritter. Both men believed that science could be used to improve humankind and sought ways that media outreach could help “bridge the gap between scientists and average citizens.” See https://centennial.societyforscience.org/ for an informative and engaging electronic scrapbook documenting the history and impact of the organization through its journalistic endeavors and its support for cultivating and promoting science achievement among youth (e.g., Science Talent Search, Broadcom MASTERS, and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair – ISEF), as well as outreach and equity programming (e.g., Research at Home). 

Educators are encouraged to explore the Society for Science website (http://societyforscience.org) and peruse the variety of offerings (e.g., free subscription to Science for Students; information on STEM Action Grants, STEM Research Grants, Middle School Research Teachers Conference, etc.). 

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(5) Broadcom MASTERS Recognizes Top STEM Talent Among Middle School Students

The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars)–a program of the Society for Science with title sponsorship from the Broadcom Foundation–is a national STEM competition for middle school students that provided over $100,000 in awards to the 30 finalists (including eight from California) in its recent competition. 

Competition results are reported at https://bit.ly/31hrH13. For the first time, a mathematics project won the competition’s top honor, the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize. Profiles of the 30 finalists (including eight from California) are shared on https://bit.ly/3qJpa8o. Visit  https://bit.ly/3mPqsNZ for interactive virtual displays of the projects (e.g., mirror neuron activation during virtual learning; using AI to predict wildfire locations; face mask efficacy in preventing viral spread while playing musical instruments, etc.). A video of the Broadcom awards ceremony is available at https://bit.ly/YouTube-MASTERS2021. More information about the Broadcom MASTERS program is available at www.societyforscience.org/broadcom-masters 

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(6) Free Webinar on Strategies to Enhance Student Engagement in Learning Mathematics

Source: The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

On January 10 from 4-5 p.m. PT, the U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction (USNC/MI) hosts “Strategies to Enhance Student Engagement,” the fifth session in the free 2021-22 webinar series, “Mathematics for Global Challenges: Lessons Learned from International Mathematics Educators.” 

For more details about the January 10 webinar, the speakers, and registration, visit https://bit.ly/NatlAcad-StudentEngagement 

Links to the previous four webinars in the series are available on https://bit.ly/NatlAcad-MathGlobalChallenges. The topics of these four 2021 webinars follow below:

– December 6 – “Engaging Learners in Mathematics Through STEAM-based Projects”

– November 2 – “Why Teach Mathematics Through a Culturally Responsive Teaching Lens?” 

– October 4 – “Ethnomodeling as a Pedagogical Action for Globalization of Mathematical Practices”

– September 14 – “Incorporating Computational Thinking in the Elementary Mathematics Curriculum”

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(7) STEM Teacher Leadership Network // January Theme: Social Justice in the Science Classroom

The STEM Teacher Leadership Network is an NSF-funded online network created for current and aspiring teacher leaders, researchers, and administrators interested in effective school leadership. Visit https://stemtlnet.org/ to learn more about the network and peruse its offerings (e.g., searchable resources–videos, articles, presentations, etc.; opportunities–job positions, grants, professional development programs, etc.; video showcase; archived videos of monthly facilitated discussions around STEM topics, and more).

January’s theme is “Social Justice in the Science Classroom.” An interactive webinar around this theme will be held on January 12 beginning at 3:30 p.m. PT. Visit https://stemtlnet.org/theme/January2022 for more information, and go to https://bit.ly/STLN-Jan10 to register.

Links are available to the webpages of previous months’ topics, along with related resources, archived panel discussion, blog and facilitated discussion, and synthesis brief for each theme. A few of the earlier monthly themes are the following: “Race, Equity, and Mathematics Education”; “Science Across the Elementary Grades and Why It’s so Important”; “Interactive STEM Teaching for Secondary Level Remote Learning”; and “Integrating Computer Science and Computational Thinking in the Pre K-8 Grades.”

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(8) NCTM Lifetime Achievement Awards

Source: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

NCTM’s Mathematics Education Trust (MET; www.nctm.org/MET) selected Marta Civil, Elizabeth Fennema, and Steven Leinwand as recipients of the 2021 NCTM Lifetime Achievement Award. For more information about this year’s award recipients (as well as past recipients), please visit https://bit.ly/NCTM-LAAward  (Note: The University of Wisconsin–Madison, paid tribute to the late Dr. Fennema in this article: https://bit.ly/UW-Fennema)    

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(9) The PNC Christmas Price Index – Economic Trends in the Price of the “12 Days of Christmas” Gifts / The Stock Market Game

For many years, teachers have challenged their students to find a variety of ways to determine the cumulative number of presents given by “my true love” in the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Since 1984, PNC has tracked the “true cost of Christmas” (the “Christmas Price Index”–CPI) as a light-hearted estimate of inflation, calculating the total cost of the 364 gifts given over the twelve days (December 25-January 5) and providing teachers with an opportunity to weave a discussion about economics into their mathematics lesson: https://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com/ (Also visit https://bit.ly/3HhajJ3 for more details.)

The SIFMA Foundation, which produces the Stock Market Game (created in 1977), has long partnered with PNC to publish economics lessons/activities related to PNC’s CPI. Visit https://www.stockmarketgame.org/pnc-cpi-smg/ to view last year’s lesson and related materials. 

The Stock Market Game (https://www.stockmarketgame.org/) is “an online simulation of the global capital markets and engages students in grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing and personal finance… Participants are given a virtual $100,000 to invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Played as a team of 3-5 members, students develop and enhance skills in leadership, management, research, problem solving, and team-building.” Research conducted by Learning Point Associates (now AIR/American Institutes for Research) found that students in grades 4-10 who played the Stock Market Game scored significantly higher on mathematics tests (NAEP items) and tests of financial literacy than those who did not participate. 

In California, there are four Stock Market Game regions (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco) for this free nationwide program which serves over 600,000 students a year. The statewide coordinator is Elizabeth Reidel: ereidel@sifma.org For more information on the spring 2022 (January 24-April 15) program, visit  https://www.stockmarketgame.org/. A “Teacher Prep Session” (3-week promo game just for teachers) is available from January 3-21, 2022. To participate (and receive access to lesson plans and more), register at https://registration.smgww.org/#/ 

A similar program is the 35+-year-old California Stock Market Simulation. For more information, visit www.californiasms.com/ 

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All the best to you in the new year!

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COMET is funded by a grant from the California Mathematics Project.

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Carol Fry Bohlin, Ph.D.

   Professor and Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

   Program Coordinator, M.A. in Education-C&I 

   Director, Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI)

   P.I., San Joaquin Valley Mathematics Project

   Editor/Reporter, California Online Mathematics Education Times (COMET)

California State University, Fresno

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