SESSION 1A (Featured Session, Policy): “School Community Practices: Five Policies that Impact Student Learning!”
– Timothy Kanold, Director, E2 PLC Learning Group
We will explore the primary difference between policy and practice, and how to use policy (being tight about things) in a way that impacts implemented non-discretionary practice with choice (being loose about things). We will examine five significant policy paradigm shifts that must happen if there is to be any hope for implementation of the vision and the expectations of the CCSS.
About the Featured Speaker
SESSION 1B (Community): “Video Club PLC for Secondary Math Teachers”
– Janna Canzone, Co-Director, Irvine Mathematics Project
Co-Speaker: Relson Banas, Co-Director, Irvine Mathematics Project/Curriculum Specialist, Compton Unified School District
This session will focus on the goals, implementation, and outcomes of a two year video club project with teachers from low performing middle and high schools in OC and LA counties. Teachers were video taped in their classrooms, then met periodically to watch video segments of theirs peers followed by reflective discussion. Teachers were also trained to use the Flip cameras they received for participation, enabling them to continue video taping themselves at their school site. Video Club outcomes include results of participant pre-post surveys, a Facebook discussion board component, and a focus group interview.
SESSION 1C (Models of Support): “Teacher Growth During Three Years of a Teacher Retention Grant”
– Panel Moderator: Kyndall Brown, Director, UCLA Mathematics Project
Panelists: Carolee Koehn-Hurtado, Co-Director, UCLA Mathematics Project
Sarah Fink, Research Associate, UCLA Mathematics Project
Brandon MacMillion, Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District
Jina Khoubian, Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District
In this session, attendees will learn about UCLA STIR, a professional development grant designed to increase the retention of secondary mathematics teachers. Using data collected from teacher on-line logs, attendees will see how the concerns of grant participants evolved from those of novice teachers to the concerns of more expert teacher. Panel members will include grant participants.
SESSION 1D (Teacher Leadership): “Retaining Beginner Math Teachers by Empowering Them with Leadership Projects“
– Panel Moderator: Imre Tuba, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, San Diego State University, Imperial Valley
Panelists: Marco Arellano, Teacher, Kennedy Middle School
Victor Velazquez-Victorica, Rockwood Elementary School
Monique Garcia, Southwest High School
STRIVE has served beginner secondary mathematics teachers in Imperial County since 2007. For two years now, participating teachers were asked to devise projects to serve math education in the Imperial Valley while increasing their math teaching and leadership skills. The goal was to empower them to do something they believed in for their community, while enhancing their skills and prominence in their jobs. Both improved skills and engagement are expected to enable and motivate teachers to remain in their jobs. On this panel, three of the teachers will talk about the projects and how they made a difference for them.
SESSION 1E (Research): “Factors Affecting the Attrition and Retention of Middle School and High School Mathematics Teachers”
– Carol Curtis, Mathematics Instructor, Fresno City College
Shortages of mathematics teachers have plagued the nation for over 50 years. The purpose of this study was to identify which factors contribute to the decision of middle school and high school mathematics teachers’ to leave the teaching profession. This research used a mixed methods approach to identify issues in the attrition and retention of the nation’s mathematics teachers. Using surveys and interviews to assess teachers’ perceptions of their jobs and their intention to remain in the teaching profession, this study attempted to answer research questions involving demographic, induction, classroom control, and other factors.
SESSION 1F (Models of Support): “What We Learned About Retention from an One Year Grant”
– Carl Veater, Secondary Mathematics Coordinator, Fresno County Office of Education
Fresno County was one of three counties selected for a one year pilot grant for the 2007-2008 school year. The goal was to see if we could have an impact on retaining new math teachers at hard to staff schools. What was implimented, what worked and what didn’t, and most importantly where are these teachers now?
