Search

This study investigated the underexplored topic of teacher preparation program admissions processes by interviewing faculty and analyzing program documents. We investigated how 31 K-12 "mathematics and science" teacher preparation programs (MSTPPs) and faculty attend to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social and racial justice (DEIJ). Specific foci included applicant recruitment and selection, components of applications (e.g., forms, essays, interviews), and how applicants' DEIJ-related information and orientations factor into admissions. We found that all MSTPPs participating in the study collected information related to DEIJ (e.g., applicants' ethnoracial backgrounds, citizenship), and all interviewed faculty expressed an interest in increasing the diversity of applicants and admitted students. Faculty expressed preferences for applicants who evidenced positive DEIJ orientations, such as recognizing social and ethnoracial injustices, but at the same time, differences were evident in how MSTPPs and faculty attended to DEIJ. Considerations, implication, and dilemmas for teacher preparation programs and faculty are discussed.

This qualitative study examines the information collected about applicants to mathematics or science teacher preparation programs (MSTPPs) and how university faculty perceive and value this information in admissions decisions. Based on document review and interviews with MSTPP faculty and admissions directors, we found that broad measures of mathematics and science content background (e.g., achievement test scores, past mathematics and science courses taken) were used more frequently than information on applicants' specific mathematics and science content knowledge and dispositions. In many cases, application components (such as interviews and personal essay statements) were perceived by faculty to be conducive to surfacing applicants' content knowledge and dispositions; however, they were not constructed or employed in a way that afforded the obtainment of this information. We highlight salient examples of MSTPPs' collection and use of information related to mathematics and science and discuss implications for TPP admissions processes.

This paper examines the impact of Teach For America (TFA) on following-year student test and non-test outcomes in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This paper measures the extent to which exposure to TFA is followed by improved student outcomes in the future. In particular, this paper measures days missed due to absences or suspensions, course grades in each core subject, and progression in math courses. We find that students taught by TFA math teachers go on to have higher grades in math courses in the following year and are less likely to miss school due to being absent or suspended. However, while students in TFA classrooms score higher on math and ELA assessments in a given year, these test score gains fade out by the following year.

High teacher turnover imposes numerous costs on the schools and districts from which teachers depart. This study asks how schools respond to spells of high teacher turnover, and assesses organizational and human capital losses in terms of the changing composition of the teacher pool. Our analysis uses more than two decades of linked administrative data on math and ELA [English language arts] teachers at middle schools in North Carolina to determine the impacts of turnover across different policy environments and macroeconomic climates. We find that, even after accounting for school contexts and trends, turnover has marked, and lasting, negative consequences for teacher quality. Our results highlight the need for heightened policy attention to issues of teacher retention and working conditions.

UTeach is a well-known, university-based program designed to increase the number of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in the workforce. The UTeach program was originally developed by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin but has rapidly spread and is now available at 44 universities in 21 states; it is expected to produce more than 9,000 math and science teachers by 2020. Despite substantial investment and rapid program diffusion, there is little evidence to date about the effectiveness of UTeach graduates. Using administrative data from the state of Texas, we measure UTeach impacts on student test scores in math and science in middle schools and high schools. We find that students taught by UTeach teachers perform significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math and end-of-course tests in math and science by 5% to 12% of a standard deviation on the test, depending on grade and subject. The effect is larger for the founding site at the University of Texas at Austin than for replication UTeach sites, with estimated upper bounds of additional months of learning for students taught by UTeach Austin graduates of 4.0 months in high school math and 5.7 months in high school science. Controlling for the selectivity of the undergraduate institution appears to explain the differential between Austin and replication UTeach sites, but not the overall difference between UTeach and non-UTeach teachers. [Financial support was provided from the Institute of Education Sciences to Southwest Educational Development Corporation, an affiliate of American Institutes of Research.]

UTeach is a well-known, university-based program designed to increase the number of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in the workforce. The UTeach program was originally developed by faculty at the University of Texas at Austin but has rapidly spread and is now available at 44 universities in 21 states; it is expected to produce more than 9,000 math and science teachers by 2020. Despite substantial investment and rapid program diffusion, there is little evidence to date about the effectiveness of UTeach graduates. Using administrative data from the state of Texas, we measure UTeach impacts on student test scores in math and science in middle schools and high schools. We find that students taught by UTeach teachers perform significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math and end-of-course tests in math and science by 5% to 12% of a standard deviation on the test, depending on grade and subject. The effect is larger for the founding site at the University of Texas at Austin than for replication UTeach sites, with estimated upper bounds of additional months of learning for students taught by UTeach Austin graduates of 4.0 months in high school math and 5.7 months in high school science. Controlling for the selectivity of the undergraduate institution appears to explain the differential between Austin and replication UTeach sites, but not the overall difference between UTeach and non-UTeach teachers.

We use rich longitudinally matched administrative data on students and teachers in North Carolina to examine the patterns of differential effectiveness by teachers' years of experience. The paper contributes to the literature by focusing on middle school teachers and by extending the analysis to student outcomes beyond test scores. Once we control statistically for the quality of individual teachers by the use of teacher fixed effects, we find large returns to experience for middle school teachers in the form both of higher test scores and improvements in student behavior, with the clearest behavioral effects emerging for reductions in student absenteeism. Moreover these returns extend well beyond the first few years of teaching. The paper contributes to policy debates by documenting that teachers can and do continue to learn on the job.

Measures of teachers' "value added" to student achievement play an increasingly central role in k-12 teacher policy and practice, in part because they have been shown to predict teachers' long-term impacts on students' life outcomes. However, little research has examined variation in the long-term effects of teachers with similar value-added performance. In this study, we investigate variation in the persistence of teachers' value-added effects on student achievement in New York City. We separate persistent effects into general effects that improve both the subject taught (math or English language arts (ELA)) and the other area of measured achievement and subject-specific effects which improve only the subject taught. Two findings emerge. First, a teacher's value-added to ELA achievement has substantial crossover effects on long-term math performance. That is, having a better ELA teacher affects both math and ELA performance in a future year. Conversely, math teachers have only minimal long-term effects on ELA performance; their effects are far more subject-specific. Second, we identify substantial heterogeneity in the persistence of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers' effects across observable student, teacher, and school characteristics. In particular, teachers in schools serving more poor, minority, and previously low-scoring students have less persistence than other teachers with the same value-added scores. Moreover, ELA teachers with stronger academic backgrounds have more persistent effects on student achievement, as do schools staffed with a higher proportion of such teachers. The results indicate that teachers' effects on students' long-term skills can vary as a function of instructional content and quality in ways that are not fully captured by value-added measures of teacher effectiveness.

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) by nearly every state represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve U.S. mathematics education and to strengthen the international competitiveness of the American labor force. The mere adoption of the Common Core, however, will amount to little if it is not implemented appropriately. Successful implementation will require coordinated efforts on the part of all education leaders: state education agencies, college/university faculty, school district administrators, curriculum specialists, and teachers. Teachers are particularly important as they operate in the critical arena where educational intentions are translated into learning opportunities and experiences for students. Teachers must digest what students are expected to learn as embodied in standards and in concert with the pedagogical material found in existing textbooks and craft appropriate learning experiences for their students. Indeed, the primary importance of other education leaders is in their support of the efforts of teachers in the classroom. The report also includes the Appendix: Average Percent of Teachers in Each of 40 States Indicating They Feel Well Prepared to Teach Topics.

Traditionally, states have required individuals complete a program of study in a university-based teacher preparation program in order to be licensed to teach. In recent years, however, various "alternative certification" programs have been developed and the number of teachers obtaining teaching certificates through routes other than completing a traditional teacher preparation program has skyrocketed. In this paper I use a rich longitudinal data base from Florida to compare the characteristics of alternatively certified teachers with their traditionally prepared colleagues. I then analyze the relative effectiveness of teachers who enter the profession through different pathways by estimating "value-added" models of student achievement. In general, alternatively certified teachers have stronger pre-service qualifications than do traditionally prepared teachers, with the least restrictive alternative attracting the most qualified perspective teachers. These differences are less pronounced when controlling for the grade level of teachers, however. On average, alternatively certified science teachers have also had much more coursework in science while in college than traditionally prepared science teachers. The same is not true for math teachers, where the hours of college coursework are approximately equal across pathways. Of the three alternative certification pathways studied, teachers who enter through the path requiring no coursework have substantially greater effects on student achievement than do either traditionally prepared teachers or alternative programs that require some formal coursework in education. These results suggest that the additional education coursework required in traditional teacher preparation programs either does little to boost the human capital of teachers or that whatever gains accrue from traditional teacher education training are offset by greater innate ability of individuals who enter teaching through routes requiring little formal training in education. (Contains 7 tables and 13 footnotes.)

Place-based mathematics education (PBME) has the potential to engage students with the mathematics inherent in the local land, culture, and community. However, research has identified daunting barriers to this pedagogy, especially in abstract mathematics courses such as algebra and beyond. In this study, 15 graduates of a doctoral program in rural mathematics education were interviewed about their attempts to integrate PBME in their classrooms. By using qualitative methods to code and categorize interview data, three themes emerged: (a) PBME was easier to teach about than to practice, (b) several factors contributed to participants' level of depth and authenticity in employing PBME, and (c) teaching place-based statistics was fundamentally different than teaching place-based mathematics. The findings suggest that making a distinction between place-based mathematics education and place-based statistics education would benefit research and practice in both areas. Semi-structured interview protocols are appended.

Not since the launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite spurred the federal government to begin investing in science and mathematics education through the National Defense Education Act have these two areas of the school curriculum been so high on state and federal policy agendas. Policy makers, business leaders, educators, and the media again worry that future United States expertise in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is in jeopardy. Improving public education, particularly in science and mathematics, continues to be viewed as an important national economic and social issue. These concerns have led to the formulation of many local, state, and national education policies that include elements such as targeted scholarships, increased course-taking requirements for graduation, end-of-course exams in high school, investments in labs and equipment, and in some cases, higher pay to attract teachers to these fields. These efforts are worthy. But, they are not enough. They are scattered and incoherent--even "within" states and school districts--and neglecting this lack of coherence will limit what can be accomplished. Cross-state initiatives, with federal assistance, are needed to increase coherence and build the capacity of schools and districts across the country to provide high quality science and mathematics instruction. Reforms of the scale needed will likely take decades to come to full fruition and will require both patience and unrelenting effort and focus. But the fundamental tasks that must be taken on are clear. They include rethinking the curriculum and standards, and providing a small set of coherent teaching options that meet the needs of different state constituencies. The nation must begin now to formulate a path and take initial steps toward a coherent system of educational opportunities in science and mathematics for all students. This paper offers the following recommendations: (1) The federal government should strengthen the pre-kindergarten through 8th grade science and mathematics curriculum by supporting the National Science Foundation to fund the development of several curricula that focus on core concepts and skills, thereby preparing all students to succeed in high school. The materials should include related curriculum support materials, professional development tools, and assessments; (2) High school course sequences and curricula in science and mathematics should be rethought and redesigned; (3) The federal, state, and district officials responsible for assessment should ensure that assessments in science and mathematics measure higher levels of thinking and reasoning as well as students' content knowledge and skills; (4) Improve the preparation, professional development, and work conditions (including remuneration) of science and mathematics teachers in order to attract and retain individuals who are competent in teaching these challenging subject matters; (5) In funding curriculum development in science and mathematics, federal agencies should ensure that these efforts include comprehensive technology-based instructional and assessment resources; and (6) Federal and state policy makers should establish a research and development cycle to sustain and improve science and mathematics education nationally. (Contains 53 notes.)

In quoting Ivan Illich's observation that "people who have been schooled down to size let unmeasured experience slip out of their hands," the author of this article contends that this is what is happening in education --- that we are being assimilated and schooled "down to size." Unmeasured experience, he says, is slipping out of our hands as a result, and this slippage is what needs to be resisted. Education should never be thought of as an "intervention," though resistance to it must be. To resist, the author maintains, is to intervene. The author writes that to be critical means to develop a deep cultural analysis that might provide the foundation for meaningful action in the work of education. Accomplishing this means to resist current trends toward further professionalization and specialization in the field. Intellectual work is an act of creative resistance to the pressures of specialization that are endemic to school and university work. When we can resist what works long enough to reflect on what matters, we will experience a regime change. (Contains 1 footnote.)

In this paper, I explore two beliefs about learning and teaching that I argue are prevalent among educators. The first is the belief that subject matter expertise is sufficient for success in teaching. The second belief is that to learn a specific content area, one needs to begin with an understanding of the formal structure and abstract principles that underlie the conceptual framework of the content area before one can effectively apply that knowledge. Together, these beliefs exert pressures on formal education that may not be for the betterment of learning and teaching for all students. The foundations of these beliefs are discussed, as are implications for classroom instruction, curriculum design, and education policy. (Contains 1 table.) [This paper was supported by the Interagency Education Research Initiative.]

Rural schools, like others in the nation, are enjoined to use national and state standards as the basis for educational reform. Moreover, national standards for mathematics education were established early (1989) and have been disseminated widely. Nevertheless, little is known about the dynamics of standards-based reform of mathematics in rural schools. This paper reports findings from a set of four case studies of mathematics education in rural secondary schools to provide insights into the dynamics of instructional reform. Analysis of data from interviews, observations, and documents revealed two emergent themes: (1) math teachers address calls for improvement by building on traditional practices and (2) math teachers meld traditional and reform practices.

This paper offers the author's personal reflections about an event at a research pre-session of the 2003 annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) held on April 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. The session offered a rare opportunity for the mathematics education community to consider rural issues. In this paper, the author summarizes and reacts to five papers presented at the research pre-conference, concluding with a list of rural myths to be considered by scholars contemplating research on the teaching and learning of mathematics in rural settings.

This qualitative case study reports on processes and outcomes of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded System-Wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) project at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It addresses a critical challenge in studying systemic reform in complex organizations: the lack of methodologies that incorporate technical, social, cultural, and cognitive elements. Guiding questions include (a) how the institutional context influenced the project, (b) whether project activities affected science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction, interdisciplinary collaboration on preservice programs, and inter-institutional collaboration on in-service programs, and (c) if and how change initiatives are accepted and incorporated. In-depth interviews (N = 34), relevant documents, and observation data were collected in 2006 and 2007. Findings identified several factors that supported and several that inhibited achievement of SCALE goals. Supportive factors included reform efforts already underway at CSUN, an institutional mission emphasizing undergraduate education, an active social network of STEM educators, and faculty experienced with inquiry-based STEM instruction. Inhibiting factors included a heavy faculty and staff workload, a lack of pedagogical training for new faculty hires, a limited pipeline of preservice science majors, funding limitations, and a pervasive sentiment that scientific legitimacy is equated with basic research and not teaching expertise. Into this context, SCALE introduced two activities, including thirteen 5-day science professional development workshops for 270 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) personnel, and four 15-day math professional development workshops for 83 LAUSD personnel. The project's success was limited by the absence of SCALE leaders at CSUN, and the subsequent lack of an explicit theory of institutional change for CSUN. Instead, SCALE engaged CSUN as primarily a site for its already existing math and science institutes, and largely ceded the effort at institutional transformation to chance and the extant reforms at CSUN. An enduring lesson from this study is that efforts to change the culture of teaching and learning in STEM departments should focus on illuminating and then shifting the pervasive cultural schema that faculty hold for teaching and learning. This analysis suggests that shaping the culture of an organization may require comprehensive efforts to change the structural, social, and symbolic milieu in which individuals operate, in addition to efforts to change the cognitive processes that constitute individuals' habits of mind. To accomplish this, leaders are encouraged to (a) conduct regular institutional assessments prior to program planning, (b) design neutral spaces in which different groups may interact, (c) recruit a skilled culture-broker when working with interdisciplinary groups, (d) marshal existing resources and reform projects to collectively target key leverage points, and (e) focus on developing cohorts of STEM educators in specific departments. (Contains 5 figures and 3 tables.)

This research investigates the relative effectiveness (in terms of student tested achievement) of Teach for America (TFA) teachers, and examines the validity of the criticisms of TFA. Specifically, the authors look at TFA teachers in secondary schools, and especially in math and science, where considerable program growth is planned over the next few years. Using individual level student data linked to teacher data in North Carolina, the authors estimate the effects of having a TFA teacher compared to a traditional teacher on student performance. The North Carolina data they employ are uniquely suited for this type of analysis because it includes end of course (EOC) testing for students across multiple subjects. This allows them to employ statistical methods that attempt to account for the nonrandom nature of student assignments to classes/teachers, which have been shown to lead to biased estimates of the impact of teacher credentials (Clotfelter, Ladd, and Vigdor, 2007a; Goldhaber, 2007). The findings show that TFA teachers are more effective, as measured by student exam performance, than traditional teachers. Moreover, the authors suggest that the TFA effect, at least in the grades and subjects investigated, exceeds the impact of additional years of experience, implying that TFA teachers are more effective than experienced secondary school teachers. The positive TFA results are robust across subject areas, but are particularly strong for math and science classes. An appendix is included. (Contains 1 figure, 12 tables, 1 exhibit and 14 footnotes.) [This report was supported by the Steven L. Merrill Family Foundation.]

As the Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) matured, different strategies for sharing network learning emerged. These strategies became more formalized and intentional as BMTN members developed tools and routines to spread the learning. Our multi-year evaluation sought to understand the affordances and constraints of each strategy. In the sections below, we present the five strategies that reflect this developmental trajectory. We begin by providing examples of each strategy. We then identify the resources necessary for implementation and reflect on the affordances and constraints of the strategy. To understand the possibilities for scaling the learning of the BMTN--and other improvement networks--we analyze each strategy using Coburn's four dimensions of scale: widespread use, depth of implementation, shift in reform ownership, and sustainability.

Improving teacher quality in P-12 mathematics is a national need, and many universities and schools are working to address it. With the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), twelve math and science institutes across the country are helping P-12 teachers strengthen their capacity to support students' learning. These NSF Institutes operate under the leadership of STEM university faculty, representing colleges of arts and science as well as colleges of education. The strategy is to build capacity by improving teachers' content knowledge, pedagogy, and leadership skills. One such venture is The Math in the Middle Institute Partnership (M2) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). As part of their efforts to understand the place of rural in M2, the research team systematically interviewed the 63 rural participants from the first three cohorts in summer 2006. During those 30-60 minute interviews they asked participants about the contexts in which they teach, their professional roles and responsibilities, and circumstances that influence their teaching. They soon found that teachers they called "rural" did not necessarily refer to themselves that way, and sometimes even teachers from the same town did not agree on whether or not to call themselves rural. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)

The purpose of this summary is to provide the public with an independent external assessment of ACCLAIM (Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics). The authors draw upon all the knowledge of this Center for Learning and Teaching that they have accumulated in past years, and they refer to that data throughout this report. They begin their assessment by outlining their assumptions about the role and purpose of the Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) Initiative, designed and funded by the National Science Foundation: They understand that the primary purpose of the CLT initiative is to build the capacity of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field for undertaking future improvement efforts. Again, they base their findings and interpretations on the data that come from three years of interaction with the Center. Specifically the sources include: (1) Interviews with ACCLAIM Faculty, Leadership Institute participants, Professional Development Teams participants, ACCLAIM management team, and doctoral students; (2) Surveys of doctoral students and Teacher Education conference participants; (3) Observations of ACCLAIM major events and programs; and (4) Case studies of graduate students. Appendices include: (1) Case Studies of Individual Acclaim Doctoral Students; and (2) Faculty Interviews. (Contains 10 footnotes.)

Professional development for teachers of mathematics is changing dramatically. It is changing, in terms of content and pedagogy--because of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, which imply a more collaborative, constructive, and student-centered approach to instruction--and in terms of format--because of research on the importance of situated learning for changing teachers' practice in the classroom. Workshops and university courses are being replaced by on-site, field-based training, either in person or through distance learning technology, and by teacher learning communities. This paper discusses why these changes are particularly important for rural schools--due to the difficulty they have in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers due to low salaries. geographic isolation, and lack of access to amenities such as clubs, theaters, shops, sports facilities, and even, in some cases, medical care and hospitals. New situated-learning, professional preparation and development communities hope to address two timely issues: the immediate concerns related to personnel qualification requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and also to long-standing problems of recruitment and retention.

This short paper is designed to serve as a kind of primer for professors interested in thinking through ways to build a rural dimension into mathematics education courses in the interest of squarely addressing the vision and mission of ACCLAIM. Few words, therefore, will be deployed in the interest of establishing an intellectual warrant for the assumptions and assertions embedded in these pages. In fact, all that will be said in this regard is that 1) the ascendancy of what is loosely referred to as "constructivist learning theory" over the past decade clearly elevates the role of context in the development of human understanding. In other words, if professors want students (pre-school through doctoral level) to achieve at high levels, the insertion of context is currently seen as critical by the great majority of the world's cognition theorists. And, 2) whether or not one views mathematics (or any other school subject) as value-neutral, the sum total of a K-12 school experience still serves as enculturation into a larger society. In that society, former students will play, minimally, a political and an economic role, regardless of whether they ever take a job or cast a vote.

Using the qualitative research method known as folknography, the authors led a research team to the heart of Illinois farm country to ask the question "What are the perceptions of the people of the Midwest concerning math and math education?" A review of the literature includes Canadian and Australian references on the topic, as well as information from the United States, and the targeted geography and population is described. Research followed the pattern of a similar study conducted in Appalachia in 2004. A preliminary survey was planned to gather benchmarking statistical data and to open respondents up to the possibilities of a folknographic interview. Folknographers entered the field in May 2006 to perform focused and intensive field research. Findings include: (1) belief that young people can not perform simple math; (2) perception that too much technology has a significant and negative impact on developing minds of students; (3) connection between acquiring math knowledge and achieving a dynamic career; (4) recollections of tyrannical or cruel math teachers; (5) desire for a school or school system that makes learning math an exciting and motivating experience. Folknographic narratives are included to illustrate each finding. Bibliography is included. Four appendixes conclude the document: (1) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Adults (18-55); (2) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Seniors (55-Over); (3) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Youth (Ages 10-17); and (4) Perceptions of Math Survey Mid-West. (Contains 4 charts.)

Very little empirical research has examined mathematics education in rural schools and communities. A modest non-research literature, however, does exist, and this study analyzed it and found three themes describing the prescriptions given to rural mathematics educators: (1) mathematics education in rural schools needs to be fixed; (2) good things happen in some rural schools; and (3) fixing mathematics instruction requires certain practices. These practices include providing challenging curriculum, undertaking professional development efforts, making use of distance-learning options, and engaging local support. The non-research literature only rarely tied its prescriptions to any relevant empirical research (either general or rurally focused). Reports of improvement projects based in rural schools tended to recommend their own practices uncritically and with little or no warrant. Among these works, for instance, the magazine articles reached the widest audience, and among them, 70% cited not a single reference, let alone a reference to the empirical literature. In general, the prescriptions given loosely reflect conventional wisdom in their support of the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) standards and the exigencies of the various state-level accountability schemes. Some attention is paid in this literature to the concept of place-based pedagogy, usually articulated to support national and state goals and individual achievement rather than local knowledge and purposes. Alternatives to the conventional wisdom are neither examined nor argued in this literature, thereby ignoring the arguable rights of rural communities to define their own educational purposes. We conclude that a strong need for a critical literature of mathematics education exists. Issues surrounding the rural lifeworld, especially in the context of globalization, would have much to contribute toward the development of such a literature. (Contains 5 footnotes.) [A previous version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 2004.]

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which social, political, and economic factors impact the teaching and learning of mathematics in a small rural school in Georgia. Focusing on a charter school that seeks to educate approximately 275 pre-K through 12th grade students, the study was intended to give voice to the residents of the county, with an emphasis on those who are most closely associated with the school: students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Additionally, county officials, employers, and other members of the community shared their thoughts about the school and the ways in which students are being prepared for the future. The data suggest that small rural communities can establish and maintain effective and, by most definitions, successful schools. (Contains 6 footnotes.)

Responding to the need for research in rural mathematics education, three investigators develop an initial research agenda in this area. Because this development is perhaps unique, the investigators envision the utility of this initial agenda in terms of both product and process. Drawing from 190 questions from multiple sources in mathematics, mathematics education, and rural education, the authors develop 12 questions and 48 illustrative subquestions as an initial agenda. The questions are developed both to indicate relevancy as research and to indicate dispersion among possible variations of specific questions. Four recommendations are made about the process of developing these questions involving cross-disciplinary collaboration, technical processes, and applications. This manuscript is an outgrowth of the current work by the research initiative of the Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM). (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.) Appended are: (1) Original 190 Questions with Relevance and Approachability Rankings by each, Researcher (R); and (2) Top 25 Questions sorted by Average Standardized Relevance.

This document features two articles concerning professional development in mathematics education. The first article, "Forging a Partnership: Intent, Decision Making, and Curricula," provides a vivid example of how teacher-written vignettes drawn from teachers' personal experiences in using the Investigations curriculum provided a springboard for exploration, reflection, and discussion, and helped teachers address the challenges posed by the curriculum. The second paper, "Elementary Mathematics Curricula as a Tool for Mathematics Education Reform: Challenges of Implementation and Implications for Professional Development," presents portraits of two teachers, both of whom initially struggled to enact new curricula as intended, and who became more successful at using the curricula as a result of their own experiences while exploring mathematical content and considering student thinking about mathematics. (Contains 38 references and 12 notes.) (ASK)