AERA Presentation

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SupportingMathematics and Science
TeachersChallenges and Opportunitiesin
California Schools

• Ivan Cheng
• California State University Northridge
• IEEE Region 6 EAB
• Teacher In-Service Program
• April 5, 2008

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Challenges

• What is the Context?
• Projected U.S. demand for
• Scientists will be up 17 and
• Engineers will be up by 22 by 2014
• 56 of engineering Ph.D.s in the U.S. are awarded
  to foreign born students.
• In 2004, China graduated 350,000 with 4-year
  degrees in STEM fields, compared with only
  140,000 in the U.S.

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Challenges

• What is the Context?
• Each year 1.2 million students drop out of high
  school.
• Only 45 of LAUSD students complete graduation
  requirements..
• Failure in algebra triggers dropouts more than
  any single subject according to former
  Superintendent Roy Romer.

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Challenges

• What is the Problem?
• Students who do not have a deep understanding of
  mathematics suspect that it is just a jumble of
  unrelated procedures and incomprehensible
  formulas.
• Mathematics Framework
• for California Public Schools (2005), p. 5

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Opportunities

• What is Needed?
• Instrumental understanding is what I have in
  the past described as rules without reasons
• In contrast, learning relational mathematics
  consists of building up a conceptual structure
  (schema) from which its possessor can (in
  principle) produce an unlimited number of plans
  for getting from any starting point within his
  schema to any finishing point.
• Richard Skemp (1976)

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Opportunities

• Deficit Empty Vessel Model

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Opportunities

• Applying Six Sigma Principles
• A business term for describing the improvement
  process
• Refers to the number of standard deviations
  required to achieve 3.4 defects per million
  opportunities (DPMO)
• For 3.8 million ninth graders each year, this
  means fewer than 13 will fail!!!

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Opportunities

• Applying Six Sigma Principles
• Process focuses on specific projects.
• Each project focuses on specific outcomes with
  decisions driven by evidence.
• Each project limited to specific timeframe.
• Supported by green belts, black belts, and
  champions.

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Opportunities

• IEEE Teacher In-Service Program
• Consider the local school context
• Use teachers knowledge to generate solutions to
  their students learning needs
• Focus on student learning rather than teacher
  improvement
• Use a well defined time frame for the work
• Provide resources rather than mandate strategies
  or curricula

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Opportunities
IEEE Teacher In-Service Program
Student Learning Achievement
Knowledge

• Professional Development as a Lever

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Thank You

• Ivan Cheng icheng_at_csun.edu
• www.csun.edu/icheng
• Joe Morgan joemorgan_at_earthlink.net
• IEEE Region 6 EAB
• Teacher In-Service Program
• April 5, 2008

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Challenges

• What is Algebra?
• What is the algebra that students need?
• Each year, approximately 1200 Ph.D.s are awarded
  in mathematics.
• Each year there are approximately 3.8 million
  ninth graders.
• This means only 0.03 of the student population
  go on to study advanced math.

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Challenges

• What is Algebra?