Bridges to Excellence: Achievement in Mathematics (BEAM)
BEAM was a three-year staff development project implemented throughout California. BEAM created an exemplary staff development model to better prepare elementary school teachers to deliver high-quality mathematics education with equally high outcomes for English language learning students. The project combined effective staff development practice, research and theory on second-language acquisition, mathematics standards, and structures for discussing equity issues. Other components of BEAM included an innovative online assessment module and a family learning model, based on the highly successful Family Math program.
English Language Development Initiatives in Mathematics Content (ELDI-MC)
ELDI-MC presents institutes focusing on three areas:
- increasing participants’ knowledge and proficiency in application of the English Language Development (ELD) standards,
- providing access to high-quality mathematics for English language learning (ELL) students,
- and deepening participants’ understanding of mathematics content knowledge in the area of algebra and algebraic thinking.
The ELD standards will form the foundation for the institutes. Algebra content aligned with the California Mathematics Content Standards will be embedded in lessons employing ELD strategies, forming a cohesive and coherent program addressing both ELD standards and access to deeper understanding of mathematics content.
Family Advocacy in Mathematics Education (FAME)
FAME, supported by Lucent Technologies Foundation, worked with parents at the middle school level, preparing them to become stronger advocates for their children.
The FAME Parent Advocacy Guide: Helping My Child Succeed in Middle School contains mathematics activities for parents to help their children understand number, algebra, and geometry concepts. Focusing on families with language minority backgrounds from inner city schools and lower socioeconomic levels, FAME provided strategies to raise parents’ awareness of the middle school structure, school resources, and future course-work implications. FAME services and materials were useful for community-based organizations, outreach programs, middle schools, and science centers in their work with parents.
Families & Schools Project in Northern California
This project was a partnership between LHS and Eureka City Unified Schools. The project developed a model for using month-long, whole-school immersion experiences to transform science instruction in rural schools.
Key to the success of the effort was the development of a web-based consultation and curriculum support system for use by teachers in remote areas. Eight elementary schools in Humboldt County participated in intensive activities that brought together teachers, students, administrators, parents, and community organizations to focus on reform strategies for improving science teaching and learning. The project built on successful elements of MARE, GEMS, ScienceVIEW, and LHS Programs for Schools.
Mathematics Professional Development Institutes
This collaboration among the Lawrence Hall of Science; the UC Berkeley and UC Davis Mathematics Departments; Mills College; the Alameda County Office of Education; and the Oakland, Berkeley, and West Contra Costa School Districts sponsored three of the Governor’s Professional Development Institutes for Teachers of Mathematics and two academies.These institutes were devoted exclusively to improving the mathematical and pedagogical knowledge of teachers of grades 4–12. The academies were linked to districts’ summer school programs. LHS was the lead institution for this collaboration.
The Mountain Region Science and Reading Academy
The Mountain Region Science and Reading Academy, a partnership between LHS and the UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education, provided K–6 teachers in the rural Tahoe Truckee Unified School District with both the conceptual framework and effective instruction techniques to integrate inquiry-science and literacy instruction.
This dual emphasis on science and reading helped students gain both literacy skills and a greater understanding of the science concepts. In this program, teachers worked together in a summer school professional development academy model as they taught inquiry science and literacy instruction with a class of students in the morning and participated in professional development activities in the afternoon.
Follow-up sessions, mentoring, parent outreach, and the use of video technology to capture and disseminate model lessons, as well as opportunities for teachers to take on mentoring and other leadership roles in their district were additional components of the project.
PEACHES
PEACHES is a curriculum development and teacher training project for parents and teachers of young children four to six years old.
As part of the GEMS program, PEACHES offers educator workshops, courses, conferences, and institutes based on the project curriculum. PEACHES has designed developmentally appropriate mathematics and science activities that incorporate language, drama, movement and play in relevant and motivating ways for young learners. <a href="http://lhs.berkeley.edu/gems/peaches.html" target="_blank">PEACHES teacher’s guides</a> are available as part of the GEMS series of publications.
Science Knowledge through Inquiry and Language Literacy (SKILL)
SKILL helped Oakland schools develop a leadership team to initiate and sustain their districts’ science reform efforts.
The program worked with a core group of K–5 teacher leaders as they initiated inquiry science in their classrooms, supported the teaching of science throughout their school site, and furthered science reform with their colleagues. The program’s focus on connecting the science curriculum to language literacy work provided mutual reinforcement in both areas.
