WYW (While You Wait)

What is your most memorable experience in a mathematics class?

When it comes to your mathematics skills, how comfortable are you with sharing what you know with others?

If you had to describe your best mathematics teacher, what qualities did he or she possess?

Teacher, Have You Recognized My Mathematical Ability?

Culturally Competent Instructional Delivery in the Mathematics Classroom

Denelle L. Wallace, Ph.D.Denelle Wallace Consultant Services, LLC

National Urban Alliance’s Teaching for Intelligence: Believe to Achieve Conference

Albany, NY

March 28, 2008

Goal of SessionProvide a session participant with an understanding of the positive impact cultural competency has on student learning.

Utilize facilitator experiences, interactive activities, and pertinent information to provide a framework for recognizing a student’s mathematical ability.

Identify tools that assist in identifying culturally competent mathematics instruction.

What’s culture got to do with it?

The academic differences that we see early in a child’s educational career lie within the life experiences of the children that come into our classrooms.

Research studies indicate that Hispanic, African American, and poverty students expressed that their reasons for failing to succeed in schools were associated with:

What’s culture got to do with it?

– Their cultural, social, and/or linguistic characteristics not being recognized or understood.

– Low expectations from teachers.– Instructional strategies used in the classrooms

that were not congruent with their learning needs.

(Day-Vines, 2000; Padron, Waxman, and Rivera, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994)

The InvitationWho do we invite into our school systems to teach our diverse student populations?

How do we invite students to actively participate in mathematics instruction?

Who is invited into our advance mathematics courses?

Who is invited to the table to determine the most effective instructional delivery methods for the students we serve?

Sample Questions for an Interview

– How would you create a classroom environment which reflects an appreciation for the diverse backgrounds and ability levels of your classroom? [cultural competency]

– Describe the techniques you utilize to foster student interaction, particularly from students reluctant to participate. [cultural competency & mathematics instruction]

– How will you use writing to check for student understanding? [NCTM & Marilyn Burns]

– What importance does reading comprehension and vocabulary instruction play in a mathematics classroom? [NCTM & Marilyn Burns]

– How will you assist parents and guardians with limited mathematical ability in playing an active role in their child’s learning? [cultural competency]

The Clock is Ticking

Time to focus attention on what schools with diverse students populations are doing to experience success in mathematics instruction.Administrators need to spend time observing classrooms.School schedules should include time for remediation and enrichment during the school day.Knowing the NCTM strands allows time for building a mathematics foundation & for making connections.

Time with Your BestMath Restoration Leader Schedule7:30 – 8:52 a.m.Homeroom and Math 7- Co-taught with Restoration Sentinel8:55 – 10:02 a.m.Pre-Algebra 7 10:04 – 10:40 a.m.Planning (43 minutes)10:42 – 11:50 a.m.Pre-Algebra 8 11:48 a.m. – 12:55 p.m.Math 6- Co-taught with Restoration Sentinel12:57 – 1:49 p.m. Planning/Lunch1:52 – 2:45 p.m. Intervention PlanningThe Restoration Plan by L. Byrd-Poller in the text Are You Questioning My Competence? Professional Development for the Reluctant Educator (soon to be in print)

The Key to Unlocking Potential

Mathematics is stressed as the key to opportunity.Mathematics is the “gateway to technological literacy and to higher education” (Schoenfeld, 2002). Opportunity must be created through:– Access to quality instruction– Availability of the appropriate courses– Encouragement– Recognition– Assistance

Integrating Reading Strategies & Math Processes

Hyde, A (2007). Mathematics and cognition. Educational Leadership, 65(3), 43-47.

K

What do I know for sure?

W

What do I want to find out?

C

Are there any special

conditions that I have to watch

out for?

Perceptions

“By examining our assumptions and widening curriculum choices, we can bring more minorities into upper-level math.” Walker, E. (2007).

Assess the cultural competency levels of your teachers, administrators, and community.Discover the perceptions of students, parents, and other stakeholders.

Student Perceptions Survey Sample

Statement Agree Disagree Not Sure

1. Students at our school feel the teachers accept them regardless of their gender, ethnic/racial origins, and religious affiliations.

X

2. Teachers and other adults at our school use language that is free from personal judgments/opinions about various ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural groups.

x

3. Students at our school try to get to know students and adults in our building of racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds that are different from their own.

x

The Right to an Exceptional Mathematics Education

Within the array of mathematic subjects available to students, it is algebra that is considered the “gatekeeper course” and a “civil rights issue” (Moses & Cobb, 2001).Therefore, students that are more readily denied access to higher-level mathematics miss vital opportunities to gain essential skills. The lack of these essential mathematics skills may contribute to disenfranchisement and economic instability for these students (Schoenfeld, 2002).

Recognizing Effective Mathematics Instruction

Administrators attend professional development sessions to address monitoring instruction.District provides classroom observation rubrics highlighting NCTM content and process standards.Mathematics teachers attend professional development sessions geared toward their needs.Assessments are conducted to gather information on levels of cultural competency, research-based instructional strategies, and NCTM standards awareness.

The Freight Train: Applying the Concepts

Hyde, A. (2007). Mathematics and cognition. Educational Leadership, 65(3)

At the train station there are many different freight trains.They carry 3 kinds of freight across the U.S.: lumber, livestock, and vegetables.Each train has some lumber cars, some livestock cars, and some vegetable cars.Each train always has 18 freight cars.There are never more than 10 cars of one kind.Freight cars that are the same are always connected together.How many different ways of making trains with 18 cars can you find?

Roadmap to Culturally Competent Mathematics Instruction

Needs Assessment

Lesson Plans & Observations

Pacing Guides & Schedules

Implementation

Evaluation

Reward and Reflection

Curriculum Team Assessment Needs

STUDENT LEARNING GAPS

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT FINDINGS

STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED

STRATEGY IMPACT ON STUDENTS

GAPS TO ADDRESS

STRENGTHS TO CONSIDER

RESOURCES NEEDED

In the text Are You Questioning My Competence? Professional Development for the Reluctant Educator (soon to be in print)

Applying Cultural Competency to the Classroom

Create a T-Chart on your index card

What’s it look like? What’s it sound like?