00 Academic Youth Development: A new approach to improving Algebra I performance Uri Treisman Susan...

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Academic Youth Development: A new approach to improving Algebra I performance

Academic Youth Development: A new approach to improving Algebra I performance

Uri TreismanSusan Hudson HullLaurie M. Garland

Charles A. Dana Center The University of Texas at Austin

Imagine: Mathematics Assessment for LearningJuly 21, 2009

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Academic Youth Development

Melds recent advances in social andpsychological theories with best practicesin Algebra instruction.

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Academic Youth Development

Deepens students’ commitment tolearning and to productive persistence inthe face of academic challenge.

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Many students have difficulty in school not because they are incapable of performing successfully, but because they are incapable of believing that they can perform successfully.

BUT, efforts that attempt to enhance academic performance that do not also include efforts to increase content knowledge are doomed to failure.

Noncognitive Factors

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In the National Math Panel survey, 62% of teachers rated working with unmotivated students as the single most challenging aspect of teaching Algebra I successfully. (National Math Panel, 2008)

Noncognitive Factors

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Wisdom of Practice

• AVID (Mary Catherine Swanson)

• Step-Up to High School (Chicago Public Schools)

• The Algebra Project (Bob Moses)

• Puente Project (California Community Colleges)

• Emerging Scholars Program (Treisman)

Building on Practice and Research

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Building on Practice and Research

• Malleability of intelligence: Intelligence issomething that can be influenced and shapedthrough actions and beliefs.

• Attribution: Success is attributed to task-specific causes (e.g., effort), not to globalcauses (e.g., luck or native intelligence).

• Effective effort: Getting better at somethingrequires the right kind of effort.

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Building on Practice and Research

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Sources of Students’ Self-Efficacy

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Strands of Mathematical Proficiency

Adding it Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, p. 117

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Model of the Program

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The Academic Youth Development Initiative

Is:

• A set of experiences designed to influence student beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors about learning

• An academic development program for “regular students” to help ensure they get started in high school on the right track

• An intervention designed to create and support a classroom culture of respectful engagement

• A transitional program to foster success in high school and beyond

Is not:

• Remediation of grade 8 math

• Credit recovery

• Preteaching of Algebra I

• A summer math class

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Goals of the AYD Initiative

Three primary goals:

• Improve student performance in Algebra I and all high school mathematics courses.

• Build a classroom culture focused on respectful engagement in academics.

• Increase the capacity for teaching to rigorous mathematics standards.

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AYD shapes and supports a culture in which . . .

• Engagement, participation, positive motivation, and risktaking are developed and embraced.

• Students don’t have to choose between being smart and being cool.

• Effort and persistence are recognized and valued.

• Mutual accountability is fostered and expected.

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• Getting smarter: Growing your brain through hard work and effort

• Learning to learn and what learning feels like

• Learning with peers: The importance of good communication

• Making attributions: What do you have control over in learning?

• Applying “learning about learning” strategies in problem-solving situations

AYD Online Curriculum Topics

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It’s Not Just Math

Grow Your Brain and Get Smarter

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It’s Not Just MathTeamwork and Communication Skills

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It’s Not Just MathOnline Tools at Home and School

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It’s Not Just MathMeeting Friends and Teachers

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What Math?Mathematics of Proportionality

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What Math?Using Tables, Graphs, and Equations

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What Math?Measurement and Data Collection

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What Math?Solving Real–World Problems

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Students surveyed and/or interviewed reported:

• Higher self-confidence

• Higher motivation and persistence

• Increased use of metacognitive learning strategies

• A greater understanding of theories of intelligence

Findings from the 2008 SummerBridge Component

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“It’s fun and you’ll learn a lot. You don’t just do math here, but learn how

to work as a community.”--Academic Youth

Development student

California

What Students are Saying…

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In interviews, teachers reported an emerging classroom culture of . . .

• students taking more responsibility

• better student-to-student communication

• higher levels of students engagement

• increased willingness of students to work with one another

• increased willingness of students to encourage and support one another

Findings from the 2008 SummerBridge Component

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“Seeing students motivated and working together and hard is energizing me for next year. Students do work well in groups and help each other out . . .”

--Academic Youth

Development teacher

California

What Teachers are Saying . . .

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AYD becomes an integral part of acomprehensive approach to improving studentoutcomes in math

Teachers and students bond

Students and teachers experience positivechanges in beliefs and attitudes

Students are able to articulate their own role inlearning

Students are increasingly able to work and learn together

AYD: What can schools expect?

AYD is designed to complement your campus/district improvement efforts.

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Uri Treismanuri@mail.utexas.edu

Susan Hullshhull@mail.utexas.edu

Laurie Garlandlmgarland@mail.utexas.edu

Contact Information

www.utdanacenter.org/academicyouth