Math for America San DiegoA Consortium of Public Schools & Universities in San Diego County

PRIME Conference - MontereyMarch 6, 2009Barbara Edwards, MfA San DiegoChris Reising, San Diego COE

TEACHER QUALITY MATTERS

“Without fully qualified teachers--and adequate numbers of them-- there is no way for student achievement, statewide, to improve.”A Possible Dream: Retaining California Teachers So All Students Can LearnFuternick, K. (2007) Center for Teacher Quality. Sacramento: California State University

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

INTRODUCTIONS

• Name

• Agency

• Role

PRESENTATION

I. What’s the Problem?

II. One Community’s Response: Math for America San Diego

III. Predictable Challenges

IV. Opportunities, Resources & Predictable Challenges in Your Community

V. Whole Group Discussion

• United States is 21st and 25th respectively

• Right below Iceland and just ahead of the Slovak Republic

SCIENCE AND MATH RANKING

MIDDLE SCHOOL IMPACT

Just half of the math teachers in the poorest performing middle schools in California are fully credentialed to teach math.

Under-qualified teachers

NAEP DATA – CALIFORNIA

48th – 4th Grade Reading47th – 4th Grade Math43rd – 4th Grade Science (of 44 states)

48th – 8th Grade Reading45th – 8th Grade Math42nd – 8th Grade Science (of 44 states)

CALIFORNIA’S AGING TEACHERS

• 1 in 3 teachers will be eligible for retirement in the next 10 years

• 1 in 5 teachers will be eligible for retirement in the next 5 years

• Between 11,000 – 13,000 teachers retire each year in California

• 100,000 teachers are expected to retire in the next 10 years

CALIFORNIA’S CHALLENGE

From 02/03 to 06/07: 11% decline in credentials issued 26% decline in Out of State credentials

issue 25% decline in Out of State Single Subject

credentials issued 32% decline in number of CBEST test takers

CA MATH/SCIENCE CREDENTIALS

WHO? 04/05 – 05/06 Portion of All CA Credentials

CSUs Decrease 21.7% 54%

Privates Decrease 11.8% 41%

UC Decrease 16.4% 5%

MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER NEEDS

• In the next 5 years, California will need…

16,000 new math and science teachers.

• In the next 10 years, California will need…

30,000 new math and science teachers.

At the current rate of production, California will fall 30% short.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

By 2011, San Diego County will need: 480 Math Teachers 620 Science Teachers

By 2015, San Diego County will need: 5,500 teachers in general!

THE PARTNERS

Universities • CSU San Marcos• San Diego State Univ.• UC San Diego

Community Orgs. • Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego• San Diego Foundation

Schools• Escondido Union High• Oceanside Unified• Grossmont Union High• San Diego Unified• San Diego County

Office of Education

MISSION of MfA SD

MfA SD will improve student understanding of mathematics in high-need schools by providing selected teachers (MfA Fellows) with extensive professional support in their credential year(s) and in their first years of teaching.

Program Goals

• Improve retention rate of mathematics teachers in

low- income & high-need secondary schools

• Improve the quality of mathematics teaching by

increasing teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills

• Improve student learning and in mathematics in identified schools or school clusters

Program Based on Research and…

Research Findings Program Elements• Inadequate compensation• New teachers feel isolated

• “Bureaucratic impediments”

• Provide $15,000 stipend• Create professional

community, mentor• Mentor, work with principal,

and math department lead

Modeled on Pilot Program in NYC

• Founded in 2004, ~200 Fellows in NYC schools• Founded by Jim Simons• Success: good retention rates of Fellows • Establishing national network of MfA sites• www.MathforAmerica.org

The Fellowship and Mentorship

MfA SD Fellows• Undergrads AND career-changers• Entering credential program • 12 Fellows per year • $15,000 per year• Tuition and fees paid• Extensive professional support

MfA SD Mentors• Experienced & exemplary math teachers • Teach in partnership districts• 3 per year (1 for 4 Fellows)• $10,000 per year• Leadership development program

Support System for Fellows

CHALLENGES: HR PERSPECTIVE

• Recruitment• Hiring Timelines and Process• Placement

• Multiple MfA Fellows at same site• Site Based Mentors

• COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

CHALLENGES: ALIGNMENT

Alignment with District Initiatives• BTSA Requirements• Support Provider Selection/Training• PLC• District and Site Prof. Develop.

CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES

• District Leadership Buy-In

• District by District Approach

• Relationship & Trust Building

• Inclusive MfA Leadership Team

LOOKING AT YOUR COMMUNITY

RESOURCES and OPPORTUNITIES

PREDICTABLE CHALLENGES

THANK YOU

“The essence of education is not to stuff our new teachers with the facts,

but to help them discover theiruniqueness, to teach them how to develop it, and then to show

them how to give it away.” - Leo Buscaglia

Chris Reising Barbara Edwardscreising@sdcoe.net bedwards@ucsd.edu(858) 292-3556 (858) 534-3674