Document No.
I-04-03
PROPOSAL TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE
TITLE: Graduate Degree Program –
Professional M.S. in Mathematics
Education Program Development Plan
SUBMITTED BY: Academic Policies Committee
DATE: March 12, 2004 (approved)
ACTION: Legislative
Reference:
Designation, Rationale,
Description of Purpose
The
As a
result of this three-tiered approach, the proposed MS in Mathematics Education has three features distinct from those
features of a traditional program in pure mathematics or a traditional program
in education. Traditional programs in
mathematics focus primarily on depth of knowledge in the mathematical sciences
and continue to prepare mathematicians for academic positions. Traditional
programs in education, on the other hand, tend to focus more on pedagogy and
less on specific content knowledge.
First,
the MS in Mathematics Education will
extend students’ knowledge of the mathematical sciences in order to increase
the breadth and depth of preparation needed to teach advanced mathematics
courses in grades 9 – 12 and at post-secondary institutions, and to provide
exposure to recent advances in the mathematical sciences. The curriculum is designed to increase
knowledge of mathematics content while at the same time addressing the current
demands placed on mathematics educators from state standards, NCTM standards, outcomes based assessment practices, and the impact of
technological advances. The curriculum
is also designed to help prepare the graduate to meet future demands likely to
occur from new state and national standards and the continual evolution of
technology applications.
Second,
candidates for this degree will study methods and current research in
mathematics education, and students will experience implications of this
research on classroom practices in order to become better interpreters, users,
and critics of research. In addition, each candidate will design and conduct an
independent research study, as the capstone requirement of the proposed program, that will contribute to the research base in
mathematics education.
Finally,
students will continue their development as professional educators by
completing coursework that increases their understanding of the historical,
philosophical, psychological, and sociological foundations of mathematics
education, and more broadly, education.
Description of Proposed Curriculum
The proposed program is
designed primarily as a summer program, requiring attendance during at most one
fall or winter semester; the program is a three summer program for fulltime
students. This is not an alternative licensure program. Students who wish to
pursue an initial
Admission Requirements
·
3.0
undergraduate GPA;
·
baccalaureate
degree in mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, or education
with a comprehensive teaching field of mathematics;
·
provisional
license (or higher) to teach secondary mathematics; and
·
completion of necessary undergraduate coursework in
mathematics to meet prerequisites for program course offerings.
Program Requirements (30 credit hours/10
courses):
·
successful
completion of 9 credit hours (3 courses) of graduate-level education coursework;
·
successful
completion of 15 credit hours (5 courses) of advanced mathematics courses for in-service teachers;
·
successful
completion of a 3 credit hour (1 course) required course in research methods in mathematics education;
·
successful
completion of 3 credit hours (1 course, MTH 541) devoted to a capstone research project (mathematics
clinic) requirement in mathematics education;
Education Courses
(9 credit hours) Models of Teaching, EDT500 Philosophical Studies in Education, EDT502 Professional Development
of Teacher Leaders, EDT650 |
Mathematics Courses
(15 credit hours) Geometry for Secondary Teachers, MTH543 Algebra for Secondary Teachers, MTH544 Advanced Mathematics for Secondary Teachers, MTH545 Applications of Graph
Theory and Combinatorics
in Modern Mathematics, MTH546 Applications of Linear and
Abstract Algebra in Modern Mathematics, MTH547 |
Research in Mathematics Education (6 credit hours) Research Methods &
Issues in Mathematics Education, MTH548 Mathematics Clinic, MTH541 |
Table of Courses
Advisory Board The program has an Advisory Board of 9 members
representing a variety of disciplines in education and mathematics
education. In order that the program
maintain close alliance with the School of Education and Allied Professions,
Dr. Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Chairperson of the
Department of Teacher Education, serves on the Advisory Board, as well as Dr.
Thomas Lasley, the Dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions.
Need for Professional MS Program in Mathematics
Education
To
assess the demand for the proposed program, we have conducted a survey of
in-service high school mathematics teachers during the Fall of 2002, we have
sought information through informal conversations with community school leaders
in the city of Dayton, local public school districts, and the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, and we have performed a second survey with in-service teachers
participating in a mathematics professional development program in July, 2003. We have obtained enthusiastic positive
feedback regarding the proposed degree program.
High school mathematics teachers have expressed their deep concern for
their continued growth as both mathematicians and educators. The opportunity to gain experience with
quantitative research methods is appealing as well. (See Appendix A for
summaries of results from 2002 and 2003 surveys.)
The
Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS), in cooperation with both
the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Mathematical
Society (AMS), has included several recommendations that can be addressed by
such a degree program in the recent publication, “The Mathematical Education
of Teachers” (CBMS, 2001). Not only
is reform called for in the preparation of new teachers, but in the continued
professional development of experienced educators. In particular, it is recommended that,
“Teachers need the opportunity to develop their understanding of mathematics
and its teaching throughout their careers, through both self-directed and
collegial study, and through formal coursework” (CBMS, 2001). The CBMS report
is totally aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, perhaps the single most
driving force in the reform of mathematics education to date.
The
Ohio Department of Education has taken the recommendations from the MAA and
NCTM one step further by implementing a requirement that teachers will need to
complete a masters degree program in either their
field or general education before licensure renewal after 8 years on the job.
A further indication for need of such a program is given
by the ongoing activities related to mathematics education. The University of Dayton is actively involved
in Project 30, SUSTAIN, the Regents Scholars Program, and the federally funded
Improving Teacher Quality (ITQ) grant through the Ohio Board of Regents. Many
of these activities include collaboration among local universities, colleges,
community colleges, and school systems.
Research
has already been conducted, via the world wide web, to
explore programs in mathematics education at other universities during the
initial development of the new MS program.
One such exemplary program was found in the Department of Mathematics,
Science, and Technology Education at
Student Placement
The majority of students enrolled in this program will be
in-service secondary mathematics teachers who will continue their employment
with their school districts, making the placement of our graduates from this
program a non-issue.
Based upon the surveys, the target enrollment in the
program each year is approximately four full-time students and one to two
part-time students. In the context of a three-summer completion time frame, we
project twelve full-time students and six part-time students at the end of five
years.
Recruiting Minority Students
We will develop an aggressive
recruiting strategy for minority students.
The
Evaluation
Outcomes
assessment practices currently used for our other mathematics programs will
also be used in this program to ensure continuous
improvement and achievement of student learning. The proposed program will be evaluated
by the Department of Mathematics after four years.
Program Faculty
The program faculty is from the
Departments of Mathematics (MTH) and the
Dr. Atif
Abueida (MTH) Dr.
Jayne Brahler (SOEAP)
Dr. Wiebke
Diestelkamp (MTH) Dr. Shannon Driskell
(MTH)
Dr. Paul Eloe (MTH) Dr. Robert Gorton (MTH)
Dr. Janet Herrelko (SOEAP) Dr. Aparna
Higgins (MTH)
Dr. Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch
(SOEAP) Dr. Rebecca Krakowski (MTH)
Need for Additional Staff
Neither the Department of
Mathematics nor the School of Education and Allied Professions has need for
additional staff to administer the program as it is designed primarily as a
summer program. Recent strategies to
recruit faculty by both the Department of Mathematics and the
Cost
Teaching Stipends Tuition revenue will be targeted to cover
summer teaching stipends.
Marketing Costs Initially, funds from
Continuing Education will be used to cover marketing costs. Word of mouth will be very effective as a marketing
tool as we continue activities such as Project SUSTAIN, Regents Scholars
Program, ITQ, and Project 30. Through
tuition revenue and opportunities for external support, the Department of
Mathematics will share the cost.
Director for the
External Support With guidance from the Directors, the Board of Advisors,
and the
Tuition Revenue Students enrolled in the proposed program will be awarded a
tuition scholarship so that tuition in the MTH designated courses will match
tuition in the EDT courses. The
A realistic projection is
that tuition revenue alone will offset the cost of the program by the fourth
year.
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board of the
professional Master of Science program in Mathematics
Education serves multiple purposes in the development and maintenance of
the new degree program at the
Ms. Shirley Cooper,
Curriculum Supervisor in Mathematics, Dayton Public Schools
Dr. Frank Demana,
The Ohio State University, retired.
Dr. Paul Eloe,
Chair, Department of Mathematics,
Dr. Ann Farrell, Department
of Mathematics,
Dr. Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Department of Teacher Education,
Dr. Rebecca Krakowski ,
Program Director, Department of Mathematics,
Dr. Thomas Lasley, Dean,
Dr. Katy E. Marre, Associate
Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research,
Dr. Lee V. Stiff, National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (former president), Department of
Mathematics,
Science and Technology Education,
Appendix A: Needs Assessment Survey Results
Fall 2002: The
entire mathematics departments at several area high schools – Carroll High,
Chaminade Julienne, Franklin-Monroe, and Belmont – were asked to complete a
survey gauging their reactions to the proposed MS program and their thoughts
about the coursework they would value in such a program. Faculty who held
permanent certificates or licenses were not excluded from participation in the
survey, as several of them provided valuable feedback regarding their own
Masters Degree programs. A total of 27 teachers responded to this survey, 20 of
whom did not have permanent licenses and would require additional coursework in
the near future. Of these 20 teachers, 75% of them expressed interest in a
Masters degree program that would focus on
professional education, educational research, and mathematics content
knowledge.
Summer 2003: During
the summer of 2003, as the result of an Improving Teacher Quality Grant from
the Ohio Board of Regents, 23 mathematics teachers attended a three week summer
institute to improve their skills integrating physical science topics with
technology in their mathematics classrooms. These teachers were asked to
complete the same survey at the conclusion of the institute. The majority of
these teachers were from
The feedback gained from both
surveys, in addition to informal conversations with other mathematics teachers in
the