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California Regional CenterSpring 2005IMP is alive and well at Santa Maria High School (SMHS), as it has been since 1994. One of the unique features of IMP elevenyears later is that the three teachers who started IMP at the school (Byron Jones, Chris Paulus, and Mike Bryant) are still there andare still teaching IMP. Mike and Byron are former engineers who love IMP because the mathematics taught in the program is exactlythe kind of math they needed as engineers—thinking outside the box to solve problems! Two other former engineers, JanieKesselring and Shelley Klein, later joined the IMP group and continue to teach IMP. Recently, two new teachers were brought into increase their ranks yet again. Out of a math department of 15 teachers, seven of them teach IMP classes. Each of the IMP teachers also teaches some of the traditional classes. SMHS has a student population of about 2700 students, ofwhom 80 percent are Hispanic, with 36 percent of them English language learners (ELL). The city of Santa Maria is in the heart ofa rich agricultural area, so many of the students are migrant students as well. The city continues to grow rapidly, with a newhigh school having been opened in the school district just this year and another to be built soon. In dealing with these various challenges, the teachers haveremained committed to doing what is best for their students. One of their great success stories is the retention of students within the IMP classes. In recent years, about 25 sections of Year 1 traditional classes have typically resulted in about three sections of Year 4traditional classes, while four sections of IMP 1 have yielded two sections of IMP 4. IMP students have been successful with bothAP Calculus and AP Statistics classes and exams. Recent SMHS IMP graduates are currently attending schools such as theUniversity of California at Berkeley,Wellesley College, and Harvard University. SMHS recently won national recognition byreceiving the College Board Inspiration Award, given to only two schools in the nation last year.This award is for the school’s effortsto increase the number of students completing university entrance requirements, and for the number of students taking AP classes.The high IMP retention rate helped in that regard. Mike and Shelley also credit IMP for helping them become the first mathteachers in Santa Barbara County to achieve certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Spring 2004The California Region is in the third year of our NSF grant, COME ON (California’s Outstanding Mathematics Educators Ongoing Network). One of the goals of the grant is to develop a cadre of teacher-leaders throughout the state who will serve as leaders in their districts, help develop our summer institutes, and become presenters at the institutes and at conferences. This year we have 39 teacher-leaders participating in our spring leadership retreat. They will help plan the summer institutes, give input about the IMP revision process, and discuss statewide issues. California IMP continues to help our teachers develop leadership skills, share ideas, and promote the curriculum and teaching strategies through local and statewide conferences and inservices. Congratulations to one of our teacher-leaders, Ana England. Ana has just returned from a week in Washington, D.C. where she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (http://www.paemst.org/index.cfm). Ana teaches at Lakeview Middle School in Watsonville and was the school leader who brought IMP to the eighth grade students. For several years Ana has been a summer institute presenter for IMP. Last year she also earned her mathematics certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Spring 2003Cindy Hendrix and Debby Chappell, IMP teachers at Lancaster High School, held student-led parent conferences at the end of the first quarter. Over 80 students from their IMP classes presented their portfolios to their parents or another adult. Students signed up for a 15-minute time interval during which the student would discuss the mathematics in his or her portfolio and the progress they had made. The conference gave parents an opportunity to see the quality of their students’ work and the mathematical concepts being studied. For teachers, it was an opportunity to make a personal connection with the parents. Many students had not discussed their academic work with their parents since elementary school. The pride students showed in their work and accomplishments was evident on their faces. Parents were impressed by the level and quality of the work. One mother observed, “Wow, this is way beyond any math I did in high school.” Another parent commented that these conferences were so worthwhile they ought to happen in every subject. For students who were struggling with the math, the discussions provided an opportunity to seek ways to improve. The teachers made available tutoring schedules and a handout of strategies students could use at school and at home to increase their learning. Debby and Cindy plan to hold these student-led conferences again in the spring. They encourage other math teachers to join them, and believe that these efforts will help the IMP enrollment at their school continue to grow. The IMP community continues to thrive in California thanks to the dedication, hard work, and ability of teachers around the state. This past year, three more IMP teachers received National Board Certification. Congratulations to Ana England, Mike Bryant, and Susan Ford who all successfully completed the 200 hours required. According to them, while the process is arduous, it is also very worthwhile. The time spent in reflection on teaching practice is a powerful professional development experience in its own right, and they encourage other IMP teachers to do the same. Fall 2002California IMP is off and running with our new NSF Teacher Retention and Renewal grant, COME-ON (California Outstanding Mathematics Educators Ongoing Network). This past summer, IMP 1, 2, 3, and 4 inservices were offered, as well as workshops for AP Calculus and AP Statistics. In addition, a new workshop was added, called Meaningful Algebra for All Students. Since the state of California has been pushing for algebra for all 8th grade students, there has been a surge of interest in looking for alternative ways to help students understand algebraic concepts. In response to that interest, we designed a five-day workshop using materials from IMP, Connected Mathematics, Investigations, Shell Centre materials, and NCTM’s Navigating the Standards: Algebra. The use of manipulatives and technology was incorporated throughout the workshop along with relevant brain research. Issues surrounding equity provided another overarching theme to the week. We see these workshops as a means to reach out to a larger audience, and to increase awareness of IMP and other standardsbased curricula. California IMP teachers continue to be honored by their peers. Jeri Philbrick from Oxnard High School, was chosen as Teacher of the Year for OHS by her teaching colleagues, and was announced as Teacher of the Year for Ventura County. Also from Oxnard High School, Lilia Zambrano was honored by the Ventura County Math Council as an Outstanding Math Teacher for 2002. Jim Short was honored by the same group as an Outstanding Supporter of Math Education for service outside of the classroom in support of math teachers. Spring 2002California IMP’s NSF grant, COME ON! (California’s Outstanding Mathematics Educators Ongoing Network), is up and running. Meetings with teacher-leaders have already taken place at the California Mathematics Council’s two major statewide conferences. Coming out of those meetings were a request, and then a plan, to develop an IMP recruiting video for 8th grade students. Teachers from around the state were contacted and asked to videotape classroom action, student interviews, student presentations, and student work for use in this recruitment video. Varre Cummins, an IMP teacher at Hueneme High School in Oxnard, California, has used his video production experience to good effect in producing an exciting recruitment tool. The video will be distributed to all interested schools in California. Last summer’s inservices were expanded beyond IMP 1, 2, 3, and 4 to also include week-long institutes on AP Calculus and AP Statistics. This summer, another institute will be offered that will focus on effective teaching of algebraic concepts. The three major goals are to:
Additional funding from the California Professional Development Institute grant program provides teachers a stipend for their participation in these summer institutes and the school year follow-up program. In early March, there was a two-day retreat for IMP teacher leaders from around the state. At the retreat, plans for the summer institutes were finalized and all activities for the coming year were outlined. Fall 2001COME ON!The California IMP™ region has recently been awarded a five-year National Science Foundation grant that will address the severe statewide teacher shortage in mathematics and support the implementation of IMP throughout the state. The project, California’s Outstanding Mathematics Educators Ongoing Network (COME ON), has three major goals:
This network of novice and experienced teachers will support each other as some begin their teaching career, some begin teaching IMP, and others re-energize themselves through learning more mathematics, developing new skills in the art of teaching, and supporting their peers in IMP curriculum implementation. Project activities include summer and winter inservices, leadership retreats, conference attendance, individual work, collaboration on school action plans, mentoring, and electronic communication throughout the school year. As we progress with our grant implementation, we will share our experiences with other IMP regions and undoubtedly ask for support and advice. Congratulations to CAMSThe California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) is a Los Angeles– area public high school that uses IMP as their sole mathematics curriculum. Last year, more than 80 CAMS students participated in the international problem-solving contest sponsored by the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP). Two of the teams won Regional Outstanding Awards for their 24 hours of work. They solved problems such as the following:
Fourteen other CAMS teams successfully completed the contest with Meritorious Awards (second place), and five teams received the Honorable Mention Award (third place). This year, the fourth annual High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) will take place in November, and teams will have 14 days from which to choose their contest period. Teams will have a 36-hour consecutive work period to prepare their solutions. For more information about this contest, visit the COMAP Web site. Spring 2001IMP teachers are often recognized with awards and honors for their excellent teaching. They also are known to take on new roles and leadership positions. Two such California teachers are Sandie Gilliam and Judy Strauss. Sandie Gilliam teaches at San Lorenzo Valley High School in Felton and has recently been awarded the Mathematics Certificate for Adolescence and Young Adulthood by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Since the National Board was created in 1987, only 521 teachers have earned this certificate in mathematics. Sandie notes that the application process is extensive and requires 200 hours of work. A key component of the application is the portfolio, which must include videos of the teacher working with the whole class and with small groups and analyses of several types of student work. Teachers also submit descriptions and documentation of activities and accomplishments that illustrate their commitment to their students and to the teaching profession. Sandie thinks that IMP teachers would be especially comfortable with the application process since the National Board Standards focus on teachers having an extensive base of pedagogical knowledge, creating a rich learning environment, helping students to think and reason mathematically, and using a variety of assessments. Sandie says that developing the portfolio “gave me a chance to look back at my teaching and think about where I have been and where I am going in my career.” Judy Strauss has been teaching IMP at Los Altos High School in Silicon Valley and often leads IMP inservices. This year, she is on leave from her district and has taken a two-fold position at Stanford University. She is a university supervisor of student teachers and a social science research associate working with Dr. Jo Boaler, author of Experiencing School Mathematics. Judy works with four of Stanford’s seven student teachers and finds her years of teaching IMP to be very valuable in guiding these students. As a research associate, Judy is a member of a team that will be following students through their four years of high school. These students are taking a variety of high school mathematics programs. The focus of the research is on the teaching of mathematics and includes a video study to illustrate how students are learning mathematics and their attitudes toward mathematics. Judy said her many conversations with teachers are always interesting and powerful as they discuss how to bring meaning to the mathematics, improve questioning techniques, and work with small groups. Judy also stated that this year has been “fun, hard, and a great learning experience.” Fall 2000California IMP has used the inservice model of five days of summer workshops and three days of winter workshops for a number of years. Many IMP teachers who have completed all four years of inservice are now requesting a refresher course. These experienced IMP teachers still desire to improve their teaching, want to discuss issues, and enjoy sharing their ideas and success stories. One California region recently addressed this need by sponsoring a Saturday workshop for veteran IMP teachers. IMP leaders Janice Bussey, from Tracy Unified School District, and Susan Ford, from Delhi High School, organized and facilitated this “refresher course.” Janice and Susan shared their outline in case other regions would like to sponsor a similar event. Following is the outline: 9:00–9:30 Refreshments 9:30–10:15
Groups of four work on an activity from IMP 1, IMP 2, or IMP 3. 10:15–10:30 Break 10:30–11:30 Group Reports 11:30–12:15
Lunch with Table Topics: 12:15–12:45 Table Reports 12:45–1:00
Next steps for our region? Where do we go from here? “When I collected responses from the opening, focused, free-writing prompt, we ended up filling three pieces of chart paper. Susan and I wanted this time to be for teachers to revisit their passion for IMP. They did! And the neat thing was that we kept revisiting those posters throughout the day and tied the rest of their work to what they knew was powerful about IMP from those posters.” (Comments from Janice) Spring 1999A number of California IMP teachers have undertaken new roles in their schools, districts, or counties. The number involved reflects the leadership development that has been a central part of the California IMP experience. IMP teacher Kate Dubost from Atascadero High School is on special assignment, helping her district develop a K–12 mathematics implementation plan. She credits IMP with providing her the necessary professional-development experiences for her current assignment. She says, "Teachers need to be students and understand the learning process. IMP did this for me." Caran Resciniti taught IMP at Fresno High School and is now the mathematics coordinator for her district. Caran states, "I am certain the IMP curriculum and professional development made me a strong mathematics teacher. The content and pedagogy I learned gave me the confidence to allow my students to explore their own world of mathematics, and it also allowed me to bring meaning to their learning. As mathematics coordinator, I am able to think critically and react rationally to issues regarding the learning of mathematics for all students. I am knowledgeable about varied instructional practices, alternative assessments, and current political issues that impact mathematics education. I owe it all to IMP." Sharon Taylor from Colton High School now serves as a district mathematics specialist. Sharon says, "Being involved with IMP has made me realize the importance of making time for regular involvement with other educators who see themselves as learners as well as teachers. Learning comes from sharing thoughts and reflecting on ideas, very often generated by the work and words of students. Learning comes from asking the right questions. IMP teachers model good learning, which could also be called good teaching." Other IMP teachers in new leadership roles include Dean Ballard, Piner; Janice Bussey, Tracy; Dave Calhoun, Fresno; Margaret DeArmond, Kern; Donna Gaarder, San Francisco; Theresa Hernandez-Heinz, San Francisco; Scott Nevison, Palmdale; Barbara Schallau, San Jose; Jim Short, Oxnard; Cathie Thompson, Kern; and Jane Wentzel, Fresno. This list is not all-inclusive; it reflects only those IMP teachers who have moved out of the classroom into positions of district leadership. When one adds to this number the large numbers of IMP teachers who have served, or continue to serve, as mentor teachers in their districts, as department chairs in their schools, and on district, area, state, and national task forces, it is easy to see that California IMP has helped in developing significant leadership in mathematics education. Fall 1999IMP teacher Moe Burkhart reminds us that showcasing students' work is perhaps the best testimonial to IMP's effectiveness. Moe uses display cases located across from the main office at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles to regularly display her students' work. Faculty and departments can sign up to use one case for two or three weeks. Once each semester, Moe displays IMP materials, such as photos, student work, IMP manipulatives, texts, and other materials such as the "Colleges that accept IMP" list and important articles, including "IMP Chosen as Exemplary Program." The displays are an easy way to give teachers, administrators, parents, and students a first-hand look at the many aspects of IMP. Students love seeing their pictures and work on display; they take great pride in their work. Teachers pop into IMP classrooms because they are curious after seeing the display. Other possible display venues include your school's district office, local public library, local banks, and stores. It's critical that we continue to take the time to get out positive messages about IMP and the great work that our students do! Spring 1998California's contribution to this posting was written by Caran Resciniti, an IMP teacher at Fresno High School in Fresno, California. Resciniti is part of a group that just completed its inservice after four years together. A special graduation ceremony was held for them at the end of the last inservice, and this piece commemorates the event. POW 99: The Last NullDedicated to the IMP 4 Class of 1998, Berkeley, California There is no difference between the IMP curriculum and the traditional curriculum with respect to learning. Well, I choose to reject this null hypothesis based on four years of research. If you take the word interactive and discover the meaning for each letter, it goes something like this: I is for the integration of strands this program is so good at doing. Because of the integration, students (including us) have become mathematically powerful. I have seen students tackle very difficult problems without fear. They appreciate and respect multiple strategies for solving problems. They are effective communicators. N is for our names. We, the IMP 4 class of 1998, are known for our sense of style. We are proud to wear each others names. We are proud of our nicknames and pseudo names. What a unique way to build a network. T is for our trainers, who allowed us our space to be creative but gave us the right direction to grow as great math teachers. We applaud Lori, Janice, Sylvia, Jim, George, Kathy, Donna, Dwight, Patricia, Jerry, Dave, Dan, Barbara, Linda, Margaret, and Mary Jo. We also applaud Sherry, Lynne, Dan, and Diane for their vision, because without them we would not be here today. E is for the many experiences IMP brought into our lives. We have met wizards, traveled west, tossed more coins than the NFL, and rolled more dice than Las Vegas. We have swung pendulums, worked in the dark with flashlights, entered the world of bees, set off fireworks, and watched Alice grow and shrink. We have asked a lot of questions and collected more types of data than any research office. We made political decisions to determine whether to build malls or leave the environment to meadows. We found a great hideout for Madie and Clyde, we reached the limit in our small world. We played baseball and joined a circus. We became animators through programming. We have conducted polls and joined families of functions—all in the name of mathematics. And they say high school mathematics isn't fun. R is for Ryane's POW. None of us will ever forget that day when Ryane shared his POW with Gwennyth. A is for Al and Betty. We first met Al and Betty in Pig, but they seemed to visit us on a regular basis throughout the four years. Other characters had that same tendency to revisit us as well. What a great way for students to connect what they know to what they will know. C is for the graphing calculator, which became our hero. We have come a long way from that first day when we were so pleased to be able to turn it on and off. We are not afraid to learn with each other. T is for the thinking that this program engages us and our students to do. Our understanding of mathematics has grown exponentially over the four years, not to mention what it has done for our students. I is for the IN/OUT tables we have written and analyzed. Four years ago, none of us knew that the IN/OUT table would be our saving grace. When all else fails, draw that IN/OUT table. V is for the victories we have had together during the training and in our classrooms as teachers. It is also for the victories our students continue to have with the IMP curriculum. E brings us to the end. We must realize that it is only the end of our formal training. We will continue to do what is right for our students. We have become great friends and, equally as important, we have become strong teachers. If I may quote a statement from TOPS (California Leadership Workshop) that goes something like this: Tomorrow we will go back to our separate schools, but we must remember that we are all on the same campus. Fall 1998California IMP finished the year on a high note with TOPS (Trainer Of PresenterS) and the summer inservice. At the fifth annual TOPS meeting, 40 teacher-leaders worked together on issues and topics such as outreach to counselors, parental concerns, standards and state testing, student recruitment, and TIMSS research. Participants also enjoyed mathematics activities on statistics, including some from the new AP course. The statistical activity presented by Key Curriculum's Bill Finzer gave us insight into the meaning of a statistic and reminded us of the real power of the IMP curriculum in building student understanding rather than just student knowledge of formulas. In June, we offered all four years of inservice in Berkeley and Oxnard, as we will do for the winter workshops. We are again planning to divide the state into regions in order to provide a localized network of support to IMP teachers. Each region will have an opportunity to apply for mini-grants. In the past, mini-grants have provided substitutes so that teachers could attend networking meetings, visit feeder schools, and observe other IMP teachers within the school or at other sites. Mini-grant money also helps support recruitment efforts, and parent, counselor, and other IMP awareness meetings at both middle schools and high schools. With the adoption of state standards and a state testing program that will test the first year of high school mathematics (first-year algebra or an integrated curriculum) in eighth grade, there is an increased emphasis on moving high school mathematics to the middle grades. For this reason, both middle schools and high schools need to be knowledgeable about IMP and what the curriculum can do for all students. Spring 1997California field-tested the first three years of the curriculum between 1989 and 1992 in three San Francisco area high schools with diverse student populations. The fourth year of the curriculum was field-tested during 1993–1994. IMP currently is being taught in 66 high schools throughout the state, which include approximately 25,000 students and 300 teachers. Our IMP office has moved west, putting us that much closer to Hawaii! We're now located on a modest houseboat in Sausalito, where the changing tides bring a varying landscape that is always engaging and interesting. The occasional storms are exciting, but, for the most part, our physical setting is tranquil and beautiful. IMP Teachers as LeadersWith funding from the Noyce Foundation, we've successfully conducted Leader of Leaders retreats for the past three years. The purpose is to offer further opportunities to develop teachers as leaders, in addition to preparing inservice presenters. Experienced IMP classroom teachers conduct all the inservices. They also are well represented in professional organizations and are active representatives in statewide initiatives. Margaret DeArmond of East Bakersfield High School currently serves as President of the statewide California Mathematics Council (CMC), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Others are active in Urban Systemic Initiatives in Los Angeles and Fresno, the CMC's High School Initiative, and the Math Renaissance K–12 (MR K–12) Initiative meetings on algebraic thinking. We continue to actively encourage IMP teachers to present at local, state, and national conferences, in addition to site and district events. Some of the conferences at which IMP teachers have presented include CMC conferences in northern, southern, and central California, the NCTM Regional and National Conferences, California Math Projects, Expanding Your Horizons, and the California School Boards Association. A Site Within a SiteSan Francisco is in the third year of implementing its four-year NSF teacher enhancement grant-4D (Diversity, Dialogue, Dimension, and Design). Directors Theresa Hernandez-Heinz and Donna Gaarder spend most of their time supporting teachers in five high schools. There are 35 teachers and approximately 2,150 students in IMP in the San Francisco Unified School District. Teachers Reach OutSeveral California teacher leaders have begun outreach work with their local community colleges and four-year colleges on the traditional mathematics placement tests given by these institutions. In East Bakersfield, teachers have initiated and maintained regular contact with the mathematics departments at both California State University at Bakersfield and Bakersfield Community College. Regional Coordinators Bruce Saathoff and Margaret DeArmond successfully planned the first of several articulation meetings between the mathematics faculty of the area's high schools and Bakersfield Community College. The district funded the teachers' full day release, and the community college served as host. Karen Radcliff of Vista High School regularly interacts with the mathematics chairs of both the University of California at San Diego and California State University at San Marcos. Fall 1997With over 70 California schools and more than 350 teachers participating in IMP, the challenges are to continue the growth of IMP and to provide support to all the teachers who are involved. To accomplish this California welcomes two new directors, Margaret DeArmond from East High School in Bakersfield and Jim Short from Hueneme High School in Oxnard. Both Margaret and Jim have taught all four years of the curriculum and have had extensive teacher-leadership experience. During the past two years Margaret has been president of the California Mathematics Council, in addition to teaching five IMP classes. This year she is working with the Kern County Office of Education helping to develop and implement standards in all subject areas as well as directing California IMP. Jim, mathematics department chair at Hueneme, is also co-director of the South Coast Mathematics Partnership, a project that brings together high school teachers and students, and prospective teachers during the summer under the auspices of Santa Barbara Community College and the University of California at Santa Barbara. Because of California's size, in terms of numbers of teachers and large geographical area, California IMP has been sponsoring leadership retreats for several years. This past spring, 45 teachers coming from 13 regional areas attended a retreat to discuss issues, develop teacher leadership, and prepare inservice presentations. Funding was provided by the Noyce Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. For additional local support, each area can apply to California IMP for a grant to be able to provide meetings and networking. Some achievements by IMP students from California schools:
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