$285,129

Stimulating teachers' intellectual growth while upgrading their mathematics and process knowledge and skills is the foundation of the Increasing Student Math Achievement with Algebraic Reasoning and Thinking (ISMAART) program. As a result of this professional growth, Kindergarten through grade nine Greenfield-Central (G-C) students will increase their knowledge and skills in algebra readiness and problem solving as emphasized in the Indiana Mathematics Standards of  Number Sense, Computation, Algebra and Functions, and Problem Solving, as measured by the ISTEP+ state assessment. Through a partnership with Ball State University's College of Mathematical Sciences (BSU), teacher professional development with the corporation's 80 K-grade 9 Mathematics teachers will occur through Content Training sessions,  collaborative planning among grade level teachers throughout the corporation, classroom observations with feedback, the training and use of coaches for new Mathematics teachers, booster sessions, and the update of corporation curriculum maps to more closely align with the Indiana standards and the delivery strategies implemented in this program. A broad-based team of teachers, corporation administrators, and ISMAART Program Director and Co-Director will form the ISMAART Program Planning team to coordinate this initiative. Sustainability of the program will occur through PL221 School Improvement Plan goals that contain an algebra readiness focus, coaching new Mathematics teachers, and a continued partnership with Ball State University for professional development activities. 

May 2007 through May 2010

1. Teachers of mathematics will deepen their understanding of content knowledge in the Indiana standards areas of Algebra & Functions, Number Sense, Computation and Problem-Solving.
2. Mathematics teachers will enhance their pedagogical skills and classroom practices to increase students’ algebraic reasoning skills.
3. Increase students’ mathematics achievement each year.

Through a partnership with Ball State University's College of Mathematical Sciences (BSU), Greenfield-Central Schools will be able to provide teacher professional development with the corporation's 80 K-grade 9 Mathematics teachers. In this partnership, Greenfield-Central Schools will : 1) co-plan Content training sessions, Summer Camps, Booster sessions, and classroom observation/follow-up visits; 2) provide a teacher leader in each school who will be trained to serve as a coach for new Mathematics teachers in the building; 3) provide a venue for professional development activities; 4) contribute resources, curricular materials, and other needed materials; 5) co-facilitate the collection and evaluation of student achievement and teacher effectiveness data and 6) prepare revised corporation curriculum documents for corporation use; 7) cooperate with the external project evaluator; 8) managing the fiscal responsibilities of this grant and 9) convening ISMAART Planning team to plan and coordinate activities.  The Ball State University partners’ role includes: 1) co-planning Content training sessions, Summer Camps, Booster sessions and classroom observation/follow-up visits; 2) providing mathematics education faculty to present professional development instruction in algebra readiness mathematics content, process and pedagogy; 3) contributing resource and curricular materials; 4) cooperating with the external project evaluator.