SOUTH COOK MATHEMATICS INITIATIVE (SCMI)

What is SCMI?
A partnership among22 south Cook County districts to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in grades six through nine.

Support for SCMI is provided by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, in partnership with the South Cook Intermediate Service Center (South Cook ISC) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Learning Sciences Research Institute.

GOALS OF THE PROJECT

• Establish a community of school districts and practitioners in south Cook County that works together on mathematics improvement.
   

• Develop joint solutions to commonly held problems involving the preparation for algebra in the middle grades and the teaching of algebra in 8^th and 9^th grades.
   

• Strengthen the districts’ capacity to support improved mathematics instruction and retain highly qualified staff.
   

• Support a range of mathematics improvement activities as part of a common, comprehensive mathematics initiative among participating districts.
   

• Improve student outcomes and success in mathematics.

PROJECT PARTNERS

• South Cook Intermediate Service Center

• Twenty-two participating south Cook County districts

• University of Illinois at Chicago Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI)

• The Chicago Community Trust

PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS

2010-2011 ACTIVITIES

BUILDING MATHEMATICS LEADERSHIP CAPACITY
Designed to develop a cadre of administrators and mathematics leaders who are prepared to promote improved, coherent policies and programs within and across participating districts.

• District Leadership Teams
  Each participating district will continue or establish a Mathematics Leadership Team.  

• Mathematics Institute for Administrators and Instructional Leaders

TEACHER ENHANCEMENT – BUILDING TEACHER CAPACITY AND LEADERSHIP
Designed to build teacher leadership capacity, strengthen teachers’ knowledge of mathematics and of the teaching and learning of mathematics.

• University-based courses

• Teacher Leadership Academy

• Accessibility Workshop

• Coaching support
  Ongoing coaching support will be provided for designated teacher leaders and participants in the Accessibility workshops.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION

• Intensified Algebra 1 Field Test
  Some districts are participating in the 2010 - 2011 field test of Intensified Algebra 1. In addition to a rigorous mathematics core, Intensified Algebra 1 addresses the social, affective, linguistic, and strategic cognitive and metacognitive dimensions of learning mathematics.

Additional information is available attached document. (PDF)

• Transitions to High School
  Districts will continue or establish articulation teams that provide the opportunity for high school and elementary leadership teams to collaborate and discuss issues related to transitions from middle school to high school.

For additional information send email to scmi@s-cook.org or contact Mary Jo Tavormina at
(312) 996-8763.

PARTICIPATING DISTRICTS

Participants will work to develop shared solutions to common problems across their districts that they identified as having an impact on core mathematics instruction:

• Pre-algebra and algebra curricula

• Teacher preparation and credentials

• Assessments

• District/school leadership

• District/organization

• Support for instruction and teachers

• Programs for intensification and acceleration

• Articulation between 8^th and 9^th grade

Schools participating in SCMI are listed in the attached document. (PDF)

MATHEMATICS INSTITUTE FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS

GOALS
The Mathematics Institute for Administrators and Instructional Leaders is designed to build a professional community of administrators and instructional leaders in the participating south Cook County districts.

AUDIENCE
Principals, district curriculum administrators, and high school mathematics directors or chairs in the participating south Cook County districts.

TIMELINE
Two full-day sessions in Summer 2010 on June 24^th and 25^th or August 5^th and 6^th from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
Four half-day sessions during the school year

Additional information is provided in the attached document. (PDF)

Participants may register for the Mathematics Institute for Administrators and Instructional
Leaders by completing the registration form and faxing it to South Cook ISC at 708-754-8687,
emailing it to scmi@s-cook.org, or by contacting Robin McElroy at 708-754-6600.

UNIVERSITY-BASED COURSES

The Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science is pleased to offer the following graduate credit course through the UIC Office of Continuing Education. This course is the first in a series of university courses offered through SCMI that lead to a middle grade endorsement or can be applied to a Master’s of Science in the Teaching of Mathematics. The Initiative provides teachers from participating school districts with an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge base and develop a better understanding of the teaching and learning of mathematics.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to help teachers learn content and pedagogy related to informal geometry using manipulatives, elementary topological concepts, polygons, polyhedra, metric geometry, motion geometry, geometric constructions, and spherical geometry. Teachers will be introduced to academic research on the learning of geometry.

CREDITS

4 graduate credit hours

DATES AND TIMES

The first course will begin on August 31, 2010.

If you teach in a participating district, you are eligible to apply for a tuition subsidy. To apply for the SCMI subsidy click on the link below: 

www.go.uic.edu/SCMIsubsidyfall
For more information click on the links below:

SCMI Graduate Course Offering (PDF)
Proposed Course Offerings (PDF)

TEACHER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

The Academy is designed to build a professional community of mathematics teacher leaders in the participating south Cook County districts. It addresses two interwoven strands: a mathematical strand and a leadership development strand.

AUDIENCE

Designated teacher leaders in participating south Cook County districts

(Funding for teacher stipends for attendance during the summer and extended day sessions, and substitutes for school day sessions will be provided by SCMI for one teacher per school.)

TIMELINE

Five full-day sessions in Summer 2010 on July 22, 23, 26, 27 and 28 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Five sessions during the school year to be held on select Thursday evenings from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Fridays from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and Saturday mornings from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM.

Additional information is provided in the attached document. (PDF)

Designated teacher leaders may register for the Teacher Leadership Academy by completing
the registration form and faxing it to South Cook ISC at 708-754-8687, emailing it to
scmi@s-cook.org, or by contacting Robin McElroy at South Cook ISC at 708-754-6600.

ACCESSIBILITY WORKSHOPS

These workshops are based on the Education Development Center's (EDC) Addressing
Accessibility in Mathematics project (http://www2.edc.org/accessmath/default.asp) that will
assist in making mathematics instruction more accessible to a wide range of students
particularly to those with special needs, and to promote collaboration between mathematics
teachers and special educators.

AUDIENCE

Special education and mathematics teachers in Grades 6-9.

TIMELINE

Three full-day sessions will be held in Spring 2011.

Additional information will be available soon.