The Institute features: Four-week residential sessions in three successive summers (repeated for a second cohort) with extensive academic year follow-up program; one academic year distance learning class; and one academic year practicum/project class. Courses are team-taught by university mathematics and mathematics education faculty along with school system Master Teachers and Mathematics Supervisors.
The Intellectual Merit of the project responds to the need to prepare a core of Virginia's first Mathematics Specialists for assignment in K-5 schools following the Virginia's Department of Education endorsement of the concept of Mathematics Specialists to lead mathematics instruction in schools across Virginia. Specialists will be leaders within their schools assisting colleagues in teaching the mathematics their students need in preparation for advanced mathematics and science curricula in future years and leading teacher professional development.
The Broader Impacts of this project are reflected in the mathematics interest and preparation of Virginia's K-5 students resulting in increased mathematics ability and achievement. The enhanced preparation and motivation enhances achievement of students in mathematics and science curricula during their succeeding K-20 studies. The project and its research/ evaluation based refinements serve as a model for the preparation of Mathematics Specialists, which will be sustained by partner institutions and adaptable to other Virginia and national Specialist training programs.