Columbia Heights Educational Campus

Summer Institute

In the summer of 2008 MCIP, in conjunction with faculty from American University's College of Arts and Sciences, hosted its fifth annual Teacher Quality Math Institute at Bell Multicultural. Over forty participants attended the Institute which focused on the teaching and refining of the District's mathematics curriculum to better prepare students to complete a rigorous math course by the end of the year.

The overarching goals of the Institute are:

• Provide up-to-date research on the relationship between meaningful assessment and student achievement
• Present tools that practitioners can use to enhance the effectiveness of student assessment in the classroom

It is a well known fact that success in algebra opens the door for students to a variety of career opportunities in fields such as computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, and medicine. In the District, schoolwide data on the performance of middle and high school students in Math indicate that many students struggle with fundamental algebraic concepts, causing a roadblock to their future career choices. The Institute strives to demystify and strengthen the teaching of algebra through an interdisciplinary approach that involves meaningful input from other subject areas.

Participants typically work in vertical teams of middle and high school teachers for the purpose of easing students' transition to algebra work and other Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

At the completion of the institute, participants:

• Improve their understanding and receive up-to-date information on the latest research on student assessment and student achievement

• Acquire tools to apply towards meeting school improvement goals

• Gain familiarity with elements essential to substantive, measurable improvement such as: effective, targeted teamwork, manageable, measurable goals, classroom-based skills in the area of student assessment and ongoing use of student assessment data.