SJC Receives Grant to Assist New Britain Teachers in Math Instruction
Through a new grant program, Mathematics teachers in the New Britain public school system will receive training in Mathematics content and pedagogy from Saint Joseph College faculty along with Cognitive Coaching from a trainer; the teachers will then become coaches to teachers in their schools. Spanning over three years, the initial grant for the first year of the program in the amount of $225,000, was recently awarded to Saint Joseph College from the State Department of Education. Pending successful implementation, the program may receive an additional $450,000 over the next two years.
“This grant acknowledges both our highly-regarded education programs and our deep commitment to community engagement and student achievement,” said Saint Joseph College President Pamela Trotman Reid, Ph.D. “We are very grateful to the State Department of Education and look forward to developing an effective partnership with New Britain Public School teachers,” said Reid.
Dr. Doris J. Kurtz, Superintendent of Schools, the Consolidated School District of New Britain said, “We are thrilled with this opportunity to partner with Saint Joseph College to improve the content knowledge and teaching strategies of our math teachers. As a district committed to continuous improvement, this partnership aligns with our theory of action that we must build teacher and system capacity in order to raise student achievement.”
The grant program, called the Innovative Mathematics Academy of Advanced Learning and Leadership, will assist New Britain teachers in grades K-8 in the development of mathematics lessons that engage students in meaningful learning. A cohort of teachers has been selected to participate in the program. Components of the program include training in Cognitive Coaching, courses in Mathematics content and pedagogy, and support for classroom teachers by Mathematics Teacher Leaders in their schools. Additionally, New Britain teachers will be supported through staff-development sessions that address students with specific needs such as English language learners, special needs and diverse learning styles.
The goal of the Academy is to improve student attitudes about mathematics by providing better connections between content knowledge and teacher instruction resulting in improved mathematical thinking for students. Assessment data will be gathered to measure results during the grant period.
The Innovative Mathematics Academy of Advanced Learning and Leadership was developed by: Saint Joseph College faculty Barbara Henriques, Ed.D., program coordinator and assistant professor of Education; Ekaterina Lioutikova, Ph.D., associate professor of Mathematics; and Andrea Lazaroski, district coordinator of Mathematics from the Consolidated School District of New Britain.
