Bowen Kerins of the Educational Development Center (EDC), Newton, Mass. presents a solution for math teachers from a problem posed in a course in "The Art and Craft of Combinatorial Proofs," developed by the Center for the Park City Mathematics Institute, where the course is delivered to teachers from districts in the Mathematics and Science Partnership project, known as PD3. Seated left to right are high school math teachers Jerry Gribble, Provo, Utah; Marta Trimble, Seattle, Wash; Beverly Farahani, Kingston, Ontario; Seth Bundy, Seattle, Wash.; and Claudia Gutierrez, McAllen, Texas. Credit: Ben Ditto

Education leaders do not agree on why, but most agree the demise of U.S. performance at higher grade levels in science and mathematics bodes trouble for the future of our students, our workforce and our place in the global economy. Many experts connect lagging student performance with the way teachers teach—and students learn—quantitative disciplines. They commonly point to a lack of professional preparation and development opportunities for teachers of math and science. Teachers are now required to learn, and then teach, concepts that are more complex than ever. Those who are not fully prepared in the math and science subjects they teach, nor able to expand their knowledge through professional development, find the complexities of the subjects harder to grasp, much less teach. Students soon find interest in other subjects.       

Experts also say the state and regional dynamics of school administration—lack of consistent funding within schools and constant changes in leadership and education priorities—make it difficult to establish a reliable and coherent path for math and science curriculums. Inconsistent course requirements, for example, can mean advanced students repeat introductory material, while beginning students struggle in higher-math classes.

More than ever, students in the United States are changing schools and school districts as they relocate with their increasingly-mobile families. Some students change schools or school systems as many as a half a dozen times before they graduate high school. With each move, students must adapt to several new teaching methods and different standards and practices.

Finally, as with most of the baby boomer workforce, large numbers of teachers will retire in this decade. This exodus means that many new and remaining veteran teachers with little background or possibly no degree in the subjects, will be called upon to fill in for more experienced, departing teachers.

So Far, So Good For the Prototype

Of the Park City experiment, Evans says, "We could see this model adopted for new institutes. We can see how teachers ideally can learn to set up mini-institutes in their (geographic) areas."

And the students? Says Math and Science Partnership program chief Diane Spresser, "The potential benefits are enormous for children. They learn from teachers whose subject and presentation skills have been improved and practiced. They have a sense they are learning from teaching specialists who love mathematics and science, with a confidence that shows. And they learn to recognize from the way the subjects are taught, how important math and science are in the world around them."