Current Activities

The current activities of the New Jersey Mathematics Coalition address each of the five arenas described in the statement of its goals:

• public outreach -- the Coalition has initiated a large new parent outreach program, The FANS Project (Families Achieving the New Standards in Mathematics, Science, and Technology), with three-year funding of $1,600,000 from the National Science Foundation, and with additional major funding of $200,000 from the AT&T Foundation.

• public policy -- the Coalition brings to the attention of makers of public policy its recommendations on issues in the policy areas of mathematics curriculum, professional development for practicing teachers, preservice education for prospective teachers, and assessment of mathematical learning.

• professional development -- the Coalition continues to expand the state's capacity to respond to the need for professional development by training teachers to conduct standards-based workshops for their colleagues (expecting to train additional teachers in the summer of 1999 extending the programs for K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade teachers funded by J&J during 1996-1998); creates opportunities for these trained workshop leaders to provide the workshops they developed (including workshops in urban districts with funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation); and serves as a broker, connecting districts with skilled providers of standards-based professional development.

• curriculum development -- the Coalition continues its efforts to disseminate the New Jersey Mathematics Curriculum Framework and to support districts in their implementation of the standards.

• assessment -- through the publication and dissemination of an annual report How Are We Measuring Up? Trends in New Jersey Mathematics Education (with funding from The Fund for New Jersey), the Coalition continues its efforts to inform educators, policy makers, and the general public about progress in achieving our goal of improving mathematics education in New Jersey.