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| Volume V Number 1 | March 1996 |
Inside This Issue
The Web site can also help us maintain the framework as an organic document, by supporting databases of classroom activities and forums for discussion of the standards at all grade levels. Volunteers are needed to develop and maintain these databases and forums; sign up using the Response Form.
You Can be a Part of it!
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Participants must also be available for as many as three full days during the 19961997 academic year to provide professional development opportunities for other teachers in their own or neighboring districts.
If you would like to join us, here are the details.
| WHEN: | July 1 - 16, 1996 9:00 - 3:00 every weekday except 7/4 and 7/5 |
| WHERE: |
Indian Fields School, South Brunswick, New Jersey (tentatively) |
| STIPENDS: | Each participant will receive a stipend of $1000 for the workshop and then will be paid an honorarium for any further professional development work they do. |
| APPLICATIONS: | are available from the Coalition office and must be completed and submitted by April 15, 1996. Call (908) 445-4065 and ask for a SDP application. |
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MANY OF OUR MOST ACTIVE MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS ALREADY UNABASHEDLY BOAST OF THEIR AFFILIATION BY DRINKING FROM COALITION COFFEE MUGS IN TEACHERS' ROOMS AND CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES AROUND THE STATE. THEY PROUDLY TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR FIRST FOUR YEARS AND OFFER SUPPORT FOR OUR CURRENT PROJECTS.
Just check off the AFFILIATION box on the Response Form.
For a free subscription, send in the Response Form. To comment on any topic related to the Newsletter, send email to coalition@dimacs.rutgers.edu, write or call:
The standards presented to the Board were the result of an extensive review process that was initiated in the Spring of 1995 at a Town Meeting presided over by Governor Christine Whitman. Draft standards developed two years earlier were reviewed by Working Groups appointed by the Commissioner and Governor, with input from numerous forums held throughout the state and out-of-state consultants; publicity for the initiative included inserts, containing a version of the content standards, that appeared in over 1,000,000 newspapers. The standards proposed by the Working Groups were subsequently reviewed intensively within the Department of Education.
The Working Group in Mathematics included Coalition Board of Governors' members Janet Caldwell, Warren Crown, Paul Lawrence, Paula Norwood, and Joseph G. Rosenstein, and other mathematics educators (including Evan Maletsky and Bill Smith), parents, and industry representatives, and Robert Riehs and Dorothy Varygiannes of the Department of Education.
The mathematics standards presented to the State Board of Education are similar to the standards developed in 1993 and discussed in the Preliminary Version of the New Jersey Mathematics Curriculum Framework published in 1995. Of the eighteen standards included in the framework, sixteen remained largely unchanged in the 1996 version of the standards; only the standards dealing with assessment and instruction were excluded, since it was decided that all standards would focus on student behaviors and not on the character of the classroom environment.
It is anticipated that the Department of Education will soon begin the process of revising the 8th grade Early Warning Test (EWT) and the 11th grade High School Proficiency Test (HSPT-11), and of instituting a new 4th grade statewide assessment, to reflect the new standards and the student indicators for achievement of those standards.
A revised version of the New Jersey Mathematics Curriculum Framework will be published later this spring, and will be based on the standards adopted by the Board; the publication of the framework will be the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort of the New Jersey Mathematics Coalition and the New Jersey Department of Education, with funding provided by the United States Department of Education.
At Rutgers University,
New Brunswick
Call (908) 445-2894 for details
The presentation is titled "Mathematics to Prepare Our Children for the 21st Century" and discusses the proposed New Jersey Mathematics Standards. The presentation, which lasts for 20-30 minutes, will discuss the vision and recommendations of the standards, and current efforts to develop and implement state mathematics standards.
If your Board of Education, PTA or organization is interested, please call Debbie Toti at 908-445-4065 or check off the Presentation line on the Response Form.
| * for new users and experts | * for math teachers | * for science teachers |
Featured will be introductory and intermediate sessions on graphing calculators and the Calculator Based Laboratory (CBL) system of scientific probes. These scientific calculators can be linked to a variety of probes and sensors to measure motion, sound pH, temperature, light intensity, voltage and other physical variables, providing an ideal connection between scientific phenomena, data collection and mathematical modelling. Advanced graphing calculators to be highlighted include the TI-92 with 3-D and computer algebra system capabilities, the TI-83 with a full array of new statistical graphing and hypothesis testing features, and the Casio CFX-9850G Color Graphing Calculator.
| Cost: | Friday $40 |
| Saturday $60 | |
| Both days $90 | |
| Sponsors: | New Jersey Mathematics Coalition, Middlesex County College, and Rutgers University's Center for Mathematics, Science and Computer Education |
To reserve your space call Debbie Toti at 908-445-4065 ASAP. Reservations are on a first come first served basis.
As an NJ SSI Professional Development Site, teachers and administrators have the opportunity to attend programs taught by Dr. Caldwell and other members of the Rowan faculty which highlight areas in science and math, alternative assessment techniques, and uses of new technologies. Recent topics have included the use of theme parks to demonstrate mathematics and studying the physics of toys, including exercises designed to foster a handson approach to science and mathematics.
The SSI staff at Rowan has also been working closely with museums and science centers, personnel from other schools, and businesses to supplement their oncampus professional development programs. Teachers recently took trips to the Beuhler Challenger Center and Liberty Science Center. Each teacher is also required to identify someone in a business that involves science, mathematics, and/or technology and spend at least one day shadowing that person. These exercises have helped teachers form various thematic units, ranging from studying the solar system to natural disasters.
Teachers taking part in the SSI program at Rowan are given access to multimedia software, CDROMs, and Internet capabilities. Dr. Caldwell and the SSI staff set up a computer network and a World Wide Web homepage so that all of the teachers can stay in constant contact with each other to share ideas and practice their newfound telecommunications skills.
The Plainfield Public School District is one of nineteen district clusters participating in the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative (NJ SSI).
Dr. Larry Leverett, Superintendent of Schools in Plainfield, has been instrumental in initiating systemic reform in his district and was also a major participant in the successful NJ SSI presentation to the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA on January 23 marking the midpoint in the grant.
Plainfield is an urban special needs district located in central New Jersey serving 7,000 students. The district is committed to long term educational reform, as evidenced in their SSI involvement and the 12Step Framework for Reform in the Public Schools of Plainfield, a plan developed by Dr. Leverett which outlines an overhaul of the entire district structure. As an SSI districtwide reform site, Plainfield administrators, educators, parents, and community members have embarked on groundbreaking efforts to engage the publicas well as the school districtto improve academic achievement.
To emphasize the role that SSI has played for school districts in the state, Leverett explained to NSF panelists that in New Jersey, equity is not an hors d'oeuvres, it is the main course. In Plainfield specifically, NJ SSI is guiding the district in structuring their program to bring equity to the areas of math/science and technology education.
To ensure parent involvement in specific reform efforts, all elementary schools in the district take part in Family Math, an extracurricular activity which engages the entire family in learning about mathematics. Plainfield has also formed a Community Planning Task Force consisting of administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders. The Task Force meets to discuss issues concerning all areas of districtwide reform including curriculum changes and new technology implementation. This committee, which has over 150 members working in six design teams, will present its recommendations to the Plainfield Board of Education in May. Anthony Dentino, Supervisor of Mathematics and Acting Deputy Superintendent, heads the Technology design team, which is working with SSI to bring all Plainfield schools up to date with the latest technology and telecommunications software. Also as a result of SSI, teachers from six elementary schools are participating with the K8 professional development programs at three different sites.
March 25-26,
Using Technology as a Tool in the Classroom - Technology
conference at Educational Information & Resource Center
(EIRC)
- Hands -on use of CD-ROM, World Wide Web, Internet, NJ Link... Cost
$125 per participant, $175 for a team of two. For more information
call 609-582-7000.
March 30.
Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Meeting at Kean
College.
Featured speakers include Joan Birman (Knot Theory) and Fred
Roberts, Director of the Center for Discrete Mathematics and
Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS). For information call Theresa
Michnowicz at (201) 200-3219.
April 1, 15, May 6, 13, 20.
TRANSIT-NJ C2PC (Calculators and
Computers in Precalculus) Institute
to enhance teaching with the aid
of TI-82 graphing calculators for teachers of advanced algebra,
trigonometry, precalculus, math analysis, and calculus. For
additional information contact Ken Wolff, Montclair State University,
e-mail wolffk@alpha.montclair.edu or (201)655-5353.
April 1-30,
Math, Science, and Technology Month.
For more information on events in your area call 1-800-44-APRIL (see
article on page 8).
April 13,
Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges of New Jersey
(MATYC-NJ) Meeting at Brookdale Community College.
For more
information call Agnes Azzolino at (908) 739-3951.
April 19-20,
Graphing Calculator Conference
sponsored by the New
Jersey Mathematics Coalition, Middlesex County College, and the
Rutgers Center for Math, Science and Computer Education. Friday 4/19
from 1 to 4pm and Saturday 4/20 from 9 to 4pm Registration fee is $40
for Friday and $60 for Saturday, or $90 for both. See page 4 of this
Newsletter for details.
April 25-28,
74th Annual National Convention of the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics,
San Diego, California. Call (703)620-9840
ext. 143 or e-mail infocentral@nctm.org for more information.
May
AMTNJ Regional Meetings "Mathematics: The Key to Interactive
Learning" at: Rowan College (May 13), Montclair State University
(May 15), and Trenton State College (May 22).
For information, call
Nancy Schultz at (201) 790-6184.
June 1, 9:30am-12:00pm,
General Meeting of the New Jersey Mathematics
Coalition
at Rutgers University's Busch Campus. Call (908)
445-2894 for location.
June 4, 3:00-6:00pm,
New Jersey Mathematics Coalition Board of
Governors Meeting, Educational Testing Service (ETS),
Princeton.
Call
(908)445-2894 for information.
June 24 - July 19.
Leadership Program in Discrete Mathematics for K-8
teachers. Two-week residential (7/8-7/19) and commuter (6/24-7/9)
institutes at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Graduate credit
is available and funding from the National Science Foundation will
provide food and lodging (for residential participants) and a $600
stipend. This program is sponsored by the Center for Discrete
Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) and the Rutgers
Center for Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education. For more
information call Stephanie Micale, e-mail to micale@dimacs.rutgers.edu
or (908)445-4065. Applications are due by mid-April.
June 24-28
AP Statistics Institute at Montclair State Unversity.
For
teachers planning to teach the new AP Statistics course. Graduate
credit, which includes work beyond the institute week, will be
available. Estimated cost $600 includes breakfast, coffee breaks and
lunch as well as printed materials, text books and a loaner
calculator. For additional information contact Tony Piccolino, e-mail
piccolinoa@alpha.montclair.edu or 201-655-7247.
June 26.
Calculator and Computer Precalculus (C2PC) five day summer
institute at Middlesex County College (MCC).
The institute focuses on
advanced algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, math analysis and/or
calculus. For more information contact MCC's Office of School
Relations (908) 906-2554.
July 1 - 16.
The New Jersey Mathematics Coalition's Standards
Dissemination Project.
See article for more information.
July,
TRANSIT-NJ Geometry Institute (7/8-7/12),
Middle School Mathematics Institute (7/15-7/19),
Elementary School Mathematics Institute (7/10-7/11).
For additional information contact Ken Wolff,
Montclair State University, e-mail wolffk@alpha.montclair.edu or
(201)655-5353.
July 15 -19,
TRANSIT-NJ AC2E (Algebra with Calculator Enhancement)
Institute.
Designed to help teachers become proficient in the use of
the TI-82 in the teaching of pre-algebra and algebra. For additional
information contact Ken Wolff, Montclair State University, e-mail
wolffk@alpha.montclair.edu or (201)655-5353.
July 15 - August 9,
Young Scholars Program In Discrete Mathematics at
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
High School Teachers:
if you know of a sophomore or junior who could become interested in a
career in mathematics you should contact Stephanie Micale at
(908)445-4065. There are only 45 slots open for students throughout
New Jersey. The students will participate in an intensive one-month
academic program where they will meet mathematicians and computer
scientists, learn about discrete mathematics, work on a research
project, be engaged in computer activities, participate in workshops
on careers in the mathematical sciences, and go on field trips.
August 21 - 25.
Institutes for New Mathematics Teachers, New Science
Teachers, and New Elementary Teachers, Rutgers University, New
Brunswick.
Three parallel programs for those who will be teaching
mathematics, science, or elementary school for the first time in the
fall of 1996 or those who have at most two years of prior teaching
experience. To help prepare and orient new teachers toward
emphasizing problem- solving, discovery learning, conceptual
understanding, hands-on demonstrations, math & science
integration, and experimental inquiry throughout the curriculum. This
is a residential program at Rutgers Unviersity, New Brunswick, New
Jersey. Districts will be expected to pay for the cost of the
program. Graduate credit is available. For more information call
Stephanie Micale at 908-445-4065 or e-mail
micale@dimacs.rutgers.edu.
For 1996 we are inaugurating a Math, Science, and Technology Month Calendar Design Contest open to every school in the state. The challenge is to illustrate a picture and write an essay about a specific mathematics, science or technology achievement, discovery or invention that occurred during a particular month. Each grade level is assigned a month (i.e., K-1 - January, Grade 2 - February, ...). There will be twelve statewide winners, one for each grade level/month, judged by local and state Chambers of Commerce. NatWest Bank and Jersey Central Power & Light are sponsors of this contest. The winning entries will be displayed throughout the state. The first site is Liberty Science Center which is tentatively scheduled for the last week in April. Also new this year is the organization of County Coordinators who encouraged and cajoled Superintendents to have events in their school districts. The County Coordinators also served as mentors to those educators designing their first MSTM event. Thanks County Coordinators!
Atlantic Dan Kortvelesy
Burlington Pat Toy
Camden Bill Smith
Cape May Donna Szemcsak
Cumberland Karen Harris
Essex Mary Bradley
Isobel Villano
Gloucester Ed Denton
Hudson Nadia Makar
Hunterdon Sue Larson
Mercer Norine Seiden
Middlesex Rosemarie Maltese
Monmouth Joan Vas
Morris Mariann Licato
Merilee Anderson
Salem Bob Walker
Somerset Tena Wright
Sussex Marguerite McDonough
Union Christine Salcito
Warren Glenna Kuhlman
Ann Frank