The Special Case of Mathematics: Insufficient Content Knowledge a Major Obstacle to Reform.

This paper examines what it would take to expand the number of teacher leaders in mathematics, noting that one of the major obstacles facing reform in mathematics education is the lack of adequate preparation among teachers currently teaching mathematics. The pap= highlights experiences that have promoted the development of three middle school mathematics teacher leaders. First, it describes the professional journey of an exceptional teacher leader with 40 years of experience in diverse school environments. Next, it examines the training of two others who are still emerging as teacher leaders. The stories underscore the reality that efforts to promote improvements in mathematics education programs will not succeed unless they are coupled with opportunities that target teachers' need to grow as professionals. All three teachers share a strong commitment to raising the level of student mathematics achievement, making personal changes and improvements' to positively affect their teaching quality. All three work to evaluate their teaching and strengthen their weaknesses. Two of the teacher leaders realized that they did not know enough math to truly engage their students in meaningful mathematics discourse. The results emphasize the need for support from district leadership and continuous professional development. (Contains 11 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. The Special Case of Mathematics: Insufficient Content Knowledge a Major Obstacle to Reform Gina Koency and Judy Swansonl CRESST, UCLA and Education Matters, Inc. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. April, 2000. 'The research reported in this paper was supported by a grant from OEM, U.S. Department of Education. Grant #R305F970040-99 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. o Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. The Special Case of Mathematics: Insufficient Content Knowledge a Major Obstacle to Reform