10-3-96
Contacts:
E. Ann Thompson, Education, (515) 294-5287
Janet Sharp, Education, (515) 294-8688
Marlene Doby, King-Perkins Elementary Schools, (515) 243-1297
Chris Ohana, King-Perkins Elementary Schools, (515) 243-1297
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720
ISU, KING-PERKINS RECEIVE $400,000 EXXON GRANT TO IMPROVE MATH EDUCATION
AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's College of Education has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Exxon Education Foundation for a project to improve math education.
ISU will partner with King-Perkins Elementary Schools in Des Moines for the project, which is called MathCo. The goal of MathCo is to create a model teacher preparation and staff development program based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics curriculum and evaluation standards. MathCo will focus on educational change at ISU and King-Perkins.
"As a mathematics/science magnet school with dynamic leadership and innovative staff, King-Perkins provides an ideal, mathematically rich environment for students in the College of Education teacher preparation program," said E. Ann Thompson, professor of curriculum and instruction. "The project also will encourage the merging of teacher education and K-12 cultures as ISU faculty work and teach at King-Perkins, and King-Perkins teachers work and teach at ISU."
The ISU students participating in MathCo will take math courses at ISU and participate in math classrooms at King-Perkins. Each will spend approximately 200 hours at King-Perkins prior to student teaching and will become part of the teaching and learning culture at the Des Moines
school, said Thompson. King-Perkins teachers will have the opportunity to take workshops and graduate courses in mathematics education at ISU.
MathCo is designed to create an environment where K-12 students, K-12 teachers, preservice teachers, teacher education faculty, parents and community members can learn, collaborate, and model the best practices in mathematics education.
Thompson and Janet Sharp, professor of curriculum and instruction, will direct ISU's involvement in MathCo. King-Perkins principal Marlene Doby and teacher Chris Ohana will direct their school's involvement. The Exxon Education Foundation grant will fund the program through 1999.
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Diana Pounds, University Relations, dpounds@iastate.edu
Iowa State homepage
Copyright © 1996, Iowa State University, all rights reserved
URL: http://www.iastate.edu/general/releases/mathGrant.html
Revised 10/4/96