1. Milwaukee Public Schools University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Alliance for Teaching Mathematics to Special Education Learners Strengthening Content Knowledge and Collaboration of General and Special Education Teachers
Milwaukee Public Schools
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Math and Science Partnership Meeting
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
October 19, 2010

2. Vision
Improve mathematics performance for students in grades 4–9, particularly for students with special needs and for students who struggle, and
Support a school culture for collaboration of general and special education teachers on improving math learning for all students.

3. Goals
To strengthen the mathematics content knowledge of general and special education teachers;
To enhance mathematics instructional and assessment practices, focusing on appropriate accommodations and modifications for special education students;
To increase collaboration on math instruction between general and special education teachers.

4. Project Overview

5. Project Staff UWM Mathematics UWM Mathematics Education
Kevin McLeod
UWM Mathematics Education
DeAnn Huinker
UWM Special Education
Judy Winn
MPS Teachers and Specialists
Melissa Hedges, Math Teaching Specialist
Chris Guthrie, Special Education Teacher
Beth Schefelker, Math Teaching Specialist
Mary Spidell, Special Education Supervisor

6. Project Timeline

7. Participants Year I – 35 participants Certification General Ed 9
Special Ed 19
Other 7
Teaching experience
1-16+ years
7-9
28.6%
0-3
22.9%
Grade Levels
Elementary 12
Middle 13
Both 10
Other: 5 MTL, 2 DT, one Math co-teacher, one math resource
Lost 4
Year 2: lost 3 and gained 2

8. Year 1 Met 19 Tuesdays January through July Focus
Numbers and Operations
Barriers to learning mathematics
Language, visual perception, behavior
Scaffolded instruction to address barriers

9. Projects/Assignments
Year 1
Case Study
Exams
Homework
Year 2
Resource Binder
Tricky Triangles Data Collection
Collaboration Project
Talk about graduate project

10. Evaluation
Evaluation 1. Content Knowledge What is the impact on teachers' math knowledge for teaching? Are there differential effects on general education versus special education teachers?
Evaluation 2. Practice What is the impact on teachers' perspectives on teaching math? What is the impact of the project on teachers' classroom practice?
Evaluation 3. Collaboration What changes are observed in collaborative practices of general and special education teachers as a result of project participation?
Student Achievement What is the impact on student achievement in math, both overall and for student subgroups, specifically special education students?

11. Measures Content Knowledge Practice
Mathematical Knowledge for Teachers (MKT)
Practice
Teacher Surveys
Focus Group
Informal probes
Observations
Collaboration
Surveys
Student Achievement
WKCE
Benchmarks

12. Content Knowledge (Numbers and Operations)
Teacher NCOP Year I MKT Scores N
Mean NCOP Score
Standard Deviation
Mean Gain
Pretest 31
-0.12
0.98
0.45
Posttest
0.33
0.78
Comparison
Group 86
0.05
0.76
NOTE: no statistically significant differences between gen and special ed prior to project and both impacted similarly

13. Practice Strategies Assessment
I am now able to explain how to multiply and divide fractions and show it with a picture of fraction strips. I am also aware of a foundational base to begin with when teaching multiplication and activities to help with this.
Strategies
Being a regular education teacher, I rarely am forced to look at the individual needs of a student with a special education label. By closely examining the needs of my case study student, my eyes were opened to supports that will benefit both my special education and regular education students.
Assessment

14. Collaboration
Deeper assessment – meet the students where they are
(From an MTL) adding special education teachers to her group and connecting them to the general education teachers
Spiral curriculum: re-teaching when needed from prior year’s curriculum
Finding out from other teachers in the school what strategies they are using
What are you doing differently for collaboration efforts between special education, general education, and school administration?

15. Student Achievement Benchmarks Q2 – December, 2009 and Q4 May, 2010
Student Population
Growth (Scale Scores)
Math Alliance
All MPS
General Education
Mean
15.06
12.76 N
359
28,658 SD
26.90
28.77
Special Education
20.51
15.12
141
6457
29.43
31.94
All Students
16.60
13.20
500
35,115
27.71
29.40
Seen in grades 4-7; grades 3 lower
WKCE – higher proportion of students of Math Alliance participants are proficient in comparison to population of MPS (56 %to 49%) special ed 32% - 26%, general 66%-55%

16. Our Challenges Curriculum development
Sparse special education math
Little guidance in linking two fields
Understanding philosophical differences
Collaborative planning and teaching
Ways to integrate the strands
Challenges consistent with teacher collaboration literature – e.g., time, instructor content knowledge

17. Our Challenges Range of teacher content knowledge
Linking project participants to student mathematics achievement results
District data
Roles of participants
Attrition