Improving the Infrastructure for K-12 Mathematics
Project PRIME has taken a systemic approach to improve the teaching and learning of K-12 mathematics in Rapid City. Components include new instructional materials (ones that are more inquiry-oriented than what they replaced), performance assessments, classroom coaching and coursework for teachers, parent nights, administrator training, and a strong emphasis on district and project data. The district has established a team of math coaches and teacher leaders to provide building-based support, and the university partner has helped in designing and delivering graduate-level coursework to deepen teacher content knowledge, increase understanding of student thinking, model inquiry-oriented pedagogy, and build leadership capacity.
The underlying hypothesis is that this type of multifaceted, systemic, and collaborative approach can lead to institutional changes that ultimately improve student learning. Five years into the initiative, what evidence exists that the district is better off for the work of the partnership? Our central claim is that attention to a broad array of system components has paid important dividends in strengthening district infrastructure related to mathematics. Positive impacts on students are also emerging.
