News

There will be a meeting for teachers who are interested in talking about how to "fill in the gaps" in BTC, i.e. provide further detail on implementation that teachers can use, so that they benefit from the wisdom of each other and don't have to learn everything about implementation from their own trial and error. We hope this turns into a robust and supportive community of practice. The first meeting will be on June 30th, 9am-noonish, at the Milford BoE. Register here, no cost.

Don't forget to check out the updated the BTC website

Hello Connecticut Grade 7 mathematics teachers!

The Visual Access to Mathematics (VAM) professional learning project is currently open to grade 7 math teachers in Connecticut, but to guarantee a spot in this opportunity, you need to act soon. There are two remaining scheduled 30-minute Zoom information sessions (on May 23^rd at 4:00pm and on May 25^th at 3:30pm). To sign up for one of these information sessions, or to let us know you are interested but cannot make it to either information session, complete this interest form as soon as possible: VAM interest form.

At the information session program leads will share highlights about the VAM course, the research study, and the associated $850 stipend, and will answer any questions you may have. A few key benefits for teachers are as follows (and a flyer with more information is attached): 

·        Improve teaching and learning of grade 7 mathematics (ratio and proportion) content for all students and in particular for multilingual learners/English learners.

·        Teacher stipend of $850.

·        Option to register for graduate credit for a fee.

·        Opportunities to connect & engage with educators state-wide.

Let us know you’re interested a.s.a.p. (by the end of May to guarantee a spot) by filling out the VAM interest form! This opportunity is being offered through a partnership between the Connecticut State Department of Education, the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands, and several other professional organizations in Connecticut (including ATOMIC).

NCSM 2023 Summer Leadership Academy: Be the Change: Leading Equity Work from a Coaching Stance This will be held July 24-26, 2023 in West Hartford, CT from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm EDT at the West Hartford Conference Center, 50 S Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107. It is intended for PK-16 mathematics education leaders, teams, and individuals. Participants will examine the structures, actions, and mindsets necessary to lead effective and equitable mathematics programs. Visit the website for more information and to register.

Defined Learning Launchpad: Supporting Learner Success Through Defined Learning 

In partnership with the CSDE, Defined Learning is offering a one-day in-person workshop for Connecticut educators at no cost. This immersive and collaborative experience brings together instructional coaches and educators and is focused on working through performance tasks and developing a classroom plan for implementing the use of Defined Learning resources.

Participants may choose to attend this in-person workshop on May 17th or May 18th from 9:00 AM - 1:45 PM. For more information and to register for our in-person professional learning workshop, please follow the link below.

Workshop Registration

CCLM is excited to announce two great opportunities for secondary school teachers and especially math leaders! Each session will address two topics of very high interest. We will use a roundtable format, but we also will have special guests attending each session. Both sessions will be moderated by Past President John Keogh. 

Both sessions are virtual. 

Session B: Thursday May 4 2:30-3:45 

Session C: Wednesday May 10 2:30-3:45 

Session B: the two topics (both based on Pillar #2 from the Math Equity Position paper) are (1) How do we enhance the relevance of math for our students? and (2) How are you diversifying pathways or what new courses are you offering to meet the needs of your students? 

Session C: the two topics are (1) What should algebra 2 look like and how important is this course for your students? and (2) What is your school or district doing to meet the Essential Condition that we implement high-quality curriculum?  

These two sessions are FREE for all current individual or district members. 

If you are NOT a current member, we have great news for you! By registering for either session and paying the $25 membership fee (which will be invoiced to you by our treasurer), your membership will be extended until June of 2024!! 

You can register by filling out the very short form at https://forms.gle/QraPzw4Ej9fmAXnw7  

We anticipate two great sessions of high relevance to your work!!! 

TEACH Connecticut is thrilled to launch a 2023 Scholarship Program for Future STEM Teachers. This program plans to award $200,000 in scholarships this coming academic year in an effort to increase the amount of qualified and diverse STEM teachers in our pipelines. You can learn more about the scholarship on the attached flyer and here on our TEACH Connecticut STEM Hub!

If you are interested in joining us on this journey as a STEM Ambassador or learning more about this opportunity, feel free to reach out directly to Cheyenne or Ashley via email or you can use this link to set up a virtual meeting to learn more and ask any questions you may have!

Also check out the STEM events for the month of April on the attached flyer from Teach Connecticut.org

College Board Digital Test Platform Webinar:  College Board is launching a New Digital Test Platform for school year 2023-24.  Two informational TEAMs webinars have been scheduled to provide information and give educators an opportunity to ask questions.  Please register using the following links:

Register for May 2 from 10-11:30 AM     

Register for May 11 from 12:30-2:00 PM

Financial Literacy Month and Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month April marks an important month in education. This month we celebrate both Financial Literacy Month and Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for schools to encourage students and their families to engage in learning that sets the foundation for a bright future. It is critical for students to be financially literate and to understand mathematics and statistics as important drivers in our current world. The Connecticut State Department of Education encourages districts, schools and informal education partners to promote this month by checking out the attached CSDE - PD Playlist Financial Literacy Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. Together we can increase financial knowledge and appreciate the diverse applications of mathematics and statistics.

NCSM 2023 Summer Leadership Academy: Be the Change: Leading Equity Work from a Coaching Stance This will be held July 24-26, 2023 in West Hartford, CT from  8:30 am to 4:30 pm EDT at the West Hartford Conference Center, 50 S Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06107. It is intended for PK-16 mathematics education leaders, teams, and individuals. Participants will examine the structures, actions, and mindsets necessary to lead effective and equitable mathematics programs. Visit the website for more information and to register.

Infosys Foundation USA is partnering with CSisElementary to host CSK5, the Online Summit for K-5 CS Education on March 30th.  All are invited you to attend, and to share this opportunity with your colleagues. . It’s two hours, online, free, and packed with actionable resources and information for CS and STEM programs. Please register, and see the iagenda below.

K-5 Solutions Showcase. Breakout presentations on the best in K-5 CS solutions: Google CS First & Blockly, Code.org, MakeyMakey, Scratch Foundation, Amazon Fulfillment Center Tours, Microsoft MakeCode, and more, plus breakthrough innovations from new providers.
Schools That Show the Way. Lighting round profiles from the first cadre of CS100 Award Winners—schools that teach 100% of their K-5 students CS.
Showcase Districts. The district that drove graduation rates from 66th to 16th using STEM & CS for all students… the one-school predominantly Hispanic district where a Super’s determination is changing all his kids’ lives… the district with 42 elementary schools that teaches CS to every child AND makes its curriculum available as a free open-source resource to all… one of America's largest districts of 200+ elementary schools that teaches every child computer science.
State Breakout Sessions from every state on K-5 CS programs, resources, standards and inspiration.

MTC 4 Social Justice has an upcoming workshop Tuesday evening with an algebra/statistics lesson and important conversation on incarceration rates by demographics. See below for the registration link and more information.

 3/21 Registration

Workshop Title: Incarceration in Connecticut

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 21st, 6:30-8:00pm (EST) via Zoom

Presenters: Taryn DiSorbo, Cheshire Public Schools; Nickie Pendolphi, Groton Public Schools; Bella Llano, University of Connecticut

Description: The United States continues to have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Connecticut has taken steps to lower this rate, but how has the criminal justice system impacted different demographic groups? In this session, we will share our lesson that analyzes incarceration rates by race (or gender or age) in Connecticut in the past decade. We will use regression and Desmos to compare different rates over time and then shift our focus to critical conversations. What can be done to improve our system through restorative justice (for example)?

Simulated Instruction in Mathematics Professional Development (SIMPD) has demonstrated positive impacts on the quality of math instruction and AIR has received a grant to run a randomized control trial study where local coaches are trained and teachers participate in the professional development.  All costs and needed equipment are covered by the grant including compensation for teachers and coaches as well as training costs.  There will be an intervention cohort that will participate in training and data collect 2023-2024.  The “business as usual” cohort will just do data collection in 2023-2024 and receive the trainings in 2024-2025.

Attached is the official flyer.

The link for the study site is https://www.simpdstudy.com/

More on the original study is here

https://www.air.org/project/simulated-instruction-mathematics-professional-development-study-sim-pd-study