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Curtis Center Helps Craft Content Standards for California K-12 Math Education
In June, Curtis Center Executive Director Heather Dallas joined the California Academic Content Standards Commission as an invited appointee. The 21-member commission developed academic content standards for K-12 mathematics, which were unanimously adopted by the California State Board of Education in August. By legislation, the standards included the Common Core standards, the result of a state-led effort to develop internationally benchmarked shared educational standards, which states may voluntarily adopt. Mathematics professors Bill McCallum (University of Arizona) and Hung-Hsi Wu (UC Berkeley) were among those who crafted the Common Core standards.
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Summer Mathematics Institute for Young Scholars: June 27 - July 21, 2011
The Curtis Center held its 2nd annual math institute for secondary students. For four weeks, local students focused on mathematics outside the typical school curriculum. Departmental Teaching Awardee, David Weisbart, whose research interest is Quantum Theory, Geometry and Functional Analysis, gave lectures, and Steven Kwok, Ph.D held problem-solving sessions. Students also participated in a number of seminars and outings, including a visit to the ATS Visualization Portal in which Professor Joey Teran presented his special effects simulations.
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Los Angeles Math Circle (LAMC)
In its third year, LAMC has grown to nearly 100 K-12 students. The math enrichment program provides multi-level interaction between school children and UCLA students and faculty. Divided into four groups by age and level, students attend weekly problem-solving sessions in an interactive atmosphere. Math undergrads are trained to present extra-curricular mathematics and provide individual attention; graduate student leaders teach younger groups and prepare them for math competitions. Depart- ment faculty members keep the program fresh with presentations on a variety of pure and applied math topics.
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UCLA Math Festival 2011: What Is Mathematics?
The Curtis Center and IPAM hosted the 3rd annual 2011 Mathematics Festival on April 9th. The festival was sponsored by the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. The students attended a keynote talk by Harvey Mudd Mathematics Professor Micheal Orrison and a panel discussion on Careers in Mathematics. Following the keynote talk, students and parents attended three hour-long sessions in which each student participated in problem solving in groups with professors, international researchers and graduate students, as well as attend talks by professors and high school teachers. Thank you to all those who attended. We hope to see you next year!
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UCLA California Teach MATH
Through the new NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, upper division math students can now receive $10K to pursue careers in teaching. The senior undergraduate program continues to experience rising enrollment with 28 mathematics majors studying to become teachers.
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Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP)
Over 1,400 teachers used MDTP's services this year. Teachers report that the new online Daskala platform is a powerful tool for interpreting their MDTP test results and facilitating teacher collaboration. Site Director Mary Sirody is using the service in the second year of a pilot program to improve secondary math instruction in a local, underperforming school.
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Annual Mathematics and Teaching Conference
Jason Zimba delivered this year's keynote to over 300 elementary, secondary and university instructors. Zimba is a co-founder of Student Achievement Partners and former professor of physics and mathematics at Grinnell College and Bennington College. As a lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics, Jason was instrumental in achieving a new state of the art for internationally-benchmarked, college and career ready standards based on evidence. In addition, Susan Gendron, Policy Coordinator for the SMARTER Balance Assessment Consortium, gave a plenary talk on the new Common Core assessments. The conference included 18 seminar talks on the Common Core Standards for Mathematics and a reunion event for UCLA California Teach MATH grads.
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Math Content Program for Teachers (MCPT)
Thank you to Helen Chan for her service to the UCLA mathematics education community as program director for MCPT and Lucy Madatovian as program coordinator. Their work on a new California Math Science Partnership Grant with Downey Unified School District provided math courses for elementary school teachers. They also launched a three-course continuing education series that targets topics assessed on the California Subject Examinations for Teachers. New program director Michelle Sidwell and program coordinator Julia Carafelli will continue MCPT's efforts to provide mathematics professional development to schools and districts.
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Executive Office of the California Mathematics Project (CMP)
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CMP developed the K-8 Algebra Initiative to support preparation for and success in teaching. A key component of the initiative is to prevent mis- conceptions about algebra that are often taught in earlier grades and ingrained in middle school. These ideas are being presented at local and state teacher conferences.
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