April 12, 2003
8:00-9:00 a.m.
Mission 103A  

NCTM San Antonio Meeting/Panel Session 1024
Mathematical Content Knowledge for Middle Grades Teachers

SECTION 1: McClain
NCTM  Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics Recommendations

SECTION 3: Pateracki
Status of Middle School Mathematics Teaching (PowerPoint)

SECTION 4: Rachlin
No Child Left Behind, Praxis II, and NCATE/National
Middle School Association Expectations

QUESTION/ANSWER: Dickey 

Ed Dickey (moderator), University of South Carolina Kay McClain, Vanderbilt University Ira Papick, University of Missouri Tina Pateracki, Ridgeland Middle School, South Carolina   Sid Rachlin, East Carolina University

Increasing numbers of states now require licensure specific to the middles grades.  No Child Left Behind legislation requires "highly qualified" teachers by the 2005 school year.  Determining the quantity and quality of mathematics course work or experiences for teachers of grades 5-8 students is a challenge for those involved in the preparation of future teachers.  NCTM provides guidelines through the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics.  The Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences makes recommendations through its book, The Mathematical Education of Teachers.  What mathematics should the well-prepared middles grade teacher study?  How should this mathematics be taught?  Who should teach it?  These questions and others will be discussed by a panel consisting of mathematicians, mathematics educators and a middle grades teacher experienced in developing curriculum and the mathematical content knowledge of middle grades teachers.

A monograph titled "Reshaping the Preparation of Middle Grades Mathematics Teachers"  (available as a Microsoft Word document) has been prepared under the editorial leadership of Sid Rachlin and Mary Eron of East Carolina University.  The monograph, developed with support the National Science Foundation (DUE #9455152), the North Carolina Statewide Systemic Initiative, East Carolina University, and Texas Instruments.  Information about East Carolina University Middle Grades Courses is available for instructors and students.

A book chapter (in press) titled Fractions and Multiplicative Reasoning by Patrick Thompson and Luis Saldanha of Vanderbilt University contributes to Kay McClain's section.