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Middle School Mathematics Project

Improving student achievement through professional development

The Middle School Mathematics Project (MSMP) is a longitudinal study focused on improving student achievement in mathematics in the middle grades through the use of professional development and continuing teacher support. MSMP develops and examines the implementation of specific research-based instructional strategies and high quality middle grades (6th-8th) mathematics textbooks and its effect on student learning.

The idea for MSMP developed after an enrichment specialist at a College Station middle school contacted Dr. Gerald Kulm, the Curtis D. Robert Professor of mathematics education in TLAC, with concerns about student achievement. Now funded by a $5.6 million total grant ($1.64 million subcontracted to Texas A&M University) from the Inter-agency Educational Research Initiative (IERI), the project has a potential to last five years (2001-2006). MSMP is a large-scale study done in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the University of Delaware with selected Delaware school districts, and Texas A&M University with Bryan, Caldwell, College Station, Hearne and Snook Independent school districts.

In order to collect and analyze data on mathematics teaching and student achievement, each teacher involved with MSMP is videotaped five times a year on lessons that address specific mathematics content dealing with rational numbers, algebra, or statistics/data analysis. Videotapes are analyzed for their alignment with research-based criteria that describe quality mathematics instruction. Teachers also participate in professional development that is designed to build understanding of the content, identify the characteristics of high quality instruction, and evaluate student performance data each summer. “I am my own worst critic when watching myself teach,” said Carolyn Willard, a project teacher from Caldwell Middle School, “I did things I wasn’t aware of doing, like not giving students enough time to answer questions.”

MSMP involves more than 5,000 students who participate in cognitive labs, interviews, and pre- and posttesting using high-quality instruments targeted toward specific learning goals. In addition, student growth and achievement in mathematics learning is also tracked through state mathematics assessments. The combination of the collected student data and teacher videotapes allows MSMP participants to determine and analyze teacher growth and effectiveness. “It’s a challenging idea to connect professional development with student achievement, but we’re trying to do it,” Dr. Kulm said.

Graduate students and faculty members at Texas A&M have the opportunity to investigate a variety of topics in mathematics teaching and learning. The MSMP work encompasses a comprehensive set of research topics:

effects of staff development on growth of teachers’ math content knowledge and teaching
growth of student understanding of key mathematics lessons and textbooks
analysis and comparison of mathematics lessons and textbooks
development of mathematics assessment items and tests

Since there are many interesting studies embedded within the core investigation, motivated mathematics education students will often base their dissertation or thesis upon their participation in this productive project. Graduate students are also asked each year to submit papers for presentation to various local, state, regional, and national organizations (including presentations at the Research Pre-session and the regular workshop sessions of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and Southwest Educational Research Association).

The Middle School Mathematics Project at Texas A&M is directed by Dr. Gerald Kulm. Dr. Mary Margaret Capraro serves as project coordinator, Dr. Robert M. Capraro and Dr. Victor Wilson are faculty researchers and Nicole Wheatley serves as Project Manager. For more information, visit the MSMP website at http://msmp.tamu.edu.