| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 15, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 14, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1621151 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Margret Hjalmarson
mhjalmar@nsf.gov (703)292-5186 DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 15, 2016 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $449,981.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $539,976.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2018 = $89,995.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2067 MASSACHUSETTS AVE STE 26 CAMBRIDGE MA US 02140-1339 (617)873-9600 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2067 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA US 02140-1339 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Discovery Research K-12 |
| Primary Program Source: |
04001819DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.
Over one million paraeducators (teaching assistants and volunteers) currently assist in classrooms, and another 100,000 are likely to be added in the next ten years. Paraeducators (paras) are often required to teach content, such as mathematics, but there are few efforts to provide them with the knowledge or supervision they need to be effective when working with a range of students, including those with disabilities and for whom English is a second language. The project will focus on developing the confidence, mathematical knowledge, and teaching strategies of paras using classroom activities that they are expected to implement. The planned professional development will enable them to make a greater difference in the classroom, but it will also increase their access to continuing education and workplace opportunities. The work will be conducted in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and will focus on grades K-3, where the largest numbers of paras are employed. Given the importance of early math learning in predicting mathematical achievement, supporting paras who work in the early grades is particularly important.
The project will design and pilot professional development that supports paraeducator knowledge development and addresses instructional challenges in teaching mathematics. The project will address the following goals: research the current roles of paras in mathematics instruction, the preparation of their collaborating teachers, and the opportunities for collaboration and planning between supervising teachers and paras in BPS; pilot, develop, implement, and research a model for professional development program for paras that targets specific activities they can implement that are key to student learning in number and operation in K-3; document how paras assume new roles that increase student engagement and empower them as mathematical learners; pilot, develop, implement, and research a supervisory component to help teachers set expectations, and structures for debriefing and reflecting along with their paras; and identify next steps for an early stage development study based on our findings. A needs assessment survey will investigate the context in which paras work. The iterative process of design-based research will develop, test, and implement the targeted professional development with paras, measuring how prepared they feel to implement new ideas and how they translate their learning into new pedagogical practices. Crosscase analyses, descriptive statistics, tallies and coded behaviors from observations, and themes from paras, and teacher and administrator interviews will be collected, coded, and analyzed. Furthermore, an efficacy survey will be administered periodically to document longitudinal changes in paras, which will be integrated in the crosscase analyses.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Addressing mathematics professional development (PD) needs of K-3 paraeducators is critical, as their numbers continue to rise, and their duties expand beyond routine and clerical tasks. Paraeducators often provide essential academic support for young learners of mathematics. However, they often have limited opportunities to engage in professional development (PD) that is responsive to their instructional needs. Therefore, the Doing the Math with Paraeducators project (DRL-1621151) developed a PD model, designed specifically for paraeducators. The model included three main components: math problem-solving and sense-making activities; exploration of the school district mathematics curriculum, games, and resources; and analysis of student work. We tested the PD model with twenty-three participants in a diverse urban district. Twenty-two (22) of the participating paras are Black or Latinx, and 20 are women. This cohort of paras had close ties to the community, with the vast majority living in the city where their schools were located.
Results showed increased confidence and involvement in math instruction, greater facility using inquiry-based math resources, increased skill in analyzing student work to identify their problem-solving strategies, and improved instructional approaches for supporting student thinking and addressing math learning challenges. In their classrooms, there was a notable shift as the para participants moved from a monitoring role to an educator role. Supervising teachers noticed this shift. Many felt that their paras needed less guidance and were more proactive in supporting individual students. As paras took initiative and shared insights about students, teacher-para partnerships were formed or strengthened. Some teachers were even inclined to share more class responsibilities after observing paras' increased competence.
This shift in role, as well as project opportunities that supported formal and informal mentoring of para colleagues, enabled project participants to see themselves as teachers. By building instructional capacity through PD, many were encouraged to engage in future training. Some entered/re-entered higher education programs, with a goal to become certified teachers.
With a tested and refined Doing the Math Paraeducator PD model in place that established proof of concept, our research on model effectiveness is expanding into another urban district. In this next study, we will include a wider range of classroom contexts and will create opportunities for paras to further their careers in education. Ultimately, we believe the PD model holds promise for cultivating para leadership and mentoring, and for creating pathways to teaching that will diversify the teaching pool and address the critical teacher shortage that disproportionately affects high-need urban schools.
Last Modified: 12/09/2021
Modified by: Karen Mutch-Jones
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