Developing Leaders for Mathematics and Science Reform:
The Regional Alliance Leadership Initiative

By Nancy Love

–Linda Lambert, Building Leadership Capacity in Schools, p.6

The Regional Alliance is collaborating with several organizations across the region to provide intensive, multi-year leadership development experiences for teachers, administrators, and higher education faculty. This initiative is a response to a needs assessment conducted by the Alliance, which included more than 300 client surveys as well as focus group discussions with key math and science educators. As schools work to improve student learning through the implementation of standards-based materials and practices, they seek people skilled in leading change–people with the knowledge and skills to foster learning at all levels within the school. In an effort to support such skill development, the Regional Alliance is pleased to be offering financial and technical support to the following programs in the region.

• CONNECTICUT: Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS) Leadership Institute sponsored by PIMMS
• MAINE: Maine Governor’s Academy for Science and mathematics Education Leadership sponsored by the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
• MASSACHUSETTS: Central Massachusetts Curriculum Coordinators Network(CMCCN) sponsored by the Regional Science Resource Center
• NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire Elementary Mathematics Teacher Network sponsored by Southeast Regional Education Service Center (SERESC) and the NH Department of Education
• RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Standards Institute Leadership Network sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) in collaboration with the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education (RIOHE)
• VERMONT: Principal’s Leadership Academy sponsored by the Vermont Institute for Science, Mathematics, and Technology (VISMT)

CONNECTICUT: Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS) Leadership Institute

The goal of the PIMMS’ Leadership Institute is to create a network of skilled and knowledgeable teacher-leaders who will serve as effective agents of change in leading their colleagues and their schools and districts to a higher level of excellence in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Forty teachers from 12 districts including the largest, Bridgeport, smaller districts such as New Hartford, and one regional district with one high school, one middle school and three elementary schools participate in the program. They come as part of district teams for a two-year professional development experience that includes a three-week summer institute and two full days of follow-up activities each year. PIMMS made a special and successful effort to recruit a racially diverse group including participants who work with underserved students. Institute content focuses on four themes:

• Mathematics and science content and new instructional strategies
• Critical issues in contemporary mathematics and science education
• Leadership development
• Appropriate integration of technology

A Leaders’ Web-Board facilitates communication and information exchange to compliment and extend face-to-face interactions.

For more information, contact Dan Dolan, PIMMS, Wesleyan University, 178 Cross Street, Middletown, CT 06459; Phone (860) 685-6455; Email ddolan@wesleyan.edu.

MAINE: Maine Governor’s Academy for Science and mathematics Education Leadership

"an unparalleled opportunity to develop a knowledgeable, respected and highly skilled cadre of Maine science and mathematics teachers to lead science, mathematics, and technology education into the 21^st century." Governor Angus King

The Governor’s Academy is a two-year intensive professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers who are "poised, ready, and committed to undertake an intellectually stimulating effort" to develop their leadership (Academy brochure, 2001). Modeled after the WestEd National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership, the Governor’s Academy provides participating fellows the opportunity to:

• Attend in a 4-day summer academy and two 3-day meetings during the school year, each year
• Develop and carry out a professional development plan
• Tap expertise of state and national mentors
• Participate in an electronic network
• Conduct local study group with colleagues at the school, district, or regional level
• Engage in book study around important and relevant professional literature
• Become part of a learning community

For more information, contact Page Keeley, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, PO Box 5359, Augusta, ME 04332; Phone (207) 287-6646; Email pkeeley@mmsa.org.

MASSACHUSETTS: Central Massachusetts Curriculum Coordinators Network (CMCCN)

"This is a group that is dealing with everyone else’s professional development. But their own professional development needs are rarely met." Sandra Mayrand, Regional Science Resource Center

The CMCCN is a rapidly expanding, grassroots network of K-12 mathematics and science curriculum coordinators who meet every other month to share educational strategies, discuss common issues and challenges, and participate in professional development appropriate for curriculum coordinators. Currently, the Network of 42 districts includes 104 curriculum coordinators. The CMCCN holds four half-day meetings a year and a two-day leadership institute in the summer that directly support the leadership needs of the curriculum coordinators. Session topics have included mentoring, MCAS student success plans, and effective professional development design.

For more information, contact Sandra Mayrand, Regional Science Resource Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 222 Maple Avenu, Stoddard Building, Shrewsbury, MA 01545-2732; Phone (508) 856-5097; Email sandra.mayrand@umassmed.edu.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire Elementary Mathematics Teacher Network

This network provides an opportunity for elementary schools in the southeast region of New Hampshire to support and build teacher leadership in mathematics. Twenty-five teachers, identified by their principals as formal or informal mathematics leaders, participate in after-school and summer professional development activities to improve their classroom practice and leadership skills.

For more information, contact Jan Bergeron-Beaulieu, SERESC, 11 Peabody Road, Derry, NH 03038: Phone (603) 434-0556; Email jbergero@seresc.net or Tim Kurtz, NH Department of Education, 1010 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301; Phone (603) 271-3844; Email Tkurtz@ed.state.nh.us.

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island Standards Institute Leadership Network

RIDE and RIOHE are offering a leadership development experience for a group of higher education faculty and K-12 teachers, who will be co-facilitating a series of Standards Institutes across Rhode Island. The co-facilitators are deepening their understanding of standards-based reform as they develop a syllabus for the upcoming institutes. Some of the issues they are exploring are:

• Using protocols to look at student work
• Identifying indicators of effective lessons
• Using data to guide instructional decisions
• Analyzing standards-base curricula

For more information, contact Judi Keeley or Diane Schaefer, Rhode Island Department of Education,

255 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903-3400; Phone (401) 222-4600, ext. 12110 (Judi) or 12138 (Diane). Email JKeeley@aol.com or Schaefer@ride.ri.net.

VERMONT: Principal’s Leadership Academy

The Leadership Academy focuses on the role of the principal as instructional leader. The Academy will begin with a four-day summer institute, followed by a series of follow-up events held both regionally and state-wide. The goals are to assist principals in:

• Carrying out their role as instructional leaders
• Networking and problem-solving
• Building a professional development agenda for themselves

The summer institute in 2001 will provide high-quality professional development in using data to improve student learning results, creating comprehensive professional development systems, and supervising standards-based mathematics and science instruction and offer principals an opportunity to explore key issues and experience personal and professional renewal.

For more information, contact Nicole Saginor, VISMT, Dillingham Hall, 7 West Street, Montpelier, VT 05602; Phone (802) 828-0076; Email nsaginor@vismt.org.

Reference

Regional Alliance Leadership Network: Guiding Beliefs

– The central role of leadership is to support and sustain implementation of reform that improves teaching and learning.

– Leaders at all levels, teachers, administrators, and state and national reform leaders, require knowledge of mathematics and science content and pedagogy, professional development design, the change process, research findings, such as TIMSS, data-supported decision-making, and other reform issues and an array of leadership and communication skills. Effective leadership development supports participants in accessing and applying these knowledge bases.

– Equity is a central concern of leadership. Leadership development initiatives should increase participants understanding of equity issues and make special efforts to recruit diverse participants.