Description of Proposed Project
This project represents the first year of a systemic change in the preservice education of elementary teachers.  The LSU College of Education, the LSU Department of Mathematics and the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools will cooperate in establishing a new level of dialogue in the university/school community and--aided by the integration of technology and telecommunications throughout preservice preparation--will create a seamless elementary teacher education experience designed to produce graduates with the competence and confidence to spearhead educational reform and raise the level of accomplishment of all students, regardless of background.

Highlights and Outcomes
We plan to create an actively dialoguing and cooperating "total community of scholars" to include LSU academic faculty, LSU pedagogical faculty, East Baton Rouge Parish and LSU Laboratory School classroom teachers, and preservice teachers. This will be facilitated by regularly scheduled meetings and by the creation of an electronic network within the community in order to expand and coordinate ongoing reform efforts dealing with the content, assessment, and delivery system of the courses involved.  More specifically:

• We propose various joint activities to institutionalize dialogue between all agents--academic, pedagogic and school classroom--involved in teacher preparation.  This will create a seamless preservice experience beginning in academic courses, following through in pedagogy courses and extending into the elementary school classroom.
• We propose to integrate technology and telecommunications throughout preservice preparation.  This will create elementary teachers with a vision of the potential of technology to transform learning supported by the skills and confidence to implement this vision.
• We propose to strengthen all aspects of the preservice program by integrating academic preparation, methodology courses, field experiences and actual classroom teaching.  Graduates will enter the teaching profession with a strong academic background that includes models of teaching practices consistent with national and state standards.  While the first year of this project focuses on K-3 reading and mathematics, from the outset we will be laying the groundwork for the increasingly challenging middle school curriculum.
• We propose concrete and well-organized plans in which local schools are full-fledged partners in preparing teachers to create classrooms that are responsive to students with diverse learning needs, "at risk" of school failure, or experiencing learning disabilities.

          I.  To provide leadership to the University in developing its commitment to education.
         II.  Initiate collaborative intellectual partnerships both within and beyond the University.
        III. Attract and retain students with high potential for professional leadership.
        IV. Develop and promote educational programs that effectively integrate the liberal arts, pedagogy, clinical experiences, and action
              research in schools and other appropriate settings.
         V. Expand the application of instructional and informational technology in support of the College's programs, faculty, students and staff.

We are proposing the development of a "Community of Scholars" model that reflects the mission outlined by the College of Education and Louisiana State University.  Specifically, the innovative aspects of this model are: 1. The establishment of cross-disciplinary and cross-organizational teams to focus on the improvement of educational practice at the pre-service and inservice levels (Targets I, II, IV) ;  2.  The support of these teams in the development of enhanced content, enhanced pedagogy, and the infusion of technology into teacher preparation and teacher practice (Targets I - V) ; 3. The recognition of the challenges to teacher education programs and practicing teachers in addressing students with diverse learning needs including students "at risk" of school failure or experiencing learning disabilities (Targets II - V).

Rationale
The concept of partnership is essential to creating stronger links between all levels of education...America's system of higher education has to take a searching look at how it is preparing the 2 million  teachers we need in the next ten years.  What we are doing now simply isn't good enough.  We can't complain that our nation's high schools are sending too many of their graduates directly into college remedial classes and ignore the fact that the process of how we prepare America's teachers is remarkably disjointed....Teaching teachers really has to be the mission of the entire university.

    This proposal will strengthen the elementary school teacher preparation program at LSU by building upon the following infrastructures:

Institutional Infrastructure. We plan to create an actively dialoguing and cooperating total community of scholars' to include LSU academic faculty, LSU pedagogical faculty, East Baton Rouge Parish and LSU Laboratory School classroom teachers, and preservice teachers-in-training. This will be facilitated by regularly scheduled meetings and by the creation of an electronic network within the community in order to expand and coordinate ongoing reform efforts dealing with the content, assessment, and delivery system of the courses involved.

Content Infrastructure. We plan to strengthen the academic preparation of future elementary teachers by: (1) continually revising and upgrading the children's literature course and the special mathematics courses already designed for future teachers by the LSU Department of Mathematics; (2) interfacing the children's literature course and the mathematics courses with their concomitant methods courses; (3) ensuring the inclusion of preservice course work that will prepare future elementary school teachers to think carefully about how they will work with students with learning problems, as well as students from a variety of cultural backgrounds; (4) creating opportunities for university academic faculty in children's literature and in mathematics to take an active role in inservice training.

Field Experience Infrastructure.  To ensure that all teacher candidates have field experiences which deal with at-risk students, all classrooms except the one in the LSU Laboratory School will be in "y" factor schools in East Baton Rouge Parish These sites will accommodate preservice students for the field experiences attached to their reading and math methods courses and their student teaching experience.

Technology Infrastructure. To ensure that technology is integrated in all stages of the elementary teacher preparation program, the community of scholars will acquire an understanding and appreciation of the appropriate role of technology and the Internet in the classroom, and will master the skills needed to use it creatively and effectively.

Outcomes
The proposed project will help to ensure the following outcomes:
1) provide the State of Louisiana with graduates who enter the profession prepared to utilize and support the application of technology and telecommunications in K-3 reading and mathematics;
2) furnish the state with well-trained teachers and university personnel to provide professional development for additional teachers to better address at-risk students and to integrate technology into the K-3 reading and mathematics curriculum;
3) increase the reading and mathematics achievement levels of students in at-risk classrooms.

Goals and Objectives
Although the goals, objectives, and selected activities described in this section of the proposal address discrete programmatic areas, it is recognized that all tasks are interrelated.  All the separate parts are necessary for one overriding goal to be accomplished, the delivery and utilization of  enhanced content , pedagogy and technology in pre-service teacher education to address the needs of students with diverse learning needs.  With that in mind, this section presents a break down of project goals and objectives.

Goal 1 : To create an actively cooperating "Community of Scholars" to include academic faculty, teacher education faculty, elementary school teachers, and pre-service elementary teacher education students.
The structure to be developed recognizes the need to bring knowledgeable and committed individuals together to address the challenges facing pre-service and practicing teachers.   We plan to recruit and support teams  of academic specialists, pedagogy specialists, and classroom teachers in addressing the reform of pre-service teacher education programs.

Objective 1.1  Develop content, pedagogy and practice teams in reading and math.
During summer 1998, a development team consisting of an academic specialist, a pedagogical specialist and a classroom teacher will prepare standards-driven, technology-based units that are capable of meeting the needs of diverse student populations, and adaptable to the academic courses, the elementary methods courses and the elementary school classroom all of which form the nucleus of this teacher education community of scholars.
Objective 1.2  To provide opportunities for frequent team interactions through joint training, class attendance, and school visitations.
While the preceding objective provided the structure for developing content/pedagogy/practice teams, this objective recognizes the need to structure the activities of the members to facilitate the development of functioning "teams".  The following activities are designed to foster identification and a common goal as the center of team development.

• Conduct Full-Day Retreats for Institute Collaborators
• Conduct Four-Day Training in Technology Integration
• Arrange and conduct participation by school teachers to enhanced academic and pedagogy courses.
• Arrange and conduct visitations by University Based Collaborators to School Sites

• Establish electronic links for each content/pedagogy/ practice teams
• Establish a listserv for Institute Collaborators

Goal 2: To promote the adoption of enhanced content and pedagogy practices in classrooms of students with diverse learning needs including students "at risk" of failure or experiencing a learning disability.

Objective 2.1 Identify content and pedagogy practices to be included in initial model.
Each team will identify the most promising and validated practices to be addressed by the initial model.  The overall scope and criteria for inclusion will be established by each working team.

Objective 2.2 Conduct a review of current course offerings for elementary teachers for explicit and implicit content and pedagogy practices.
Each team  will  systematically examine the content and pedagogy courses to identify the scope and sequence of each course, desired student outcomes, and the most effective procedures for delivering instruction.  It should be noted that the purpose is not to standardize instructional procedures but to develop a common vision and framework for each course by the team members.

Objective 2.3 Modify or redesign course content and procedures to reflect identified practices.
Based on the initial completion of Objective 2.2, each content and pedagogy course will be revised to reflect enhanced content and pedagogy practice based on the ongoing dialogues among all agents of teacher preparation.
 

Goal 3:  To infuse technology into pre-service teacher education programs and classrooms serving students at risk.
The purpose of this goal is to develop a process for the integration of technology into all aspects of pre-service and inservice teacher systems.  From the university classroom to the inner city classroom, technology has the potential to enhance both adult and child learning and to provide support for the beginning and seasoned teacher.

Objective 3.1 Identify technology applications related to the redesigned content and pedagogy practices.

Objective 3.2 To conduct a technology training institute. (see Objective 1.2)

Objective 3.3 To conduct a "technology camp" for pre-service teachers enrolled in identified courses
A voluntary three-day technology camp will be held on the LSU campus immediately prior to the beginning of classes for fall semester. Students already enrolled in the 18 fall sections of the five academic and pedagogical courses will be invited to arrive early on campus and participate in this technology camp. Participation will be on a first come, first served basis and each student will receive a stipend of $20 per day. The purpose of the technology camp is to jump-start at least 200 of the students in the identified fall preservice courses who can also serve as buddy mentors to other students in the course. The camp will be organized in beginning, intermediate and advanced groups in order to meet individual needs.

Objective 3.4 To create a dynamic and common electronic resource for required pre-service math and reading courses, methods courses and school classrooms.
As the use of the Internet increases, the potential for enhancing the courses through Internet based activities and examples of critical concepts covered in course work will increase.  The work teams will continue to develop electronic resources to support pre-service teachers in the mastery of the enhanced coursework.  A website will be developed for students served under the Community of Scholars project.  The website is intended to serve as the information center for students in the pre-service teacher education program. Web bases will be established for each of the six enhanced courses (EDCI 3000, 3126, 3200, 3625 and MATH 1201 & 1202).  These web bases will support information dissemination (e.g. special assignments, opportunities, etc.) and peer to peer  and instructor - student problem solving.

• Establish a dedicated web site
• Revise and expand web based resources for continued course development and support standards.
• Create "web bases" for designated courses

Goal 4:  To revise college curriculum to increase future teacher competence and confidence in using technology and enhanced content and pedagogy  in K-3 reading and mathematics instruction.

Objective 4.1 Design courses to incorporate available math and reading and software (e.g. Geometer's Sketchpad, Mathematica, Interactive Texts)
    Academic. (EDCI 3000) Students will become familiar with a variety of interactive books such as Arthur Stellaluna Grandma and Me at the Beach Students would use the Internet as a research tool for writing a paper and presentation software to present their findings to the class. Students would be introduced to KidPix Studio and use at least the slide show component to develop book talks.
    Pedagogical. (EDCI 3200) Through the use of KidPix Studio, Hyperstudio, or Digital  Chisel, or other similar multimedia programs, preservice teachers will create interactive teaching materials based on children's literature. Various instructional materials will be developed to address the following literacy areas: decoding (e.g., phonemic awareness and word identification skills), comprehension (e.g., perceptions, constructing meaning, discourse structure, vocabulary, and syntax structure) and teaching learning strategies (e.g., graphic organizers, concept mapping, story grammar).

Objective 4.2 Design courses to incorporate support software and communication technology (e.g. "Teachernet", Portfolio, Homework Heaven).
Much of the potential of technology lies in the ability to access resources such as needed information and to provide support to pre-service and inservice teachers.  This objective targets the need to identify and expose pre-service and inservice teachers to this potential as part of the teacher education program.  The pedagogy courses (EDCI 3000, EDCI 3126, EDCI 3200) will incorporate software and telecommunications applications designed to assist the teacher in identifying and utilizing information gained through Internet and other electronic sources.  Equally important is the use of telecommunication technology (i.e. listservs, etc.) for teachers to develop support systems such as "electronic mentors" to assist in problemsolving and social support.

Objective 4.3  Deliver  Enhanced Content / Pedagogy Courses
Enhanced Content and Pedagogy Courses will be offered during each semester.  During Fall, 1998  all section of the REQUIRED mathematics courses for elementary majors (MATH 1201 and 1202) and all sections of the REQUIRED children's literature course (EDCI 3000) will provide the redesigned coursework .  All sections of the REQUIRED elementary mathematics methods course (EDCI 3126)  and all sections of the REQUIRED reading / language arts methods course  (EDCI 3200) will provide the redesigned coursework. In Spring, 1999 , all courses will repeat with at least some students entering the  second course sequences (e.g. Math 1202) after being exposed to the enhanced coursework the previous semester.
 

Goal 5:  To ensure that all elementary education majors have significant experiences in teaching reading and mathematics using enhanced content , enhanced pedagogy, and technology  in schools with high populations of at-risk children.
As part of its commitment to quality teacher education, the College of Education has long realized the critical nature of pre-service field experiences. Our programs have extensive field based requirements that allow for the training of prospective teachers in criterion environments.  The following objectives continue this tradition with the addition of a focus on the challenges of dealing with "at-risk" populations in urban education settings.

Objective 5.1 To provide intensive and sustained field experiences for pre-service teachers in schools with populations of at-risk students.
Today the elementary teacher education program has 15 PDS sites in East Baton Rouge Parish with 8 identified as "y" factor or at-risk schools.  During the 1997-98 academic year, the College of Education conducted a pilot student teaching program in which students were placed in pairs in two different schools, one of which was at-risk. The program was so successful that in the fall of 1998, all elementary student teachers will have an at-risk student teaching experience. This program is partly coordinated by a faculty member jointly hired by LSU and the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools.

• Provide students with school based learning experiences as part of their enhanced coursework prior to the student teaching experience.

• Provide each student teacher with ongoing access to technology throughout the student teaching experience through school based hookups, home based access to local area networks, etc.
• Provide each student teacher with ongoing access to Community of Scholars members throughout student teaching for problem solving and support.

Impact on children at risk of developing learning disabilities or school failure
    Certainly the cumulative efforts of the participants identified in this proposal must ultimately be judged by the impact on child performance.  Yet, the impact of such a widespread and systemic effort does not lend itself to short term immediate changes in child performance.  The proposed project has the potential for impacting at least three levels: the system of preservice teacher preparation; the individual school level; and the individual child level.  In previous sections, we have presented the system and school level variables that will be impacted.  We believe the proposed project will impact the individual child by promoting the increased competencies of instructional personnel  in :  1.  an enhanced knowledge of content areas;  2. an enhanced knowledge and skill base in addressing the needs of students "at - risk" of school failure; and 3. a model that provides the structure for and incentive to participate in active problem solving and support  between content specialists, pedagogy specialists, school and instructional personnel.
    We may project that during the first year of the project at least 500 pre-service teachers will receive direct training in the enhanced content and procedures in reading and math.  In addition, a minimum of 20 practicing teachers (K-3 grade at  each "y" factor school) will have the opportunity to participate in the initial program.  Since each practicing teacher serves a minimum of 22 students, it is prudent to suggest that the minimal direct impact on all students will be 440 and that at least 25% (110)  of those students would be considered to be "at risk".  It should be noted that by selecting "y" factor schools the percentage of at-risk students is probably much higher than would be expected in a general population.  For example, in one of our collaborative sites ninety percent of the students are identified as "at-risk".  We believe that we will reach a large number of "at-risk" students.

Management and Financial Plan
The project will be under the overall direction of Dr. Robert C. Lafayette, Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. In addition, he will bear specific responsibility for the reading segment during the academic year and oversee the crucially important dialoguing community of scholars. Dr. James Madden, Professor of Mathematics, will serve as co-principal investigator. He will be in charge of the summer development teams in both reading and mathematics, and will direct the mathematics segment throughout the academic year.

Objective 6.1 To provide a performance measurement system to ensure regular progress toward project objectives and activities.

• Conduct an analysis of project work scope.
• Collect regular measures of project performance.

•   Maintain a composite time frame.
•   Maintain a schedule of completion.
•   Monitor budget expenditures and cost analysis.

Evaluation issue #1.  Effectiveness of pre-service teacher training program in achieving elementary teachers'  acquisition and use of enhanced content, pedagogy, and technology practices.
    The most critical evaluation question is whether or not the training program was effective in achieving the instructional objectives.  To assess trainee mastery of the specific objectives for each competency area, criterion-referenced performance evaluation checklists will be developed for documenting and evaluating trainee demonstration of specific targeted competencies in designing and implementing interventions utilizing principles of the enhanced coursework.  Assessment of these competencies will occur in simulation activities using other trainees and by observing videotaped activities.
"Evaluation issue #2.  Effectiveness of program in achieving ultimate goal of improving the outcomes for students with diverse learning needs, at-risk" of school failure, or experiencing a learning disability.
    The most valid measure of the impact of the instruction will be to collect actual student progress data showing whether student performance has improved as a result of enhanced procedures.  Project evaluation will encourage the teams to collect their assessment and student progress data.  This will allow the project to determine if the procedures developed by the teams facilitate the acquisition of skills and changes in achievement and if not, whether subsequent program changes resulted in improved performance by the students.  At a minimum, these data will include pre- and post-training measures of students' achievement and behavior..
Evaluation issue #3.  Team and course participant satisfaction regarding program content, format and organization.
     This level of evaluation is intended to provide the project with suggestions for improving the instructional materials and approaches from the perspective of the teams designing and receiving training.  Basically, this evaluation will allow team members an opportunity to provide feedback concerning the:  a) content, b) value and quality of   materials, c) value and quality of simulated and actual practicum experience, and d) the overall organization of the training. Other evaluation elements include: (1) project participants will conduct an ongoing self study consisting of running records and journal entries of their experiences as they develop increased competence in using technology and telecommunications; (2) university faculty will evaluate the impact of having integrated technology into the preservice curricula on student learning; and (3) examples of integrated lesson plans and student-produced work will be demonstrated on the project web-site, with invitations for review and evaluation by all who access them.

Key Personnel
    An undertaking of this magnitude requires the identification of individuals with the skills and position to orchestrate the many players involved in the development of the "Community of Scholars" model.  We believe we have identified the critical individuals to lead our efforts:
Robert C. Lafayette, Chair, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, has more than 30 years experience in teacher education. He has been keynote speaker at more than 25 language education conventions and has conducted some 200 inservice workshops throughout the United States. As Chair, Dr. Lafayette is in charge of the largest department within the College of Education.  He manages budgets in excess of $ 5,000,000 annually and is responsible for the direction and evaluation of the Teacher Education Program at Louisiana State University.

    James Madden, Professor, Department of Mathematics, has been actively involved in the math reform movement since 1988. He has been co-P.I. on two LaCEPT grants and serves as director of the LSU Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.  Dr. Madden is uniquely qualified to direct and support the close collaboration between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education.
     The following individuals have been identified as Institute Collaborators.  Each individual represents the wealth of diversity and expertise upon which we may draw in establishing a viable and dynamic community.  Each individual has been contacted and has agreed to participate in the proposed project.  Many of the Institute Collaborators have provided Letters of Support contained in APPENDIX :  Collaborative Commitments.
Ed Greene, Principal, University Laboratory School
Norma Langhetee, Principal, Greenville Elementary School
Elaine Wiltz, Principal, Highland Elementary School
Mark  Richtermann, Melrose Elementary School
Ann Trousdale, Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Janice Stuhlmann, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Trena Wilkerson, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Mary Duchein, Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Lynne Tullos, Instructor, Department of Mathematics
Deborah Kopcso, Instructor, Department of Mathematics
 Nell McAnelly, Instructor, Department of Mathematics
 Roberta McHardy, Instructor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Elizabeth Willis, Instructor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Kim Fossey, Instructional Coordinator, Office of Educational Technology Services

LSU Mathematics Projects for Professional Development of Teachers

Dates	Personnel	Agency	Title
88-91	Miller, Anderson, Williamson	NSF	4th - 5th Grade Science and Math
89-90	Miller, Gore, Retherford, Anderson	BoR / MSEA	Improving Mathematics Teaching Skills
90-91	Retherford, Anderson, Perlis, Tullos	NSF	Middle School Math Revitalization
91-92	Retherford, Anderson, Madden, Tullos	LASIP	Rural School Project
92-95	Perlis, Charlesworth, Johnson	Exxon / LASIP	K-3 Mathematics Inservice Model
96-98	Oliver, Madden, Tullos	LaCEPT	Campus Renewal I, II
97-98	Retherford, et.al.	LaCEPT	UNCPAL

The first of these projects was led by Diane Miller of the College of Education and was supported by mathematics personnel.  This marked the beginning of the modern era of departmental involvement in professional development of teachers.  The second project, which received a Board of Regents grant under the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Act (MSEA) Grants Program, was combined with the NSF-funded  Middle School Math Revitalization Project.  During two years, this project brought a total of 120 in-service teachers to the LSU campus for extended summer workshops on standards-based mathematics.  The Rural School project was also an in-service training project using the summer workshop format, as was the K-3 project directed by Perlis.  The two LaCEPT projects focus on curriculum reform in mathematics courses for pre-service teachers.  The Campus Renewal project was administered by the Center for Science and Math Literacy.  Madden directed the mathematics component, which produced a radical revision of the course M1100 and upgrades for the M1201/M1202  sequence (see below).  The UNCPAL project is a multi-institution collaborative that targets the university algebra course.
 

Mathematics Courses Taken by Pre-service Elementary Teachers
Pre-service teachers normally take a sequence of four mathematics courses during their freshman and sophomore years:

 M1021: College Algebra,
 M1100: The Nature of Mathematics,
 M1201: Number Sense and Problem Solving, and
 M1202: Conceptual Geometry.

Where Is the Department Headed?
The main themes of the Mathematics DepartmentÕs work toward improved teacher preparation were set in Boyd Professor R. D. Anderson's visionary response to the 1989 NCTM Standards, which took shape in the first three projects listed above. Quoting from the original proposal for the Middle School Mathematics Revitalization Project:
    "Teaching practices must switch from a formal lecture and 'memorize and show your work' format toward much increased student-teacher dialogue about ideas, increased consideration of finding different (perhaps easier) but not necessarily formal ways of doing problems, and increased cooperative learning procedures in the classroom." (p. 8)
    This is a remarkably concise summary of the elements of good instruction.  Department personnel have absorbed extensive knowledge of current research and evolving standards for mathematics pedagogy which fill in the details needed for implementation.  Of course, good pedagogy cannot be separated from subject-matter expertise.  Anderson recognized the need of recruiting and guiding research mathematicians to get constructively involved in the school mathematics process. It is gratifying that top-level research mathematicians have decided to devote substantial effort to creating a superior teacher preparation program and that university  leadership at all levels---the department, the college (Arts and Sciences)  and the university---has responded to this need with a record of recognizing and rewarding the contributions of academic faculty to teacher development.
    As the history shows, the department has extensive involvement in-service and early pre-service professional development.  The present proposal will increase the departmentÕs opportunities to contribute to creating 21st century schools by creating a seamless transition from university mathematics experience to the public school classroom.  This is the payoff from creating a truly dialoging community.  It expands the channels of communication between all agents involved in the development of teachers, thus increasing access to the intellectual resources represented by the mathematics department.  We foresee a future in which the math department is seen as a generous, accessible and receptive partner, overflowing with resources to share with the public school system.
 
 

History of Mathematics Department Involvement
Since the late 1980's, the LSU Department of Mathematics has steadily increased its role in the professional development of elementary and secondary teachers beyond its basic obligation of offering the math courses required for the education degree.   An expanding group of dedicated faculty have led and participated in numerous special projects aimed at raising the level of mathematics instruction in Louisiana schools by cooperation with the College of Education, by outreach to in-service teachers and by fundamental curriculum reform in the mathematics course sequence offered to pre-service teachers.  ATTACHMENT I  - Provides a history of the funding and collaborative efforts  between the Department of Mathematics and the College of Education.
    In summary, L.S.U. has the expertise, history, and infrastructure to continue the process of re-designing teacher education.  The support requested will provide the resources to expand our efforts to include schools as critical members of our "community of scholars".