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Institution URL: http://www.uaf.edu/rural

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The Collaborative Teaching and Mentoring model (CTM) can significantly reduce the gap between existing knowledge of high school students in mathematics (and other subjects) and college professor expectations in order to increase participation and success of underrepresented minority students in university STEM programs. This model provides systematic coordination of efforts and activities that create the infrastructure necessary for building a successful and workable school/college bridging mathematics program.

• Provide more opportunities for student success in post-secondary education by bringing college academic standards, rigor and merit to the school environment achievement and proficiency in mathematics using a design aligned with school math and science curricula through the collaborative college-high school community of learners
• Deliver courses through team-teaching (college instructor + high school teacher), forming and promoting strong collaboration between college and high school faculty, providing additional sustainable opportunities for school teachers to receive continuous mentoring, support and professional development.
• Establish a sequence of college level courses in mathematics aligned with existing HS math curricula and provide a workable pipeline for college/career bound students.
• Enable students and teachers experience and become proficient with “cutting edge” information and communication technology as effective mode for teaching and learning.

The model provides students, especially in rural settings, to complete their secondary four-year mathematics sequence concurrently with obtaining credit for equivalent college level work and provide secondary teachers with support. The collaborative teaching model increases collaboration with local school districts across Alaska and better prepares their students for serious college work or successful post-secondary careers. The project focuses on the math preparation of the school age kids to experience rigor and expectations of college while they are still in the high school. The project also has a mentoring component with a college instructor working with a district math teacher in joint efforts to deliver a high quality course.

• The CTM model enhances academic rigor, and assists schools in aligning existing high school math curricula with the appropriate sequence of undergraduate math college courses to ensure continuing academic progress and support easier transition to college-level math for students, especially those in rural Alaska. In this model, a college faculty member works collaboratively with high school mathematics teachers to design and deliver a typical one semester college-initiated course (aligned with comparable course in HS mathematics program) to high school students in Alaska. The method of course delivery is synchronous interactive electronic distance mode utilizing the newest available interactive instructional technology such as Blackboard course management system and Elluminate Live learning platform blended with on-site instruction and practice. The principal instructor (college math faculty) creates course syllabus, course materials, and course assessments and delivers lectures. The collaborative mathematics teacher on site provides additional assistance, coordination and support by conducting practice lessons, tutoring, and mentoring for students on the school site. The usual sequence may include Elementary Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra and Pre-Calculus, Calculus I and Introductory Statistics.
• Course delivery model is adopting the typical high school schedule and students meet five times a week. All instructional and pedagogical issues related to the course are discussed by the university
  
  FEATURES:
  

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  PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
  
  • Of the 174 students that started the program 122 students completed the first class and 74 of those students were eligible to move forward to the next section.
  • At least 72 students finished the Developmental Math classes under the CTM model with A’s and B’s, and 32 students fell in the borderline grade of C
  • The program saw an increasing number of Native Alaskan/Native American students in post-secondary STEM programs.
  
  
  ACHIEVED OUTCOMES:
  

  During the last five years 15 courses in dual credit collaborative modality were successfully delivered to the 5 schools in rural Alaska (including one course delivered to school in Anchorage). In all, 148 students (95% Alaska natives/American Indians) and 7 mathematics teachers have participated in the project. In the fall of 2006 the model was recognized by University of Alaska Statewide Committee on College Readiness and preparedness and received a UA grant for piloting and data collection.

  
  
  IMPACTS:
  

  The positive influences of this project are potentially far reaching, affording teachers and students the opportunity to develop tools to break the cycle of underachievement by developing skills for success in post-secondary education. It gives rural teachers and students an opportunity to participate in the decision-making and data collection process of the project.

  
  

• Faculty not familiar with a secondary teaching environment or information technology can lead to lowered expectations
• Complete cooperation from districts in scheduling and committing resources hinders the ability to scale up the operation beyond a few districts at at time.
• Academic readiness and bridging programs have a difficult time finding support during times of tight budgets.

The best success comes with a faculty member who has experience in teaching in both the secondary and post-secondary environment. School district planning is essential, so that multiple schools in a region offer the course at the same time, regardless of location. The project involves concurrent enrollment, which requires the involvement of the districts, the university and families of students to promote the learning community this project creates.

COSTS

• Faculty salary
• Learning management system resources for both design and maintenance.
• Grants, cost sharing, subsidized tuition or academic service agreements with districts to cover tuition costs.

Develop and provide administrative support CTM3 with proper documentation, contacts and contracts within regulations. Work with the Developmental Math program and Rural Student Services at the University of Alaska for guidance and support. Follow up with the students who are not completing the four course class requirements to determine if there are any trends and why didn't they continue.

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Victor Zinger 
Professor of Mathematics, Coordinator of CTM 
University of Alaska Fairbanks 
P.O. Box 6500 
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 
Phone: 9074747089 
Fax: 9074745824 
vazinger@alaska.edu