"PRIME" is a collaborative effort involving Illinois State University's Mathematics Education faculty and Peoria District 150. Targeting the second largest urban school district in Illinois, this Local Systemic Change project will serve all 337 K-5 classroom mathematics teachers, and their principals. The project was developed in response to teachers' request for professional support in implementing "Investigations in Number, Data and Space," a reform elementary mathematics curriculum that is aligned with both state and national standards.
This 3.5-year teacher enhancement program involves each teacher in nearly 150 hours of professional learning. This program features three intensive summer sessions focused on improving teachers' understanding of mathematics content -- geometry, rational numbers, data and statistics -- and teaching practices related to the implementation of the Investigations program. Systematic, substantive follow-through during subsequent school years in the form of grade level seminars, after school workshops, and extensive, classroom-based support from "PRIME" staff, will be provided. A Mathlinks Committee of 32 lead teachers from the 16 schools participating in the Project serves to monitor grade-level coordination and implementation of Investigations, and provides local input to PRIME staff for project activity. The PRIME project further benefits from significant support from a parent, community and business collaboration that focuses on student learning. By engaging all stakeholders, the PRIME collaborative seeks to promote and support qualitatively different approaches for teaching and teaming K-5 mathematics.
