Reprinted with permission from the South Bend Tribune. Originally published May 6, 1997.
IUSB MATH CHAIRMAN TO HEAD I.U. EDUCATION CENTER
SOUTH BEND--William Frascella, chairman of the department of mathematics and computer science at Indiana University South Bend, has been named director of Indiana University's new Center for Mathematics Education.
Frascella has served as a department chairman here for the last five years. The main office of the center will be in Bloomington. However, the center also will be operating at campuses here and in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Frascella will travel between campuses.
The center will use a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to help improve mathematics education for everyone from kindergarten pupils to high school students.
It also will help to launch the Indiana Mathematics Initiative, a new statewide program developed in partnership with the Indiana Education Network, an alliance of mostly urban school districts in north central and southern Indiana. The South Bend Community School Corp. is part of the IEN.
The grant also will help to pay for intensive professional development for math teachers. Teachers will take part in monthly or semi-monthly workshops that will use new math books and other materials that stress problem-solving and better use of technology.
"What makes this project truly innovative is that it brings together groups that do not customarily join forces to solve common problems--mathematicians, mathematics educators, school teachers and administrators, parents, curriculum developers and publishers and state officials,'' Frascella said.
"By combining the resources of the Indiana Education Network and all campuses of Indiana University, we were able to assemble the kind of broad-based team that is required,'' Frascella said.
