PIMUST     

Partnership for Improving Mathematical Understanding of Students & Teachers

• $900,000 awarded at $300,000 per year for 3 years
• Funded by the U.S. Dept of Education through the NC Dept of Public Instruction
• Establishes a partnership between a local school system (Columbus County) and an institution of higher education (UNC Wilmington)
• Evaluated by an external evaluator, East Main Educational Consulting (EMEC)

 PIMUST is framed by 4 major goals:

(1) Instruction (2) Professional Development  (3) Assessment (4) Dissemination

Instruction Goal

To increase student achievement in mathematics using state and national standards and intensive site-based coaching of teachers

·        Facilitators will support teachers in planning and teaching mathematics lessons that are mathematically rigorous and aligned with the NC Standard Course of Study.

·        Facilitators will support instructional practice and assessment through workshops, modeling lessons, and coaching.

Professional Development Goal

To provide professional development (content and coaching) that increases teacher content and pedagogical knowledge and teacher leadership

·        Facilitators and lead teachers will develop and deliver rigorous professional learning experiences that address the mathematical content needs of teachers.

Assessment Goal

To support and extend school system and state assessment components

·        Facilitators will support the K-2 assessment, design questions for EduTest, and develop K-12 formative assessment tools and processes.

Dissemination Goal

To share the impact of the professional development model and the impact on teacher content knowledge and student achievement (*initiated at the end of year 1)

These goals will be implemented with the employment of a project director and two full time math facilitators (K-5 and 6-12) housed at the Columbus County Schools central office.