This sense of a community involved in the
process of reflecting on teaching mathematics
seems to us to be a critical first step in improv
-
ing a school mathematics program. Can it be
maintained over time, and will it eventually
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AY
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OTICES
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translate into greater mathematical learning for
students? These are questions we need to con
-
sider, but at this point we are cautiously opti
-
mistic. The teachers see many benefits from
their project work, both for themselves and for
their students. As a faculty they believe in the
value of their grade-level meetings and during
this first year after the project, they are contin
-
uing these meetings through the use of school
funds to pay for release time. In addition, they
are organizing three half-day math workshops
led by project staff. The teachers report that
student attitudes towards mathematics have im
-
proved, that the students are more willing to take
risks and to tackle complex problems, and that
they are better able to explain their thinking
both in mathematics and in other areas. Over
-
all, student SAT scores have remained stable
even though the teachers have stopped “teach
-
ing to the test” and have emphasized conceptual
understanding and mathematical dialogue.