Professional Growth

Sign up for the CSET when you're comfortable.  Earn the Foundational Math credential.  You can do it.

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Professional Development in California school districts is strongly focused on Language Arts and SDAIE, which address the major problems of teaching in this state. The We're on the Same Page project complements the main focus of teacher development by providing a low-cost, sustainable, consistent, and rigorous schedule for the advancement of mathematics instruction. It covers all grade levels, in particular K-6 teachers, and develops both the techniques and content to effectively communicate the California standards. The goals are three-fold:

The vocabulary and techniques of math instruction must be consistent for all grade levels so that teachers may more easily work with each other and allow their movement within grades. Also, students may benefit from more consistent, multi-representational approaches. Learner.org's Teaching Math series provides this service at no cost, by having teachers practice the techniques of differentiated math instruction.

Math teachers should become as automatic as possible in solving problems. The online program "Middle School Math Level 3" offered at ALEKS specifically addresses this concern.  ALEKS is a UCI spinoff that provides an adaptive approach that makes learning math highly individualized.

All teachers of math, not just high school teachers, can earn the Foundational Math single subject credential, if they choose. Covering Number Sense, Algebra, Geometry, and Probability/Statistics, the credential, earned by passing two CSET exams, and taking one single subject methods class allows a multiple-subject credentialled teacher to earn a single-subject credential that satisfies NCLB's single subject requirement (The previous statement needs to be verified.).  This is a difficult goal, but it is achievable.

Register for the CSET Math tests 110 & 111. These do not have to be taken at the same time. You will have 5 hours to complete each test if you take them separately. This is far more time than is usually necessary. Estancia High School is usually a convenient location to select for testing.

After passing the two CSET tests, register for a Single Subject Methods class. For example, National University offers one almost every month, and each one lasts one month. After passing, request a sealed transcript and then seek a C-19 from the institution that granted your original credential.

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This program specially designed for Elementary Teachers is currently free, but requires district involvement.  Seeing Math is sponsored by the Concord Consortium.  Concord is similar to Learner.org: a systems approach to professional development.

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