The Current Situation

At this defining moment in our history, preparing our children to compete in the
global economy is one of the most urgent challenges we face. We need to stop pa
ying lip service to public education, and start holding communities, administrat
ors, teachers, parents and students accountable. We will prepare the next genera
tion for success in college and the workforce, ensuring that American children l
ead the world once again in creativity and achievement.
The Solution
â ¢ Improve K-12 schooling:
We will recruit an army of new teachers and develop innovative ways to reward te
achers who are doing a great job, and we will reform No Child Left Behind so tha
t we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.
â ¢ Expand access to higher education:
After graduating high school, all Americans should be prepared to attend at leas
t one year of job training or higher education to better equip our workforce for
the 21st century economy. We will continue to make higher education more afford
able by expanding Pell Grants and initiating new tax credits to make sure any yo
ung person who works hard and desires a college education can access it.
â ¢ Make sure our children are prepared for kindergarten:
One of the most critical times to influence learning in a child's life is the pe
riod before he or she reaches kindergarten. We will invest in early childhood ed
ucation, by dramatically expanding Head Start and other programs to ensure that
all of our young children are ready to enter
Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative (SVMI)
The Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative is a comprehensive effort to improve m
athematics instruction and student learning in a large number of Silicon Valley
schools and then to broadly disseminate the learning. The Initiative is based on
two central beliefs or theories of action:
1. Positive change is education that occurs through a continuous loop of fo
cusing on high standards, assessing studentsâ work to the standards, examining stu
dentsâ products and analyzing studentsâ understandings from the assessments, develop
ing effective educational strategies and practices that are consistent with the
findings, and tailoring instruction to enhance student learning and understandin
g.
2. Improved achievement is an outcome of improved instruction. Improved ins
truction is an outcome of ongoing, comprehensive, intensive professional develop
ment based on high performance expectations, ongoing professional development an
d improved math instruction.
The Noyce Foundation's twelve-year funding support of the Silicon Valley Mathema
tics Initiative concluded on June 30, 2009. The work with school districts has t
ransitioned to the San Jose State Foundation. The Noyce Foundation is working wi
th national partners, including the Charles A. Dana Center, Agile Mind, and the
Urban Math Leaders Network, to disseminate the tools and assets of the Silicon V
alley Mathematics Initiative nationally. For more information about the ongoing
work of the Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative at the San Jose State Universi
ty Foundation visit the SVMI website.
COMPONENTS
The Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative involves several inter-related compone
nts that include the following:
Professional Development with an Emphasis on Algebraic Reasoning:
The initiative operates on the principle that by focusing on the key strategies
of professional development, math content coaching, and performance assessments,
student achievement as measured against national math standards will improve. T
he professional development programs involve teachers, math coaches, and site le
aders in year-round math content sessions, summer institutes, professional growt
h workshops and math network meetings. Principals and key district personnel att
end training in instructional leadership, school change, and math pedagogical co
ntent knowledge. With intensive in-class coaching, math teachers improve instruc
tion by focusing on important content concepts and by developing techniques to s
upport all students. Coaches vary the roles they play from modeling to team-teac
hing to critiquing lessons. Importantly, teachers regularly use performance asse
ssment to inform their instruction.
Content Coaching:
Through intensive in-class coaching, math teachers improve instruction by focusi
ng on important content and by developing techniques to support all students. Co
aching involves an ongoing process of pre-teaching conferences, in-class experie
nces, and post-conferences. The focus of the pedagogical content coaching is on
studentsâ thinking, understanding, and work products. District coaches receive ong
oing professional development on instructional strategies, learning theory, and
mathematics.
Assessment:
Within the member school districts, the Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative sp
onsors the annual administration of the MARS exam, a summative math performance
assessment to measure studentsâ ability to solve non-routine problems, explain and
justify their solutions and promote high level thinking skills. Student work is
analyzed so the thinking and misconceptions can be reported to the schools to i
nform teachers and support improved instruction. Each year the results of the MA
RS exam are reported to all stakeholders in the school system.