A Laboratory for Learning

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, with lead partner Intel Corporation and our other member company sponsors, has rolled out the first phase of its middle school math initiative by preparing six master teachers to conduct a math institute for up to sixty local elementary and middle school teachers.

Master trainers Glenn Appleby, a math professor from Santa Clara University, and Suzanne Damm, a veteran teacher and administrator from Gilroy, work through problems at their training session in Massachussetts.

The initiative, Silicon Valley: A Laboratory for Learning, is aimed at improving student math achievement by focusing on teacher development and instructional strategies. Silicon Valley teachers will attend an 80-hour professional development course geared toward learning math content through the algebra level, with special emphasis on the interrelatedness of arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The institute will also hone teachers’ instructional strategies, stressing a “big idea” approach to K-8 math curriculum, as well as multiple-solution representation strategies and different assessment methods to enhance student learning. Research shows that students’ math proficiency often stagnates after the fifth grade because content becomes more conceptual at that point. The strategies and material presented in the institute are designed to help students make this transition smoothly.

The institute will be led by three seasoned teachers and three mathematicians. These six master trainers recently completed a training session of their own in Boston, led by trainers from Intel’s East Coast pilot program with Massachusetts schools. During the week of August 6-10, participant teachers will complete the first 40 hours of the institute at Mission College in Santa Clara. The remaining hours will be completed during the fall semester.

Top, left to right, Master trainers Rick Hobbs, Susan Tappero and Glenn Appleby. Bottom row, L-R: Master trainers Patricia Rogers, Suzanne Damm and Jean Short, and Intel's Julie Dunkle.

To date, 39 teachers representing five Silicon Valley school districts have signed up to attend the institute. SM-Foster City, Sunnyvale, San Jose Unified, Santa Clara Unified, Gilroy Unified and Alum Rock Union school districts will send elementary and middle school teachers to the institute.
Given the importance of mathematical knowledge and critical thinking skills in today’s high-tech workplace, it is the vision of the Leadership Group that all students are successful in algebra by the time they enter high school. To achieve that vision, our membership believes it is vital to support our local classroom teachers.

Additional Sponsors:
Seagate John Doerr Borel Private Bank& Trust Company Coherent Comcast Deloitte ETM-Electromatic, Inc.	Hewlett-Packard Company Hitachi Global Storage Hyperion IBM Corporation Integrated Facility Solutions Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Mattson Technology	Miasole Santa Clara University Silicon Valley Bank Solectron Synopsys Trimble