Description

This course has been designed to help leaders support implementation of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework to improve mathematics achievement in the schools or organizations they lead.  Leaders can be principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, math specialists, district administrators, state leaders, teacher educators, education consultants, or anyone who is responsible for supporting teachers of mathematics. 

This course equips educators with strategies that transcend mathematics and can be applied across STEM disciplines. By focusing on culturally relevant curricula and leveraging students' prior knowledge, educators will learn to design integrated STEM tasks that foster engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These principles empower teachers to connect mathematical concepts with science, technology, and engineering, creating interdisciplinary learning experiences that resonate with students' lived experiences and future aspirations.

Course Objectives

• Participants will be able to display the mindset of a math leader, including understanding the problem of low mathematics achievement in the United States, being able to create a shared vision of equitable mathematics instruction, and being able to develop and implement an action plan to improve mathematics achievement in their school or organization, especially for those from marginalized groups. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers creating classroom environments that extend beyond the teacher as the sole authority to develop competence and confidence in others as experts, including the students themselves. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers taking the time to understand how negative stereotypes impact their students and teachers and actively work to erase the effects of those negative stereotypes on the educational outcomes of marginalized students. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers learning about their students, their families and their communities for the purpose of improving instruction.  

• Participants will be able to support teachers using instructional materials in ways that help students see themselves as doers of mathematics and help them to overcome the stereotypes and messages regarding who is--and who isn’t--mathematically smart. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers valuing the prior knowledge that students bring to the classroom, both personal and cultural, and use that knowledge as a resource for creating new knowledge. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers empowering their students to take ownership of their own learning by focusing on sensemaking and allow them to make choices about things that are important to them in the classroom. 

• Participants will be able to support teachers holding high expectations for all students and avoid deficit views of diverse learners. 

• Participants will be able to lead a schoolwide effort to support all students regularly engaging in the Standards for Mathematical Practice. 

• Participants will be able to model the principles of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework for those they lead. 

Throughout the course, participants will engage in a variety of activities, including: 

• Viewing videos that describe the principles of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework, providing insight into the rationale behind each principle, and strategies for modeling them. 

• Articulating their understanding of the rationale for each principle in their own words, fostering deep comprehension and personal connection.  

• Reflecting on ways they can model the principles of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework. 

• Accessing supplementary videos and resources that offer practical strategies and tools aligned with each principle, enabling participants to effectively implement equity-centered practices in their teaching. 

• Engaging in reflective exercises tailored to each principle, encouraging critical self-assessment and thoughtful consideration of how to apply the concepts in their instructional contexts. 

• Contributing to discussion groups dedicated to each principle, where participants can share insights, pose questions, and collaborate with peers to deepen their understanding and refine their approach to equitable mathematics instruction. 

By actively participating in these activities, participants will develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to lead schools and organizations with  inclusive learning environments that promote equitable mathematics achievement for all students.

Course Schedule

Dates: January 13 - June 13

For a total of up to 11 clock hours, participants will complete lessons asynchronously. Each student will have the choice of how to allot their clock hours according to the following:

• Up to 11 Leadership Clock hours
• Up to 11 Equity Clock hours
• Up to 3 STEM Clock hours

Professional Learning Standards

Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL)

• Mission, Vision, and Core Values: Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
• Ethics and Professional Norms: Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Equity and Cultural Responsiveness: Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Effective educational leaders develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
• Community of Care and Support for Students: Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.

Cultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Standards (CCDEI)

• Understanding Self: Educators explore their multiple identities and lived experiences to build an understanding of how race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, age, educational status, religion, geography, primary language, culture, and other forms of human diversity shape identity, perspectives, and worldviews. Understanding self is an ongoing process of reflection and learning so that educators can adapt to meet the needs of others.
•  Understanding Others: By exploring various forms of human diversity (e.g. race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, age, educational status, religion, geography, primary language, culture, and other characteristics and experiences), educators actively seek to understand the needs of others who are similar and different from themselves. Educators engage in ongoing learning about others and question their own assumptions.
• Responsiveness: Educators employ the principles of cultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion to build connections with students, families, and other educators. Educators respond to others in ways that are asset-focused and flexible, changing their approach as the need arises. These are the roots of cultural competence and humility.
• Communication: Educators can explain how communication styles may differ across cultures and adjust content or conversation to individuals' or groups' lived experiences and interests. This includes creating regular opportunities for students and their families to speak and read in their home language(s).