Mission

The mission of the New Jersey Mathematics Coalition, organized in 1991, is to draw together all sectors of the community -- education, public policy, business and industry, and the public -- in a sustained multi-faceted statewide effort to improve mathematics education in the state, and to increase public awareness of the importance of mathematics to the future of New Jersey's children. Its vision is that all New Jersey students will possess the mathematical skills, understandings and attitudes that they will need to be successful in their careers and daily lives.

Goals

During its first five years, the Coalition focused much of its energies on advocating, developing, and gaining widespread support for the mathematics standards adopted by the State Board of Education in May 1996; and developing and publishing the New Jersey Mathematics Curriculum Framework, a 688-page guide to implementing the standards, for teachers and administrators. With the adoption of standards and publication of the framework, the Coalition's focus has shifted from advocating the standards to promoting their implementation. Our current goals address the following arenas:

public outreach: to promote discussion, understanding, and support of the mathematics standards among parents and the general public
public policy: to advocate the adoption and implementation of public policies which enhance the goal of success for all students in mathematics.
professional development: to promote high-quality standards-based professional development activities throughout the state.
curriculum support: to support district curriculum development and teacher implementation of the standards.
assessment: to inform educators, policy makers, and the general public about progress in achieving our goals in improving mathematics education in New Jersey

Major accomplishments

  • played a leading role in advocating, developing, and gaining widespread support for the mathematics standards adopted by the State Board of Education in May 1996;

  • developed and published in December 1996 the New Jersey Mathematics Curriculum Framework, a 688-page guide to both teachers and districts on implementing the standards (in collaboration with the NJ Department of Education and with funding from the US Department of Education);

  • played a key role in developing the proposal for New Jersey's SSI grant (Statewide Systemic Initiative for Excellence in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education -- awarded by the National Science Foundation in 1993) and has continued to participate as an active partner;

  • coordinated Math, Science, and Technology Month each April (as a public outreach component of NJ SSI), involving parents and children in hands-on activities (over 87,000 parents and children participated in 1996 in MSTM activities at over 450 New Jersey sites);

  • published and distributed in 1995 a Parents' Guide entitled Mathematics to Prepare Our Children for the 21st Century and in 1997 a revised, expanded Parents' Guide entitled Helping Your Child Reach the New Standards in Mathematics, Science, and Technology based on the new standards;

  • published and distributed a newsletter about NJMC activities and other significant information three times a year to over 9,000 parents, educators, and community members statewide; and

  • expanded the state's capacity to respond to the need for professional development by training 60 K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade teachers to conduct workshops on the math standards (funded by J&J).

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