The goal of the North Carolina Middle Mathematics Project (NCM2) is to improve mathematics education in grades 6-8 across the entire state of North Carolina, supporting teachers in their professional development and providing academic renewal and financial recognition to support their retention. The project will help middle grades mathematics teachers become local and statewide leaders, secure National Board certification and take the crucial first steps toward master's degrees. To carry out the project, nine centers of the University of North Carolina's Mathematics and Science Education Network (MSEN) will combine their efforts and the talents of faculty, school system administrators and talented middle school mathematics teachers.
The project will form an NCM2 Leadership Network combining teams from each MSEN regional center including university mathematicians, university mathematics educators, school district administrators and highly qualified middle school mathematics teachers (two teachers from each region). The Leadership Network will assist NCDPI in revision of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and revision of the state's tests, including End of Grade Tests and the End of Course Test for Algebra I.
The NCM2 Leadership Network will also develop three graduate-level courses for middle school mathematics teachers, one each in the content areas of statistics and data analysis, geometry and measurement, and number and algebra. The MSEN centers will provide these courses to teachers statewide. The teachers will use this course work in obtaining National Board Certification in Early Adolescence/Mathematics and as the foundation for obtaining master's degrees in middle school mathematics education. National certification and master's degrees are both rewarded in North Carolina with salary supplements.
