The University of New Hampshire seeks funds for the three-year program to impact the direction of the teaching and learning of mathematics in the rural regions of the Northeastern United States. Teams of a middle and a high school teacher of mathematics and a school supervisor or administrator from each of 12 rural schools or school districts in the Northeast will participate in the project. The teachers will attend two summer institutes: the first a four-week institute whose focus will be the teaching and learning of algebra and of statistics, and the second a three-week institute on assessment. The teachers and their supervisor/administrator will then attend a two-week institute the third summer which will focus on leadership development, the change process in the schools, and conducting inservice workshops. School year follow-up activities will include a yearly fall meeting at NCTM's Northeast Regional Conference and a yearly spring session at the University of New Hampshire as well as school visitations by the staff. In addition to the 36 first wave teachers and administrators, it is anticipated that an additional 360 second-wave middle and high school teachers and administrators will be enhanced. The University of New Hampshire's cost-sharing will account for 7% of the NSF budget. Enhancing the teaching and learning of middle and high school mathematics in rural pockets of the United States must be a vital component of improving mathematics education for the 21st Century. This project can serve as a model for such enhancement.
