This 3.5-year project provides a model for teacher enhancement that incorporates instruction in mathematics content and methodology with extensive discussion of techniques for increasing the interest of middle school students, especially girls and minorities, in mathematics. Each summer, 30 mathematics teachers from middle schools in Arizona will participate in a three-week institute that includes courses in mathematics, the use of microcomputers, and encouraging students in mathematics, as well as a seminar on curriculum revision. Academic-year activities consist of visits by the project staff to the participants' classrooms, inservice sessions conducted by participants for their colleagues, and a two-day workshop in the spring. The evaluation will measure the participants' knowledge of mathematics, their attitudes towards teaching it, and their students' attitudes towards learning it. The university and the school systems are contributing an amount equal to 32% of the NSF award as cost-sharing.
