NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Teachers from across the state will have the opportunity to learn the latest teaching techniques and instruction in a manner consistent with Common Core State Standards while improving students’ performance levels in mathematics during Tennessee State University’s spring training conference Friday, March 28.
The conference takes place at the Avon Williams Campus auditorium from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., with discussions focusing on the standards’ deployment, teacher preparation, curriculum development and impact on higher education in Tennessee.
Hosted by the College of Education, the training, entitled Transforming Urban Schools: Implementing Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Instruction, will provide professional-development opportunities for pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as administrators interested in reforming schools for the success of all pre-k through 12th grade students.
“’Transforming Urban Schools’ is a series of workshops designed to engage educators in practical professional development experiences with one principle goal: to improve what is done in schools,” said Dr. Kimberly King-Jupiter, dean of the College of Education. “That inevitably leads to better learning outcomes for the most important part of the equation in education – our kids.”
Building on the Common Core State Standards Symposium held last year, the professional development training includes a keynote address on Innovation in Urban Schools by Dr. Linda C. Tillman, professor emerita from the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
An overview of the Common Core State Standards will also take place with Dr. Marilyn Strutchens, Mildred Cheshire Fraley Distinguished professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Auburn University. She will lead participants in a hands-on workshop on establishing mathematics learning communities in their schools.
Other topics to be discussed during the conference include an overview of the Common Core State Standards, understanding the standards of practical mathematical practice, required shifts in teaching, and addressing stakeholder concerns.
The Common Core State Standards initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators and experts to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare children for college and the workforce.
Tennessee students will begin testing under the new standards in spring 2015.
The conference is free and open to pre-service and in-service teachers, as well as administrators. Attendees will receive resources and instructional strategies that they can take back to their schools and implement.
To register or for more information, contact Tenisha Odom, field experience coordinator with the College of Education, at 615.963.4885 or todom2@tnstate.edu.
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About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
