WE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!
In May 2008 we found out that we received funding for the mext three years to participate in Phase 2 of
our project. This phase will involves 51 teachers from Sanger Unified and Kings Canyon Unified in a
Federal Research Project studying the effects of teacher content knowledge on student achievement.
Only six projects in California received funding: Alameda County Office of Education, El Rancho Unified
School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, Red Bluff Union Elementary School District, San
Francisco Unified School District and ... Sanger Unified School District! We will be receiving $523,962
per year for the next three years.
In addition, we are pleased to announce that internationally renowned researcher, Dr. James Hiebert,
will be overseeing all of our research with our partner Educational Resource Consultants. Dr. Hiebert is
Robert J. Barkley Professor of Education at the University of Delaware, a globally recognized expert on
math instruction, and co-author of The Teaching Gap (1999), which compares math teaching practices
in Japan, Germany, and the United States. Dr. Hiebert has published 49 peer-reviewed journal articles,
authored (or co-authored) four books and 19 book chapters in the field of mathematics education.
Our first Summer Institute for this phase was held August 4-8, 2008 at Fresno State University. The
focus was on appropriate grade level mathematics content and laying the foundation for our first
lesson study cycles. There were 10 lesson study groups - six in Sanger and four in Kings Canyon.
The second Summer Institute was held August 3-7, 2009, again at Fresno State. We again conducted
some public lessons as well as some panel discussions by our lesson study groups. We lost some
teachers after the first year for a variety of reasons and we now have 8 lesson study groups.
We recently participated in a major Lesson Study Conference at Fresno State on May 14th/15th. Special
guests included Dr. Akihiko Takahashi and Dr. Patsy Wang-Iverson, both experts in the field of lesson
study. Dr. Takahashi presented two demonstration lessons with local students. Many lesson study
groups presented their lesson studies from this year and we heard an inspiring message from Sanger
Unified's superintendent, Marc Johnson.
Another bit of good news - we were recently selected as being one of eight model MSP projects in
California by the California Department of Education. You may be seeing our project in the next federal
report!
