SDE and Jackson State Partner to Help Mississippi Educators Meet Tough New Standards with Singapore Math

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Staff Development for Educators (SDE), a leading provider of professional development for K-12 educators nationwide, is delighted to announce a special partnership with Mississippi's Jackson State University (JSU). On January 25^th, 2013, JSU will host a daylong professional development seminar for educators of students in grades 3-8. The program is titled Bringing Math to Life: Strategies, Interventions, and the Common Core. SDE will plan, organize, and manage the event.

According to Dr. Daniel Watkins, Dean of JSU's College of Education, "Collaboration is the hallmark of our efforts to effectively prepare teachers and educational leaders. We are excited about our prominent internal and external partners.  Co-hosting this seminar with SDE demonstrates our commitment to working to bring the most current and effective instructional practices to our educational communities. As we are committed to research and practices in the areas of teacher quality, drop-out prevention, the middle school phenomenon, and the plight of early childcare, we will continue to strengthen our partnerships to improve teacher quality and student learning as we educate, engage and empower."

Using Singapore Math as its platform, the seminar will provide high-leverage math strategies that teachers in grades 3-8 can use as part of daily instruction to enhance student learning while meeting the Common Core State Standards. The goal is for teachers to understand the essence of a math lesson that meets the Common Core Mathematical Practice standards and supports all learners in their classroom.

"SDE worked very closely with Jackson State's College of Education to design a seminar that empowers teachers with practical strategies they can use in their classrooms the very next day. Teachers are going to see a lot of applicability to the Common Core Mathematical Practice Standards, interventions, and differentiated instruction," said Jennifer Selby, SDE's Professional Development Consultant for Mississippi.

Singapore Math is a teaching method based on the national curriculum of Singapore, with a strong emphasis on problem solving and model drawing, and a focus on in-depth understanding of the essential math skills recommended in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum Focal Points, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics

In recognition of the myriad advantages of Singapore Math over traditional U.S. math instruction, SDE and JSU are making it possible for educators in central Mississippi not only to learn key elements of the Singapore approach, but also to discover how to use it to teach to the rigorous new Common Core State Standards, which are replacing disparate state standards in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics call for a change from traditional instruction to the rich instruction exemplified in Singapore Math. Educators who know and teach using the Singapore approach have a significant advantage as they unwrap and tackle the new standards with their students. SDE' professional development offerings in Singapore Math are aligned with and correlated to the new math standards.

Achieve.org—the organization that has championed "college and career readiness for all students" from a radical proposal to a national agenda, and has been most influential in the development of the Common Core State Standards—concludes its study on the alignment between Singapore Math and the CCSS as follows:

"Overall, the CCSS are well aligned to Singapore's Mathematics Syllabus. Policymakers can be assured that in adopting the CCSS, they will be setting learning expectations for students that are similar to those set by Singapore in terms of rigor, coherence and focus."

Located in Jackson, the capital city and the cultural, political, geographic, and business center of Mississippi, Jackson State University provides young men and women with opportunities that empower them to succeed in an increasingly complex world. The College of Education and Human Development works intensely to provide academic and professional practices in the arenas of teacher preparation, K-12 leadership, counseling, and higher education. The work is most evident through the utilization of problem solving and collaboration with internal and external partners to achieve greatness as measured by student success.  As the urban university of Mississippi, JSU emphasizes public service programs designed to enhance quality of life and seek solutions to urban problems in physical, social, intellectual, and economic environments.

About SDE
SDE provides professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun.

Educators interested in learning about SDE's national conferences and the many other professional development opportunities offered by SDE can visit www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.

SOURCE Staff Development for Educators