It's been a little more than a year since Brown began the Algebra in Motion program to donate Texas Instruments calculators to Hope High School, but the project is still going strong as the University looks to evaluate its progress so far.
Last February, the Office of the President worked with Texas Instruments and the Swearer Center to donate 350 calculators to students at Hope High. Along with the calculators, TI also provides a trainer to help Hope's eight participating teachers "think about how to integrate the graphing calculators into their lesson plans," Tehani Collazo '91, Brown's director of education outreach, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
"The combination of the calculators and the professional development from trainers from TI will result in kids engaging in math at a higher level," Collazo said in a phone interview.
President Ruth Simmons, who is on TI's board of directors, "heard of a model program in Texas where Texas Instruments gave graphing calculators" to "struggling classrooms," said Hannah Watson '08, who became involved with Algebra in Motion last spring and is one of the program's coordinators.
Much of the program's funding comes from donations, so Collazo doesn't have a specific figure of how much it has cost so far, she wrote.
In fact, more than half the calculators in the program came from a Brown donor, according to a Herald article last year.
"This partnership aims to build opportunity for all students to achieve these standards" that exist in today's schools, Simmons said in a May 8, 2007, University press release. "Students meet high standards when they are engaged and inspired, when they have the tools to ask questions and satisfy their own curiosity."
Similar programs in Ohio and Texas have been successful, according to the press release.
There are over 12 undergraduate students helping with Algebra in Motion through work with the Swearer Center, according to Collazo.
Watson said the "idea is that Brown students have had more experience with graphing instruments than teachers," so they can bring their experience to the students at Hope.
Before the program began, the teachers at Hope "weren't very versed with the calculator," Watson said.
Last year, graduate students from Brown conducted a preliminary evaluation of the program, which included interviewing teachers. This year the evaluation process will include student focus groups, Collazo said.
The evaluation is important "so we can assess what's actually working," Collazo said. The University will use the results of the evaluation to help decide the next steps for the program.
Still, the underlying goal - "to bridge basic skill development with ... conceptual understanding" - remains in place, Collazo said.
For the next part of Algebra in Motion, the University is trying to find an outside math teacher to work with Hope on the calculators. This, combined with last year's donation, would "enhance what teachers are already doing" at the school, Collazo said.
The program helps about 500 students, Collazo said.
"Hope High is really struggling and made a lot of gains," Watson said. The "idea is that Brown students can be part of the solution."
Algebra in Motion is part of a broader effort to "leverage Brown's resources effectively," Collazo said. "This program provides an ideal opportunity to do that."
- With additional reporting by Joy Chua
