Principal Investigators
Maria Blanton, UMass Dartmouth
Eric Knuth, University of Wisconsin Madison

Funding
NSF DRK-12 Program
$1,600,000

Abstract

Teaching and learning algebra has undergone a critical transformation over the last two decades, with scholars now arguing that students need long-term, sustained algebra experiences in school mathematics beginning in the elementary grades. As a result, it is important that we understand the impact of early algebra education on students' success in algebra in later grades.

A prerequisite to that work is identifying an algebra learning progression across upper elementary and middle grades and designing validated means to assess students' learning in that progression. To that end, this project will develop the essential preliminary components for investigating the impacts of early algebra education on students' algebra readiness in middle grades. The project goals are:

1. To coordinate empirical research with curricular and mathematical perspectives to design an algebra learning progression that identifies core algebraic concepts and their progression in children's thinking across upper elementary and middle grades (grades 3-7).
2. Using this progression, to design valid and reliable grade-based assessments of students' algebra understanding for grades 3-7.
3. To conduct a preliminary study on the impact of an early algebra intervention as measured by these assessments.
4. To identify appropriate tasks for content-based teacher professional development and refine this through school-based teacher professional development.