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Lincoln University Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas, Dean School of Social Sciences and Behavioral Studies Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

MOTIVATING URBAN YOUTH TO STUDY MATHEMATICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SCIENCE By Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas, Dean School of Social Sciences and Behavioral Studies Lincoln University Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Definition of Urban Youth • Programs which have experienced success in motivating urban youth to study Mathematics, Computer Science, Science and/or Engineering. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Strategies, Techniques and Methodologies which work in motivating Urban Youth to Study Mathematics, Computer Science, Science, Engineering. • Names of African Americans who are mathematicians, scientists. (See Dr. Grant D. Venerable’s Chapter – HANDOUT) Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Panel consists of: ·Grant D. Venerable, II, Ph.D. and M.S. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chicago, BS/BA from UCLA in Chemistry; Vice President of Academic Affairs at Lincoln University. ·Abdulalim A.Shabazz, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Ph.D. in Mathematics from Cornell University, MA from MIT and B.A. in 3 years from Lincoln University. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Milford Greene, Ph.D. in Biology from Weslyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, MPH from Harvard and BA in Biology from Morehouse College; Professor of Biology and Director, Sponsored Programs and Continuing Education at Lincoln University. • ·John O. Chikwem, Associate Professor of Biology and Dean of the School of Mathematics and Science at Lincoln University. Ph.D. from Ohio University, Athens in Microbiology, MS from St. Andrews in Scotland, BA from AIBMS (Association of the Biomedical Institute of Biomedical Sciences). Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Conclusion Questions and Answers/Discussion Date for subsequent session/partnership perhaps? Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

It is particularly fitting to share with you that we are excited about this opportunity, based on the research and best practices on how we believe we can and should entice all youth, particularly urban youth, to master and study mathematics, any of the sciences, engineering and/or computer science. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

George Gagnon, Jr., who for the past 15-20 years has been working with students in urban schools and coaching their math teachers, who is presently the Pre-Engineering Director of the Center for Underrepresented Engineering students at the University of California, Berkeley, asks this question, “Why are some students learning math while others are not?” After a decade of supporting math education as a teacher educator, classroom coach and university researcher, he reports the following observations: Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Many math students were severely wounded by their early math instruction and don’t obtain the most basic levels of education required to become quantitatively literate. He asserts, “If we don’t do something differently, yet another generation will be lost.” • Less than 1/3 of urban students in urban schools are learning enough math to complete STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors in college although only 1/3 of these successful students actually enroll in these majors. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Of 659,000 minority high school graduates in 2003, only 26,000 had the requisite preparation in science and mathematics to qualify for admission to study engineering or technology at the college level. (Slaughter, 2005). • Only students who learn the way we teach succeed in Math. Pen and paper manipulation of algorithms has changed little since the advent of common schools a century and a half ago. • Students who think best through communication with others now struggle with math instruction, as do those who think best with their bodies and feelings since few patterns are taught this way. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

We have put aside math discourse and math models in favor of textbooks, examples and practice problems or worksheets. • Some teachers believe only a few students are mentally qualified to learn math rather than expecting most students to learn math through calculus as 95% of the students in Japan do! • We expect that almost 2/3 of our students will enter non-technical fields that involve only reading, writing and relating so they “don’t have to learn much math.” Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

The seduction of consumer marketing, lottery fantasies, and inattention to and retirement planning are evidence enough that a lack of numeracy does matter (Ellis, 2001). • Schools teach algorithms and properties in a vacuum of conceptual understanding about such fundamentals as place value, number relationships and basic operations, particularly practical applications in science or social studies. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Elementary schools have few science classes and middle schools do not integrate math into science since making the equations and calculations is beyond many students’ functional math level. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

A respected veteran eighth grade science teacher reports that most of his students in an urban school cannot do the following: • - Easily weigh 5 grams of salt in a paper cup that weighs 9 grams. • - Calculate how much 50 milliliters of water weighs if one milliliter weighs one gram. • Given a rule with inches on one side and centimeters on the other, calculate how many centimeters are in an inch. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

These examples demonstrate that students lack conceptual understanding and practical applications for the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. • Teachers teach what they know and teach the way they were taught. Most elementary math teachers have little preparation beyond college algebra, a two-credit teacher education course in math methods or about 24 classroom hours of instruction. Middle school math teachers frequently have a major in a field other than math. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

One of the most difficult dilemmas is the use of calculators for simple computations. The more students can do without calculators, the better their math skills are. This scholar encourages students to use place value and number relationships to ground mental calculations in meaning rather than procedures. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

· Students are being wounded by current elementary math teaching. These are not self-inflicted injuries but rather wounds that result from poor curriculum, poor instruction and poor assessment in arithmetic. · Few of those who drop out of school or are incarcerated have more than rudimentary arithmetic skills and no understanding of algebra. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

·The math education community must create a health math learning culture and staunch the wounds. - Need to heal the math wounds of current elementary teachers and improve the quality of preparation (Kenschaft, 2005). Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

·Teachers in middle school try to triage these math wounds. Math schoolteachers sort or triage students into 3 categories: non-urgent, emergent/urgent and untreatable. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

In urban middle schools you will find 3 levels of math classes: college preparatory for students who are on track, who do their homework; grade level classes where students take the same math curriculum but for twice as long, either over 2 years rather than one in double period classes; remedial or “academy” classes where students have a regular class and a second class to revisit concepts they should have learned previously. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Effective middle school math teachers report that most of the wounded students need to experience some success in mathematics to begin healing their wounds. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

The National Science Foundation and many private foundations are putting funds into secondary math reform rather than math learning by elementary teachers. • Elementary Teachers must improve their understanding of math and study the way students think and learn. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Via elementary math coaches, professional learning communities and commitment to curriculum reform focused on practical applications of operations with understanding. • Steen (2003) observes the lack of progress in improving math performance as an indicator of widespread underestimation of the depth of understanding and intensity of effort required to teach mathematics effectively. A lack of respect for the complexity of the problem encourages quick fixes (smaller classes, higher standards, more tests, higher teacher salaries) that do not yield greater disciplinary understanding or pedagogical skill. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Teachers Can Heal Math Wounds Through Diagnosis and Treatment • Diagnose the extent and nature of individual wounds and treating each patient accordingly is a long term and expensive process but produces reliable results • The most effective math teachers know this and work with students at lunchtime and after school to improve their understanding of math concepts. • Curriculum reform must focus on how students are thinking and learning math. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Programs such as Cognitively Guided Instruction and Developing Mathematical Ideas have been successfully engaging elementary math teachers in healing math wounds and conceptually understanding math for 2 decades or more. • Efforts in the East Bay Area around UC Berkeley such as Diversity in Math Education, Leading for Excellence and Equity in Math and Science and Pre-engineering Partnerships. Academic acceleration academies are demonstrating that secondary teachers can heal math wounds more effectively than elementary teachers. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

As teachers learn to understand and teach mathematics conceptually, pre-school children will learn patterns and counting. Elementary students will learn place value and operations; middle school students will learn algebra and geometry; and high school students will learn calculus. Then the majority of students, not only the privileged few, will succeed in learning mathematics. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Education and Legislative policy makers must realize that the future of our ecology, technology and economy depend upon a highly educated workforce that can solve complex problems, relate with one another and communicate with colleagues throughout the world. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Math literacy must be elevated to the status of language literacy by showing each other and our children real world applications and working with adult learners in math the way we enroll newcomers in English classes. This approach would require policies that make literacy a foundation of learning the way oral and written communication are. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Parents and Teachers would be supported to study math as adult learners. • We risk losing another generation of urban youth to the street culture where they fight, injure and waste each other an enormous psychic, spiritual, and financial cost to our cities, indeed, to the whole society. When only upper and middle class youth have access to high quality mathematics, we all suffer the consequences. Math will continue to be the gatekeeper preventing a majority of public school students from equal access to an adequate, much less higher, education. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

· Most 3rd world, developing countries do a more effective job teaching their youth mathematics than we in the United States do. Thus, our job is to heal the wounds of classroom teachers, parents and students who think they cannot do Math or Science. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Just who are the urban students we need and want to attract to the mathematics and science fields? Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Black, not of Hispanic Origin: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. • Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii; the U.S. Pacific Territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Marinas; the U.S. Trust Territory of Palau; the islands of Micronesia and Melanesia; and the Philippines • American Indian or Alaskan Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains cultural identification through affiliation or community recognition. (We are not likely to see Pacific Islanders and/or American Indians or Alaskan Natives in the eastern corridor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.) This is not to exclude whites and others who attend urban schools. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Too often today, in order to maintain a positive self-identity, these minority students must take on an anti-school identity and resist the assimilationist demands of the school (Deyhle, 1992; Ogbu, 1987). Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

As you know, we are more segregated in our urban schools today in 2006 than we were pre Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, 1955 and the 1964 Civil Rights Legislation. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Wegman refers to this phenomenon as the Resegregation Dilemma from which 2/3 of the students exit these schools reading, writing, speaking, computing three to six grades below level. As you know if you can’t read, write, speak, compute, critically think, you and I will never have to worry about anyone taking our JOBS. (See letter I wrote to Marjorie Blaze, Acting Chief of Teacher Certification for the Pennsylvania Department of Education – HANDOUT.) Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Over 2/3 of teachers in urban schools are not only uncertified, they haven’t even studied mathematics. Thus, we often have the “blind leading the blind.” It’s no wonder that less than 1.8% of all Ph.D.’s in the math and sciences do not come from our urban schools. More significantly is the absence of Urban Youth with credentials/teacher certification in Math or the Sciences. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

I have spoken to many students at multiple colleges and universities who are majoring in teacher education in Pennsylvania and you can count on one hand the number of African American, Latinos who are studying math and are excited about teaching math or science. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

In fact, a large portion of those students, urban, suburban or rural who do well in math, a B or better, do not even consider teaching in our high schools, middle schools. Those with C averages in the math and sciences are often those who end up teaching, often by DEFAULT. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

First, we have to give our urban students a reason to study mathematics and the sciences. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Many of our urban youth do not know that Philadelphia born and bred, Charles Bridges, M.D., Ph.D. from Harvard University and MIT respectively performed the open heart surgery on Senator Spector. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Dr. Bridges was the youngest student Black, White, Yellow, Red or Brown to ever get accepted into Harvard’s School of Medicine. He’s Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

He’s Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He often laughs at the fact that when one of his “vanilla” colleagues, a cardiologist, recommends to one of his patients that he do the surgery on him/her, he says when he visits the prospective patient with this “vanilla” colleague, it is assumed that he is the orderly, not the recommended cardiologist. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

Benjamin Carson, MD from the University of Chicago, the first surgeon to successfully separate Siamese twins joined at the head at Johns Hopkins University relates a similar story when he initially met the parents of the young ladies. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

First he is very young looking like many of you who are here today, he is African American and they simply assumed that he couldn’t be the surgeon to whom these parents were referred. His book, These Gifted Hands is one I highly recommend to any Program you initiate for urban youth on your campus. Copyright 2006 by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas. May not be reprinted unless permission is given by Dr. Judith A.W. Thomas.

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