Tools
The ICUBiT Project designs, adapts and uses a number of tools that allow researches to gather data on and measure teachers' capacities and practicies required for productive use of mathematics curriculum materials. The tools currently in use include the following.
- Curriculum Embedded Mathematics Assessment (CEMA)
The CEMA is a tool to measure teachers' understanding of the mathematics embedded in tasks and representations in elementary mathematics curriculum materials. Excerpts of five different curriculum programs were identified and items were developed around these excerpts. These items were designed, revised, and field-tested for reliability and validity.
- The Table of Contents Record
Adapted from Chval, Chavez, Reys, & Tarr. (2009), The Table of Contents Record is designed to gather data on how much of the curriculum program a teacher used during one school year. Teachers are given a photocopy of the table of contents of their curriculum guides and are asked to indicate lessons that were a focus of classroom instruction. Teachers specify whether the guide was the primary resource used and, when appropriate, indcate additional resources used.
- The Curriculum Reading Log
Developed by our team, the Curriculum Reading Log is designed to gather data on how teachers read and use their curriculum guides. Using different colored highlighters teachers indicate 1) which parts of the guide they read during their planning of lessons, 2) which parts they plan to use in the lesson, and 3) which parts influenced their planning in other ways. In addition, teachers are asking to list parts of the curriculum or other resources that informed their planning.
- Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics Measures (CKTM Measures)
The CKTM measures were developed, tested and provided by the Learning Mathematics for Teaching project at the University of Michigan. For more information visit Learning Mathematics for Teaching.