Clarkston Community Schools have been recognized for outstanding effort and commitment to improve mathematics instruction for teachers and students through a four-year Michigan Middle School Mathematics Reform Project.
The initiative, led by a district leadership team, involved 300 hours of professional development for middle school teachers, biannual conferences for the leadership team and workshops for middle school mathematics staff led by teacher leaders.
The Clarkston leadership team included John Diliegghio, director of middle and high school; Kim Tayon, high school teacher; Mike Drystyniak, principal; and Staci Timmons Puzio, Missy Butki and Gerri Divine, teacher leaders.
Ninety school districts participated in the project at regional sites across Michigan.
The project was designed to prepare highly qualified teachers of middle school mathematics and provide faculty with exemplary classroom materials recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as meeting the mathematical needs of the 21st century.
The project was coordinated by a team from Western Michigan University and funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, Michigan Department of Education, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, Dow Corning Foundation and the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation.
For more information on the Michigan Middle School Mathematics Reform Project, see www.wmich.edu/nsfm3rp on the Internet.