Ka Pilina: AIM Together

Ka Pilina: Aiming and Improving Mathematics

Project Dates: 2012 – 2015

Funded by: U.S. Department of Education, Native Hawaiian Education Program; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

About

Increased performance in math is linked to student success across the education continuum, workforce competitiveness, and overall quality of life (Geary, 2011). Although the link between math and future success is clear, student outcomes in this area remain dismal especially in Hawai`i. Thus, the overall goal of the Ka Pilina: AIM Together project, is to improve mathematics outcomes of 7-12th grade students who are Native Hawaiian (NH), students with disabilities, and students who are at risk of identification for special education. The project will bring secondary and college math, cultural including kupuna, disability, and educational experts together to develop a culturally responsive innovative intervention. The intervention will utilize blended learning (BL) by integrating face-to-face evidence based and culturally responsive math instructional strategies and use of math intelligent tutoring system (ITS).

Teachers will participate in professional development (PD), which will prepare them to lead the in-school intervention during school days. In addition, the students will use ITS in an on-going basis and participate in math camps. The math camps, held on a college campus, will be intensive (4hrs/day) and interactive applying math skills in Hawaiian cultural context and other science and technology fields. College students will be recruited for mentoring secondary students. They will support the students during camps along with the teachers. Math Community events will be held each semester to bring together students, parents, and community members. 

Objectives include: 

  1. Foster partnerships with math, cultural, disability, and educational experts;
  2. Identify, document, and adapt evidence based, face-to-face math teaching strategies using NH cultural context and create a BL intervention that includes ITS;
  3. Provide PD to teachers;
  4. Provide training to college mentors;
  5. Pilot-test the BL intervention;
  6. Facilitate and monitor the teachers delivery of the BL intervention in school & during camps;
  7. Develop and implement math cultural activities and application to STEM during math camp & Math Community Days;
  8. Assess the effects of the BL intervention on students;
  9. Assess the effects of PD on teachers;
  10. Assess the effects of cultural math activities and STEM application activities on students; and
  11. Disseminate the findings and deliverables. 

The short-term outcomes will demonstrate teacher improvement in math strategies and student improvements in: 

  1. Algebraic concepts;
  2. Attitudes toward math and broad STEM areas;
  3. Perceptions of college;
  4. Understanding of math in a NH cultural context; and
  5. Problem solving skills. 

The long-term outcomes will include increases in

  1. HS graduation rates (Group II);
  2. Enrollment and completion rate in Algebra I/IIGPRA indicator (Group I & II);
  3. Percentage of students interested in college and STEM focus (Group I & II);
  4. Percentage of students not placed in developmental math course in college (Group II); and
  5. Teacher effectiveness. Systemic formative and summative evaluations will be conducted.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kiriko Takahashi 

Partners: