Math and Technology Leadership Academy: Impact on Mathematics Teacher Sense of Efficacy

The Math and Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA) was a three-year initiative awarded by Toyota USA Foundation to advance elementary teachers’ instructional techniques in mathematics, leadership, and technology. Over the three years, fourteen teacher participants of grade levels spanning from kindergarten through sixth grade engaged in three mathematics pedagogy courses and monthly seminars. Teacher participants then implemented the innovative math strategies into their classrooms. This paper will discuss the design of MTLA and the research plan and results. The study found significant results from the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI) in the Self-Efficacy construct. After three years of participation in MTLA, the teachers in the MTLA demonstrated significantly higher self-efficacy than their control teacher of elementary mathematics; however, both groups of teachers demonstrated similar beliefs about outcomes expectations or the belief that effective mathematics instruction can affect student learning outcomes

EXPLORE Performance in Mathematics and Science: Why are Middle School Students Unprepared for Success in Mathematics and Science?

In response to the disconnect between EXPLORE and state assessment scores, and perceived needs in math and science education at the middle school level, Western Kentucky University, a state university, its three regional campus centers, four community colleges, and 30 schools in Western Kentucky developed and established an expanded partnership, entitled the Western Kentucky Math Science Partnership (MSP) addressing a documented local, state, and national challenge: improving teaching and learning in middle school to insure access of all students to rigorous high school math and science. The 2008-2010 Western Kentucky MSP grant, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was an effort to understand the circumstances that impact students’ performance on the EXPLORE test and, therefore, college and career preparedness. It was an evidence-based problem-solving process to collect and analyse data directly related to declining math/science scores in participating middle school. The research question for the project was “What factors can be identified that contribute to the disparity between EXPLORE scores and the state assessment data?” Three themes were examined to study the research question: (1) leadership and planning, (2) classroom instruction, and (3) the assessment of higher-order thinking skills and problem solving

Annexin A1 expression in a pooled breast cancer series : Association with tumor subtypes and prognosis

Background: Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a protein related with the carcinogenesis process and metastasis formation in many tumors. However, little is known about the prognostic value of ANXA1 in breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between ANXA1 expression, BRCA1/2 germline carriership, specific tumor subtypes and survival in breast cancer patients. Methods: Clinical-pathological information and follow-up data were collected from nine breast cancer studies from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) (n = 5,752) and from one study of familial breast cancer patients with BRCA1/