The UNCG School of Education’s Dr. Holt Wilson has been awarded a contract to lead the North Carolina Collaboration for Mathematics Learning, a research-practice partnership with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and school districts in the state.

“The goal of the partnership is to create a network where state and district math leaders, teachers, and teacher educators learn about the North Carolina High School Mathematics Standards adopted in June.” Wilson said. “Different communities of math educators are coming together to share their resources and expertise to help teachers learn and implement the new standards.”

Wilson, an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education, is leading a research effort to better understand how teachers learn new math standards and the resources they need to implement them in classrooms. His team includes UNCG faculty and graduate students, researchers from other universities, state and district leaders, teachers, and community organizations that have a stake in supporting math teachers and students. The group is excited about the role of research in the process.

“Researchers have learned a lot about professional development and how teachers learn,” Wilson continued. “What is unique about the project is that DPI is committed to using research to both inform and improve the way they implement new standards in our state.”

The contract is worth $400,000 for the 2016-17 academic year, and Wilson hopes it is the beginning of a longer-term partnership.

“The UNCG School of Education is recognized across the state for its community-engagement and research in teacher education,” Wilson concluded. “The project is just one example of how we partner with others to work on problems of practice.”