About the Teacher Leadership Program

The Mathematics Teacher Leadership Program (TLP) is a two-year, graduate-level program designed to offer math teacher leaders and experienced teachers with strong math content and pedagogical knowledge the opportunity to learn, develop, and implement leadership skills related to the improvement of the teaching and learning of K-12 math..

The TLP is offered jointly by the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) and the University of Wyoming (UW) under the umbrella of the Mathematics Teacher Leadership Center (TLC) and is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The TLP offers participants the opportunity to:

• In Brief

  For a quick program summary, see the Mini-Poster or Brochure.

  Become part of a regional teacher leadership cadre to improve teacher practice and student mathematics achievement.
• Build upon their experience to pursue their personal mathematics leadership goals.
• Engage in teacher leader internships with the support of university staff and K-12 teacher leaders.
• Learn about mentoring mathematics teachers, designing and conducting professional  development, evaluating curriculum, conducting teacher research, analyzing and interpreting data, and motivating and sustaining change.

Program Goals

The goals of the TLP program are:

• Develop a shared vision of mathematics teacher leadership
• Enhance mathematics content knowledge
• Expand understanding of how teachers build knowledge for teaching mathematics
• Increase pedagogical content knowledge about how to teach teachers and diverse populations
• Develop an understanding of the role of equity and culture in mathematics in schools and districts
• Build self-efficacy as teacher-leaders of mathematics

Program Structure and Participant Support

The 24 semester credit program is offered face-to-face during the summer and face-to-face and online during the academic year.  The summer courses consist of two residential 1-week seminars, one held at UNC and one at UW.  Each fall and spring semester, one online course and one weekend retreat will be offered. The weekend retreat begins Friday morning and ends at noon on Sunday.  One weekend retreat will be in Colorado and the other in Wyoming.

» See Support for Participants for housing and financial assistance details.

Planned Program Structure for 2010 and 2011

	Summer Session 1	Summer Session 2	Fall Online Course	Fall Weekend Retreat	Spring Online Course	Spring Weekend Retreat
Credits	2 credits	2 credits	3 credits	1 credit	3 credits	1 credit
Schedule (Tentative)	Jun 14-18	Jul 26-30	Aug 19-Dec 10	Oct 15-17	Jan 10-May 6	Feb 11-13

Program Curriculum

The summer seminars are designed to develop knowledge math teacher leaders need to be successful, including an understanding of theory and research about math teaching and learning, cultural competence for teaching, and adult learning. The purpose of the online courses and weekend retreats is to develop mathematics-centered teacher leadership skills. A practicum component assists participants in developing their individual leadership and provides opportunities to practice leadership with a supervisor.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Certified teacher currently teaching or in a teacher leadership position in a Wyoming or Colorado school district.
• At least 5 years mathematics teaching experience.
• Master’s degree in Mathematics or Math Education or equivalent experience.

If you have questions about your eligibility, email Jodie Novak at jodie.novak@unco.edu. See the Application Information Pages for details about applying to the TLP.