Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Program: Developing Teachers' Capability to Teach Positive Rational Number Topics Effectively

The program is a professional development (PD) program in rational number topics for seventh-grade mathematics teachers. The program focuses on developing teachers' capability to teach positive rational number topics effectively. The PD program includes summer institute days, seminar days scheduled during the school year, and in-school coaching for all eligible seventh-grade teachers in treatment schools. The program emphasizes using precise definitions and the properties and rationales underlying common procedures used with rational numbers, as well as developing teachers' ability to explain rational numbers concepts and procedures, identify and address persistent student misconceptions, and use representations of rational number concepts in teaching.