Published in 2024, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators’ (AMTE) Guidelines for Preparing and Supporting Elementary Mathematics Specialists was developed by the AMTE Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) Standards Task Force with substantial feedback from both invited reviewers and members of the organization. The EMS Guidelines builds upon the recommended action steps in the 2022 joint position statement of AMTE, the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): The Role of Elementary Mathematics Specialists in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: A Call for Elementary Mathematics Specialists in Support of High-Quality Teaching and Learning of Mathematics. This article is the first in a series focused on the content of the new EMS Guidelines. The series is intended to offer support for mathematics teacher educators interested in: (1) developing initial and ongoing professional learning experiences for EMSs, and (2) advocating for EMS programs and state licensure.
EMS Guidelines with a Focus on Leadership and Pedagogy, Part 1: The Case of Education Faculty
Do you offer courses or other professional learning experiences for practicing elementary teachers? Do you collaborate with practicing elementary teachers who are seeking support in their informal or formal leadership roles or who are seeking preparation in order to shift into these roles?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, read on to learn about a newly released EMS resource to support your work.
There is a renewed call for EMSs to be in every elementary school (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators [AMTE] et al., 2022), with a growing research base showing these professionals’ important role in strengthening mathematics programs in their settings. EMSs are a critical element of improving classroom instruction and school- and district-based professional learning opportunities for teachers. Whether serving as a teacher, interventionist, or coach, EMSs have expertise in using and helping others use ambitious and equitable mathematics teaching practices to improve the learning experiences for each and every student. They are change agents, who day in, and day out work alongside others as advocates for high-quality, strengths-based, identity-affirming mathematics instruction and for equitable structures in schools so all students have access to meaningful, important, and relevant mathematics. The work of EMSs supports a range of individuals, including various educators (e.g., novice and experienced teachers, teacher candidates, paraeducators), school leaders, families, and community members. These specialists responsively and adaptively serve in their settings, thus their specific roles and responsibilities vary according to the needs and plans of each context. While only some EMSs directly work with students, all should serve as teacher leaders, whether in informal or formal capacities. Figure 1 below depicts a variety of student- and educator-facing roles EMSs may assume.
Figure 1. The Varied Leadership Roles and Responsibilities of EMSs (Rigelman et al., 2024)
Illustrative Examples from the EMS Guidelines
Whatever their roles or responsibilities, to productively engage with others and effect change in their settings EMSs need specialized knowledge and skills. The vignette below provides an example of an EMS’s efforts as a grade-level mathematics coach. As you read, consider what does an EMS needs to know, understand, and be able to do to engage in the work?
In my role as grade-level mathematics coach, I was supporting my 5th grade team as they were unpacking and planning their data unit. During the planning, the team started discussing the different types of graphs they would pull from already-created instructional resources to help students analyze data. Instead, I suggested that we start the unit by collecting data about students and their interests. The team talked about the different things their students were interested in and how questions about those interests could be answered and resulting data represented. One teacher shared that her students are obsessed with soccer, and we decided we could create a line plot of the number of goals scored by players on a soccer team each season. Another teacher suggested that the students could do something in class on which we could collect data. They suggested that we give the students some scrap paper and have them draw as many smiley faces as they could in 30 seconds. This led to a conversation about all the things students could do for 30 seconds to collect additional data (e.g., determine the number of words read, how many times they can write their name, the number of paper balls thrown into a box). Excited about the ways they were opening up the learning, another teacher added that students could decide on a way to represent the data and then teachers could use this as a way to revisit the standard forms of graphs they know and introduce others. I was thrilled the teachers decided to shift their focus of this unit to include student voice and choice based on their own interests and questions. I used this as an opportunity to point out how these changes can help to foster their students’ mathematics identities.
You likely thought about particular understandings of mathematics content, capabilities around teaching, or skills for leading adult learning that this EMS needs to effectively support the grade-level team. The newly revised and extended EMS Guidelines (AMTE, 2024) delineate the mathematics content, pedagogy, and leadership knowledge and skills of EMSs, including a deep and broad knowledge of mathematics content, expertise in using and helping others use ambitious and equitable teaching practices, and the ability to advocate and support efforts that help each and every student learn important mathematics. These guidelines provide a vision for the preparation and ongoing support of EMSs regardless of their role or day-to-day work. Organized around content, pedagogy, and leadership, included in the guidelines are standards and indicators illustrated through descriptive examples, mathematical storylines, and vignettes situated in these professionals’ variable roles and responsibilities. For example, the vignette above aims to illustrate the standards and indicators shown in Figure 2 below.
A total of 11 vignettes are included across the EMS Guidelines pedagogy and leadership sections, with each vignette mapped onto the standards and indicators across the document. These vignettes aim to capture and illustrate the wide-ranging and complex work of EMSs in variable roles such as grade- and school-level mathematics leader; mathematics interventionist; grade-, school-, and district-level mathematics coach; and specialist teacher of mathematics. While the example vignette above focuses on an educator-facing role, the example vignette below emphasizes a student-facing role by providing a snapshot of an EMS’s efforts as a mathematics interventionist. Again, as you read, consider what does an EMS needs to know, understand, and be able to do to engage in the work? Figure 3 below the vignette shows the related standards and indicators.
I was hired as a mathematics interventionist to support students' unfinished learning and their growth toward grade-level mastery. Many of my students tell me that they dislike math and struggle to find confidence. The intervention program I was given uses a lot of worksheets that focus on basic facts, procedural skills, and timed activities. However, I know that students need a deep understanding of why mathematics works the way it does, and that worksheets and a focus on speed will not affirm the abilities and competencies of students who struggle with mathematics. Instead, I provide students with hands-on materials so students can see what is happening in story contexts. For example, right now my 2nd-grade group really loves using the number rack. We explore interesting problems that students represent and solve using the number rack and then share their thinking with the group. In other grades we might use technology tools, like virtual manipulatives as numbers get large and the physical manipulatives become unwieldy. I know this shift from worksheets to a focus on understanding and building on their strengths is the best way for my students to access grade-level mathematics content and build their confidence.
Using the EMS Guidelines in Your Context
The EMS Guidelines are intended for any mathematics teacher educator who prepares and supports EMSs in their work, including those who are in higher education, school systems, or regional- or state-level agencies. For those who are looking to revise or create pathways for state-level licensure, these guidelines could be used to support the design of licensure expectations. If that is the case for you, find here a map of states offering specialist licensure. As shown on the map, at this time approximately 25 states have licensure pathways for mathematics specialists, with several other states in the process of developing them. These licensure pathways could include a series of courses that potentially lead to an endorsement or certificate, or these courses may be part of an advanced degree program with additional credit requirements. The EMS Guidelines are useful for higher education faculty and others in designing programs and courses that provide robust and research-informed preparation for EMSs. Additionally, the guidelines are useful for school districts that have EMSs in their educator workforce in order to design ongoing EMS professional learning and support. The EMS Guidelines are intended to provide definition and focus for the mathematics content, pedagogy, and leadership preparation and ongoing support of EMSs and could be used by schools, school districts, regional training centers, institutions of higher education, and others.
The EMS Guidelines and the EMS position statement can be found on AMTE’s Elementary Mathematics Specialist Initiatives webpage (amte.net/ems). Several other related resources and opportunities can be found there, including recommended resources for EMSs and mathematics teacher educators supporting EMSs, an annual scholarship opportunity for individuals completing university courses, and a descriptive history of EMSs.
AMTE EMS Standards Task Force: Skip Fennell, McDaniel College; Marta Garcia, Mt. Holyoke and TERC; Nick Johnson, San Diego State University; Latrenda Knighten, East Baton Rouge Parish School System; Stefanie Livers, Bowling Green State University; Kate Roscioli, George Mason University and Prince William County Public Schools; Co-chair: Nicole Rigelman, Portland State University and The Math Learning Center; Co-chair: Susan Swars Auslander, The University of Alabama
References:
Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, & National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2022). The role of elementary mathematics specialists in the learning and teaching of mathematics: A call for elementary mathematics specialists in support of high-quality teaching and learning of mathematics. https://amte.net/sites/amte.net/files/EMS_Pos_Statement_Final.pdf
Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (2024). Guidelines for preparing and supporting elementary mathematics specialists. https://amte.net/sites/amte.net/files/EMS%20Standards%202024_AMTE.pdf
Rigelman, N. R., Swars Auslander, S., & Fennell, F. (2024, February). EMS policy, preparation, and practice: Advocacy, development, impact, and needed support [Conference presentation]. AMTE Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.