About the program
Program instruction models research-informed best practices in delivery and supports development of such practices. What participants are saying:
About mathematics…
“Through this course, I have had a fundamental shift in my thinking. I came into the course open-minded with no clear expectations of what it was going to be like. What I encountered was a fast-paced, thought-provoking, and challenging examination of not only what math is but what it means to really teach math.”
About teaching…
“I am both anxious and excited about experimenting with all of the things that I have learned. It is one thing to know that it is the way that it should be done but another to actually implement. I think that it will be a process. It is a new way of teaching math for me and will take some time. As long as I remind myself of that, and continue to focus on students and their thinking, we will make progress together.”
About learning…
“An important takeaway ... is that ALL STUDENTS are capable of learning. Math thinking is molded and shaped in ways that are as unique as the student who is doing the thinking. Yes, some students will learn faster and some will learn slower, but all paths are justified, and all students have the right to learn math in a way that meets their needs. There is no special math club that only a select few students can have membership [in]. All students are mathematicians.”
Our graduates
Our graduates serve as classroom teachers, mathematics teacher leaders, new teacher mentors, mathematics/instructional coaches, mathematics intervention specialists, and district mathematics specialists. They work in schools and school districts; education service districts (ESDs); curriculum or professional development organizations.
Why PSU?
PSU’s Deepening Math program is unique. It offers a Certificate of Completion as well as two Mathematics Instructional Leader (MIL) licensure options. PSU is the only Oregon university approved to offer both levels—PreK-Grade 8 and Grades 6-12—of the MIL Specialization granted by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).
Students interested in the Certificate of Completion take the set of Content-Focused Pedagogy Courses that integrate simultaneous learning of mathematics with learning about impactful instructional approaches. MIL licensure students complete the Content-Focused Pedagogy Courses as well as three advanced methods and leadership courses with embedded practica.
We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment that unlocks the potential of students of all life stages, viewpoints, and backgrounds and supports them in developing strong convictions and fearless confidence critical to school improvement.
For answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Mathematics Instructional Leader Program FAQ.