SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Two long-time proponents of urban math education were reunited at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting in April. Dr. Dorothy Strong, retired Director of Mathematics for Chicago Public Schools and Robert Sun, 24® Game inventor and creator of the First In Math Online Program met at a luncheon, along with several colleagues, to discuss both the successes and challenges of mathematics education among urban schools.
Photo, left to right: Robert Sun; Dr. Dorothy Strong; Harriet Haynes; Yvonne Roberts, Math Coach at Jackie Robinson School in Brooklyn; Michelle Patterson Murray, Assistant Principal at Ebbets Field MS in Brooklyn; Shirley Smith, Math Teacher at Springbrook HS in Maryland and Cred Dobson.
"Dr. Strong was Director of Mathematics for Chicago Public Schools when Suntex held the first-ever 24 Challenge® Math Tournament in Chicago nearly 20 years ago," explains Sun. "As one of the founding members of the National Science Foundation's Urban Systemic Initiative created by Luther Williams, Dr. Strong had a hand in eventually bringing the First In Math Online Program to the entire School District of Philadelphia in 2004." The Urban Systemic Initiative aimed at closing the gap between academic performance in science, technology, and mathematics among suburban and urban students, many of whom are at a great economic disadvantage. Resources from the program were used to bring the First In Math Online Program to all School District of Philadelphia students in grades 3 through 8, leading to a significant increase in overall performance in math. (see FIM Case Studies)
"Dr. Strong has always taken a leadership position in meeting the needs of urban students, and in particular is concerned with raising the mathematics performance of minority students," says Sun. "In many ways, we have been on a parallel course over the years, in the quest to provide quality math programs to urban students that will help them achieve at high levels." Dr. Strong served on the Board of Directors at NCTM from 1987 to 1990, and was instrumental in the release of the first 'Math Standards' guidelines offered by the organization in 1989.
"I believe that the Lord places people in my path at the right time, and Bob Sun was one of those people," explains Dr. Strong. She also believes that First In Math is wonderful way to reach underachievers and reluctant learners. "In my weekly tutoring center, I have to force them off the computer! I was concerned about the attention span and lack of basic-fact knowledge of one of my fourth-graders, but he is doing so much better now. Another young man who is in special ed because of missing skills and discipline issues is really learning. While mastering the basic skills, students are also gaining skills on how to handle equations and unknowns—and they love it."
"My better students also love it, and I especially like the way that everyone can be challenged at some level," says Strong.
"Meeting with Dr. Strong and her colleagues brought back fond memories of earlier mathematics innovators, such as Dr. Max Beberman, Robert Davis and Alan Barson, and set me to thinking about how impressed these great mathematics educators would be with First in Math Online," says First In Math Ambassador Cred Dobson, former Mathematics Curriculum Academic Content Coach for the School District of Philadelphia. "The program embodies many of the early ideas, but employs technology to raise skill fluency development to a whole new level—and the computer-savvy students of today gravitate to it like ducks to water! Our challenge as educators, teachers and parents is to get ourselves up-to-speed and get this program into the schools for our children.