Praxis I Preparation for New Teachers Class Offered by LSS

During the week of July 21-25, the Ritter Education Building of Temple University was buzzing with activity. Temple University and the Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) became the site for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) Health and Welfare Fund Summer Institute. New teachers in the School District of Philadelphia were targeted for courses that included Foundations of Effective Teaching, Managing Student Behavior, and Beginning Reading Instruction. One of the week-long intensive courses was instructed by Dr. John Chen, Research Associate at LSS. LSS in collaboration with the PFT offered Tutoring for the Praxis Math Exam: Preparation for Middle School Certification. This course was specifically designed to address a district wide need for qualified secondary level math teachers. Dr. Chen, who is also currently on a collaborative PFT/LSS project to train cadres of math teacher-leaders in the middle schools, has been researching and designing effective methods for teaching mathematics for over 15 years. He is leading an LSS math education initiative that is designed to spearhead the introduction of a new culture around mathematics in the middles schools, not only in Philadelphia, but in other districts served by LSS within the region.