Graduate Study at USI >> Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education
812-465-7024
18 Credit hours
The Elementary Mathematics Leadership certificate is designed to prepare teachers to serve in leadership, instructional support, and professional development roles at the elementary level. The program is open to individuals who have taught mathematics in grades K-12 and wish to impact the mathematics learning of students and teachers at the elementary level. The program is will be housed in USI’s Mathematical Sciences department, and course delivery will be online.
Students who complete the certificate will be prepared to seek licensure as an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS). EMSs take on diverse roles in schools and school districts. EMSs may work as classroom teachers who focus on mathematics instruction, mathematics interventionalists, grade-level or school-level mathematics leaders, mathematics coaches, professional development providers, or district-level mathematics coordinators. They may work directly with students, with teachers, or with both populations.
The curriculum includes courses designed to expand learners’ content knowledge of mathematics needed to teach at the elementary level, including 1) number sense and operations, 2) rational numbers and proportional reasoning, 3) algebraic reasoning, 4) geometry and measurement, and 5) data analysis. Pedagogical themes will be incorporated throughout these five courses, including mathematical process standards, mathematical learners and learning, teaching mathematics, elementary mathematics curriculum, and assessment for learning mathematics. A sixth course will focus on leadership knowledge and skills, including how to facilitate collaborative learning opportunities for teachers, planning professional development programs for teachers, and evaluating structures and policies that impact access to equitable mathematics instruction. This course will include a clinical practice experience under the direction of a school leader responsible for instructional support.