This grant is under the direction of Arlen R. Gullickson, Herbert R.Fynewever, Steven W. Ziebarth, William W.Cobern. It is intended to supportPh.D. Students with an interest in developing materials and promotingassessment for learning practices with pre-service teachers in mathematics and science education. It is a cross disciplinary grant between mathematics, science, and evaluation.

Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum

The Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum (CSMC) is a national center funded by the National Science Foundation to advance the research base and build leadership capacity supporting school mathematics curriculum design, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. The Center is a collaborative effort with Michigan State University and the University of Missouri and with researchers and educators at Horizon Research, Inc, the University of Chicago, and three school districts (two in Michigan and one in Missouri). Major areas of Center work include research on the influence and potential of mathematics curriculum materials for student and teacher learning, doctoral program development with an emphasis on curriculum, and development of school/district curriculum leadership. For further information, see http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/.

Core-Plus Mathematics Project

The Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP), with funding fromthe National Science Foundation, is completing development and evaluation of the 2nd Edition of the Core-Plus Mathematics four-year high school curriculum. Revision of both student and teacher materials has been informed by continuing research on the program’s effectiveness, including a recently completed five-year longitudinal study, and by extensive feedback from teachers using the published materials. The revision has also taken into account changes in middle school mathematics programs, the evolving nature of undergraduate mathematics, and advances in technology. In addition, CPMP has developed and evaluated support materials for parents. For further information, see http://www.wmich.edu/cpmp.

Discontinuous Feedback in Nonlinear Control

It has been recognized during last two decades that high performance of numerous nonlinear control systems arising in engineering applications can be achieved only by using discontinuous feedback controllers. One example of such a controller is given by sliding mode controllers which are used in important electrical-mechanical systems for stabilization and control. This research project will develop a unified mathematical approach to the design of discontinuous feedback controllers and analysis of their robustness and performance characteristics. Other examples of the need for discontinuous feedback controllers are provided by numerous control and stabilization problems for infinite-dimensional systems such as stabilization problems for fluid flows or quantum-mechanical systems arising in new technological developments. This project will develop geometric control theory for such infinite-dimensional systems to address problems of their feedback control and stabilization by using nonsmooth analysis tools. Such new tools can be used to design feedback controllers in numerous cases when traditional engineering linearization techniques don't work. For further information, see http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0708019.

Michigan Mathematics Rural Initiative Project

The primary objectives of the four-year Michigan Mathematics Rural Initiative (M2RI) are to

build the mathematics content knowledge and knowledge for teaching of its participating teachers,
establish and sustain professional learning communities, and
investigate effectiveness of the project’s professional intervention model.

The expectation is that accomplishing these objectives will lead to improved mathematics achievement within the grades 6-12 classrooms of the project’s 20 participating school districts. The participating schools are rural area, primarily low-income schools in Michigan’s central and northeastern Lower Peninsula.

Muskegon Area Middle School Mathematics Improvement Project 2 (M3IP 2)

Grades 5-8 regular and special education mathematics teachers and administrators from Muskegon City Public Schools, Muskegon Heights Public Schools, and Muskegon Technical Academy are partnering with mathematics faculty and staff from Western Michigan University and Muskegon Community College, and staff from the MAISD Mathematics and Science Center in an effort to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics within 16 Muskegon elementary and middle schools. The Muskegon Area Middle School Mathematics Improvement Project 2 (M3IP 2) is a two-year project and is a continuation of the first 2004-2006 M3IP Project.

Numerical Methods for Structured Polynomial Eigenvalue Problems

Polynomial eigenproblems are playing an increasingly important role in contemporary engineering design. Indeed, the computation of resonant frequencies arising from extreme designs presents a real numerical challenge, as these designs can lead to very large eigenproblems with poor conditioning. On the other hand the underlying physics of such problems often leads to algebraically structured polynomial eigenproblems, with concomitant symmetries in the spectrum and special properties of the corresponding subspaces. Existing algorithms, unfortunately, often ignore these structural properties. The types of structured polynomial addressed in this project arise in a variety of applications: T-palindromic (analysis of rail noise from high-speed trains, SAW filters), *-palindromic (discrete-time optimal control), K-palindromic (differential delay equations), alternating (corner singularities, gyroscopic systems, continuous-time optimal control), and hyperbolic (overdamped mechanical systems). Polynomial eigenproblems are usually solved by embedding the system into a larger linear system called a ``linearization''. Until recently, the palette of easily available linearizations has been very limited. Recent work, though, has shown how to systematically construct a continuum of linearizations, from which structure-preserving linearizations and linearizations with nearly optimal conditioning can be chosen. This project aims to further this growing body of work by developing algorithms that exploit these new theories, and in turn, develop new theory and insight for the next generation of algorithms in this critical area of scientific computation. For further information see http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0713799

Previous Grant-funded Projects

Michigan Middle School Mathematics Reform Project (M3RP)

Building Michigan’s Capacity for Middle School Mathematics Curriculum Reform, commonly known as the Michigan Middle School Mathematics Reform Project or M3RP, was a statewide four-year mathematics improvement effort coordinated by a team from Western Michigan University. The purpose of the 1999-2004 mathematics projects was to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics within the middle school classrooms of 90 school districts across Michigan.

Renewing MathematicsTeaching Through Curriculum (RMTC)

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