Elese Washines (Yakama/Cree/Skokomish), in her doctoral dissertation, “Mathematics Teacher Performance Assessments Across Contexts” (in progress) demonstrates that the affordances and constraints of completing an elementary mathematics teacher performance assessment vary across urban and non-urban contexts with diverse students. Washines qualitatively supports this thesis through a case study with four urban and non-urban candidates who completed an elementary mathematics performance assessment to become certified teachers, collecting performance assessment data for each teacher candidate three times throughout their student teaching, surveying each teacher candidate on their perceptions of completing a performance assessment and usefulness towards their future teaching, and laying the groundwork for future mathematics education studies in non-urban areas with diverse students.
Washines’ purpose is to highlight rural mathematics teacher education research in order to promote equity and contribute to a knowledge base for preparing teachers to work in rural math classrooms. Washines’ intended audience are policy-makers, academics, and leaders of rural communities interested in supporting mathematics teacher candidates to provide an authentic demonstration of their mathematics teaching knowledge and skills with diverse students that truly represents who they are as teachers.
Zoom Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95302330803
Elese Washines is the program manager for the Yakama National Higher Education & Adult Vocational Training Program and a doctoral candidate ABD in mathematics education at Oregon State University. She completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of Washington and worked formerly as an Adjunct Professor at Heritage University. Washines is also an elected official of the Yakama Nation.