Information for Teachers
About the project
The Successful Start: Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) project provides mathematics professional development to Hillsborough County teachers serving students in grades VPK to 3rd grade.
What is CGI?
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is an approach to teaching math that centers student thinking as the driver for teacher decision making. It was developed based on over 50 years of research on student mathematical thinking and more than 35 years of research with teachers.
The CGI program that will be provided to teachers during the Successful Start: Cognitively Guided Instruction project is based on an Evidence-Based CGI program that meets the What Works Clearinghouse standards for moderate evidence of effectiveness. This is particularly important because CGI is one of very few mathematics teacher professional development programs that have this level of proven evidence of effectiveness.
The premise of the CGI program is that all students enter school with intuitive knowledge and abilities that can serve as the basis for the development of their mathematical ideas and that teachers can help students build on that intuitive knowledge to develop progressively abstract understanding of mathematics that make up the elementary school curriculum (Carpenter et al., 1996; Carpenter et al., 1999).
What will I learn?
The CGI program offered in the project focuses on whole number, operations, and algebraic thinking. The program enhances the ability of teachers to teach math with understanding by focusing on students’ mathematical thinking. In the program teachers learn how students initially use concrete materials (such as drawings and math manipulatives) to solve math problems and how those procedures with the concrete materials evolve and are linked to more formal, abstract mathematics operations (Carpenter et al., 1996). This formal understanding will help participating teachers better understand the differing ranges of mathematics ability of students in their classroom allowing for differentiated instruction with the goal of improving student achievement.
Who is eligible for the training?
In order to participate in the 8-day professional development program you must teach mathematics to Hillsborough County students (or support mathematics) in any grade between VPK to 3rd grade.
What is the time commitment?
You will be committing to participate in 8-days of professional development:
- 4-days of in-person summer professional development,
- 2-days of virtual professional development occurring on a Saturday between late July/ early August and September 30th, and
- 2-days of virtual professional development occurring on a Saturday between January and April.
*Details in the FAQ section about PD stipend.
You will be committing to participate in program evaluation by completing the following:
- Three (3) online surveys before the summer professional development program and then again at the conclusion of the program in spring of the following year. The estimated time to complete the 3 surveys is approximately 1 and 1/2 hours.
- Five (5) online logs during each academic quarter about your mathematics instruction. Each log should take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
- Distribute and collect project provided parental consent forms to your students at the beginning of the school year. This form will inform parents about the professional development program and evaluation and ask parents permission for their child to participate in data collection.
- You will administer a short (approximately 15 minutes) survey to your students at the beginning and end of the school year. This survey asks students to provide information about their enjoyment of mathematics.
*Details in the FAQ section about evaluation stipend.
When does the training begin?
Training for the Successful Start program in Summer 2024.
In-Person Summer training groups for Days 1-4 of the program will be offered on the following weeks:
- June 3-6, 2024 (CGI year 1)
- June 10-13, 2024 (CGI year 2)
- June 24-27, 2024 (CGI year 1)
- July 8-11, 2024 (CGI year 1)
- July 15-18, 2024 (CGI year 2)
*Teachers are expected to complete all 4 days of summer training with the same group.
Virtual Day 5 of the training program will occur on the following dates:
- July 22, 2024
- July 23, 2024
- July 24, 2024
- July 25, 2024
- July 26, 2024
Please note that required follow-up training for Day 6 will occur in late August-September 2024 and Day 7 and Day 8 will occur in January-March 2025 as described in the time commitment section.
How do I select my dates?
In order to participate you must complete a registration application online and consent to the program evaluation. Once you submit your application and your eligibility to participate is confirmed we will send you an email with information on how to select your summer training week.
Enrollment into the training program is on a first-come first-served bases and each session has a maximum enrollment of 30 teachers so register early!
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
No!
This program is funded by a generous grant from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. All materials necessary for program participation will be provided to all participants free of charge.
Teachers who participate in the professional development program will receive compensation for participation in workshops that occur outside of their contracted days with the school district.
Teachers will be provided a daily stipend in the amount of $150 per day for participation in the professional development sessions. Payment will be contingent upon completion of the training program.
In total, if you complete all 8-days of the training program you will be compensated $1,200 for participation in the program outside of your contractual workdays
Teachers will be provided with a stipend of $125 for completion of the online assessments prior to the summer training program. Because this activity occurs prior to the PD program, payment will be contingent upon your attendance in the program.
Teachers will be provided with an additional stipend of $125 for completion of the online assessments at the end of the training program.
Teachers will be provided with a stipend of $125 in each quarter for the completion and submission of 5 online classroom logs. These logs are to be completed in the months of August-September, October-December, January-March, and April-end of school year.
In total, if you complete all program evaluation for the year you will be compensated $750 for completing this work on your personal time.
Yes! The district has committed to providing in-service points to teachers who complete all 8-days of the training program.
Once you complete and submit your registration application you will receive an automated email informing you that your application was received. We aim to review applications on a rolling bases and will inform you of your status as soon as possible. If you have a question about your application please do not hesitate to email Amanda Tazaz at atazaz@lsi.fsu.edu
A copy of the teacher consent form for the project is available in the registration survey and below for download as a PDF. Should you have any issues downloading the form, please reach out to Dr. Amanda Tazaz via email at atazaz@lsi.fsu.edu