Thank you for all those enrolled in Prime Online for the 2022-2023 school year.
We are now accepting 4th grade teachers for the 2023-2024 cohort!
Participate in an online professional community of teachers from around the Southeast!
- Gain content knowledge for teaching mathematics, including multiplication, division, fractions and decimals.
- Expand your skills through evidence-based practices and progress monitoring within a model of teacher inquiry.
- Learn more about the needs of students with Math Learning Disabilities and other struggling mathematics learners.
We are interested in learning whether teachers participating in the Prime Online PD have a measurable impact on their own learning and their students’ achievement in 4th grade mathematics. For research purposes, half the participants will receive the Prime Online PD as “intervention” teachers and the other half will be “control” teachers and receive the PD after the research project has been completed. Participants in both groups will receive paid compensation and an iPad mini.
Frequently Asked Questions
The information below outlines some of the frequently asked questions regarding the Prime Online professional development program.
What is the difference between being an “intervention” teacher or a “control” teacher?
Half of our teachers will be considered “intervention” teachers and receive the Prime Online PD, participating online on a weekly basis, receiving books and materials, and periodically sending us data on their students. The “control” group teachers will also send data periodically on their students. Control teachers will also receive the Prime Online PD and books and materials but only after the research study is fully completed. Assignments of teachers to intervention or control groups will be done randomly.
What if I am chosen to be an intervention teacher for Prime Online?
If you are randomly assigned as an intervention teacher, in addition to receiving a high quality professional learning opportunity, you will receive a $1,250.00 stipend for participating fully, given PD books and materials, and an iPad mini to collect classroom observation data at the beginning and end of the project. You will also take pretests and posttests and administer a project assessment to your students. Your iPad mini will belong personally to you (not your school) after you complete of the project.
What if I am chosen to be a control teacher for Prime Online?
If you are chosen as a control teacher you will receive a $250.00 stipend and an iPad mini for classroom observation data collection at the beginning and end of the project. You will also take pretests and posttests and administer a project assessment to your students. Your iPad minis will belong personally to you (not your school) after full completion of the project. You will also be granted access to the PD once the research component of the project is complete.
Can I receive professional development for continuing education credit for this program?
Another possible benefit of being an intervention teacher in Prime Online is accruing in-service credits for participation. We will work with your district to determine if in-service credit is applicable. Many districts are willing to provide 60 credits for ESE and 60 credits for elementary mathematics.
How long is the program?
The Prime Online PD lasts approximately 7 months. The PD will be offered to intervention teachers from May 2023 through December 2023, with a one-month break at the beginning of the school year. Data collection will also take place before and after the PD.
How much time will I need each week to participate fully?
Intervention teachers will need to set aside approximately 3 hours a week to complete each weekly module.
Is this a fully online, asynchronous program?
Yes, the program is fully online and asynchronous. No in-person attendance is required.
What will I be expected to do with an iPad mini?
Your iPad mini, a microphone, and tripod will be sent to you to video-record three brief math lessons both before and after the PD. Both intervention and control teachers will receive the video-recording equipment and will keep the equipment after full completion of the project.
What do you mean by collecting data?
First, we will collect some data from you, asking both intervention and control teachers for information about themselves, through a series of questionnaires completed in March/April 2023. Completing all 6 questionnaires will take about 1 to 2 hours. We will also ask you to record yourself teaching math. At the end of the project, you will complete all 6 questionnaires once more and record yourself again. We will also ask you to collect data on your students once more time (see next question).
What will my students be asked to do?
We will also ask intervention and control teachers to conduct a pre-test and post-test for understanding fractions. The test takes about 30 minutes. You will also need to ask for parent permission to complete the test and to be in the video-recordings of the two math lessons.
Who funds this research project?
The federal government pays for this project through the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education.
Want to learn more?
We would be happy to answer any more questions that you may have. To learn more, please feel free to contact either of the project personnel listed below. We would also be happy to follow-up with a telephone call and a Zoom meeting to discuss Prime Online.
Tracy Ulrich
ulrichtg@coe.ufl.edu
Prime Online Team
Kristen Apraiz, Ph.D.
Nancy Dana, Ph.D.
