STEM & Mathematics Education Consulting

Mathematics Education Consulting

One of the most critical factors in student success is teacher effectiveness. Education Chat is dedicated to providing in-depth technical assistance to schools and other educational organizations to improve the effectiveness of mathematics teachers. We can provide the following services (but, not limited to):

• Support teachers and school leaders in implementing best instructional practices in the math classroom and deepening content knowledge and pedagogy of teachers.

• Conduct a needs analysis of schools, analyzing data, conducting instructional walks with administration, observing instruction, and reviewing curriculum.

• Develop an action plan for coaching aligned with a measurable goal for the work.

• Execute on a coaching action plan, refining and revising when needed to meet the needs of the school.

• Build teachers’ capacity to effectively implement the Virginia Standards of Learning or Common Core aligned curriculum and analyze data effectively to drive instruction.

• Differentiate teacher support based on individual needs

• Facilitate teacher teams reflecting on practice, analyzing data, and looking at student work toward the goal of improving student outcomes.

• Develop teacher leaders, supporting them through a micro-credentialing process that acknowledges the core leadership competencies critical to drive school-wide change.

• Guide school leaders in making critical changes to systems, structures, and communication in their school, leading to an environment where professional collaboration is embraced and student success is the focus.

STEM Education Consulting

The need for effective STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Education is critical in today's educational landscape; however there are too many ineffective STEM programs. They fail because the programs view STEM Education through too narrow a lens. 

Education Chat will design a STEM program and/or curriculum to meet the population you serve.  Below are a few ways we can support your STEM efforts:

For schools -

• Evaluate current STEM program and/or curriculum

• Enhance program to align to curricular standards

• Enhance to make mathematics and science explicit for student learning

For organizations - 

• Create STEM outreach program and/or curriculum designed with the organization's product/mission in mind

• Work with school systems to implement the STEM outreach

• Evaluate effectiveness of program

How we approach Curriculum and Program Design

   We design to engage. We create for innovators. We exist to inspire.

General Consulting Services:

In order to improve teaching and learning, the educator must be able to interpret student data and create a plan for corrective instruction based on data. Many educators feel overwhelmed by large spreadsheets and making sense of the all of the numbers. Education Chat provides the following services:

• Instructional Support: High-quality instructional interactions require supportive classroom environments, purposeful teaching, and instructional adjustments in response to ongoing assessments. Education Chat offers a variety of instructional supports, including instructional data talks and teacher professional learning related to using data to drive instruction. These supports engage teachers in addressing the real challenges and opportunities presented by their students. 

• Curriculum Review: There are several types of curricula including: written, taught, and tested. The state's standards, IB or AP objectives are the tested curriculum. However, do you want students to only learn what is tested? The school system will turn the tested curriculum into a written curriculum. Many times it does not include elements differing from the state. What happens in the classroom is the taught curriculum. This type of curriculum maybe different than the other two, and is the most important. Education Chat helps teachers make sense of the tested and written curriculum. We facilitate the creation of Curriculum Maps (based on student achievement data) that are vital to improving classroom instruction. We can also work with school systems to create district-wide written curriculum.

• Leadership Support: Great leadership makes outstanding teaching and learning possible. Education Chat builds the capacity of principals through coaching. Education Chat facilitates the growth of school administrators' capacity in understanding data analytics and how to harness it.