Holy Cross Professor Works to Improve Math Education for K-8 Teachers in Massachusetts

WORCESTER, Mass. – Catherine A. Roberts, associate professor in the department of mathematics and computer science at the College of the Holy Cross, has been selected as one of 14 master teachers for the Intel Massachusetts Department of Education/Intel Math Initiative. She will take part in a teacher professional development program for K-8 mathematics teachers designed to ensure high quality mathematics instruction and high levels of mathematics learning in elementary schools. The master teachers were chosen out of a pool of more than 90 applicants.

“The philosophy behind the program is that our elementary teachers need to feel more confident and comfortable with mathematics. They need to understand how the math they are teaching at their grade level fits into higher mathematics,” said Roberts.

As part of the initiative, Roberts will work with teachers from the Springfield school district. She will teach one week in August followed by four days during the fall. Course content focuses on a conceptual understanding of arithmetical operations (and fractions) for the first half of the course and foundational algebra (linear functions) for the second half, with the relationship of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra highlighted throughout the course. All topics are taught using a variety of problem solving strategies that relate directly to the K-8 mathematics classroom.

Roberts is enthusiastic about supporting the goals of the Department of Education in this significant public education initiative.

“I have concerns about the high-stakes tests such as MCAS that our students are required to take,” she said. “I want to do something to help the teachers, who I think aren’t necessarily being given the support and tools that they need to be successful. I consider it something of a personal obligation to use my strengths in mathematics and my love of teaching in a way that can help.”

Roberts, who lives in Jefferson, hopes that, next year, schools in Worcester and Central Massachusetts will apply to become Intel Massachusetts Math Initiative sites.

Since coming to Holy Cross in 2001, Roberts has been leading a distinguished career in her own specialization of mathematical modeling. Roberts’ work as the editor of the journal Natural Resource Modeling led to her leadership in the development of a recreational use model for white water rafting traffic on the Colorado River for the Grand Canyon National Park.

She has been an active member of the Blackstone River Coalition, and led the College into an active role in that organization. She sits on the board of directors of the Regional Environmental Council of Central Massachusetts, and has recently been working to create the “Blackstone Collaboratory” on the Holy Cross campus as a locus of learning, research, and community partnership for Holy Cross students. She is the director of the Environmental Studies program at Holy Cross.