HelpMath, the online program designed by MeTRC research collaborator, Digital Directions International, was highlighted in a recent article published by the Lexington Institute. The Lexington Institute is an Arlington, VA, think tank that comments on national security, education reform, tax reform, immigration and federal policy concerning science and technology.

The HelpMath program provides evidence-based curricula and assessments for English Language Learners, Students with Learning Disabilities, and Struggling Learners. It is partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and has won numerous awards, including the highest award in the What Works Clearinghouse. Read more about HelpMath and view the report.

Read the article: Technology-Driven Innovations For Teaching English Learners.

Dave Moursund, University of Oregon professor emeritus and MeTRC Technical work Group member, has published a new book:
Using Brain/Mind Science and Computers to Improve Elementary School Math Education.

It is available in PDF and Microsoft Word formats:

This report presents results of the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics at grades 4 and 8. Highlights of the national results show higher average mathematics scores in 2011 than in the eight earlier assessment years at both grades 4 and 8. Read more

On July 11, 2012, Philip Piety, a member of MeTRC's technical work group, was the recipient of the 2012 Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Achievement Award-Research and Development in Audio Description by the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and its Audio Description Project. The announcement was made at ACB's 51st anniversary conference and convention. The Achievement Award for Research and Development is made to an individual for outstanding research that leads to the advancement of audio description. Dr. Piety, formerly with American Institutes for Research (AIR), is currently working on a book.

NIMAS and Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) Structure Guidelines

On June 22, 2012, the Office of Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the US Department of Education issued a "Dear Colleague" letter encouraging state and local educational agencies to ask publishers to use new MathML 3 Structure Guidelines when requesting NIMAS files.  

The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) details the minimum standard that State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) must meet in order to comply with the requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide instructional materials to students with print disabilities in elementary and secondary schools. 

In publicizing the new MathML 3 Structure Guidelines, the Department notes that these guidelines "reflect the most effective method of providing accessible print instructional materials involving mathematical and scientific content to students who are blind or who have print disabilities." With this announcement in hand, States and local districts that are actively adopting textbooks or otherwise updating their accessible textbook policies in compliance with NIMAS can confidently add MathML 3 to their requirements, thus making the complex equations in their math texts accessible when read by students using their assistive technology.

DATE: May 14, 2012

The National Science Foundation (NSF) in cooperation with the U.S Department of Education (ED) is interested in input that can inform new activities and programs to support and improve K-16 mathematics education.

Ed Tech Digest Award for HELP Math as the winner in the “Special Needs” category as the innovative educational technology solution that best addresses the needs of English language learners. 

On May 7, 2012, two members of the MeTRC community, George Kerscher and Steve Jacobs, were among 14 individuals chosen by the White House as Champions of Change for leading the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math for people with disabilities in education and employment. 

George Kerscher is a member of MeTRC's Technical Work Group, and is Secretary General of the DAISY Consortium and President of the International Digital Publishing Forum.

Steve Jacobs is a consultant to MeTRC in the area of Accessibility Products and Tools, and is president of IDEAL Group, Inc.

Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy said:

“STEM is vital to America’s future in education and employment, so equal access for people with disabilities is imperative, as they can contribute to and benefit from STEM. The leaders we’ve selected as Champions of Change are proving that when the playing field is level, people with disabilities can excel in STEM, develop new products, create scientific inventions, open successful businesses, and contribute equally to the economic and educational future of our country.”

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.

The NSF Cyberlearning Research Summit took place in Washington, DC on January 18, 2012. The summit was a high-profile gathering of top quality research-based speakers who shared their visions for the future of learning with emerging technologies. MeTRC TWG member, Philip Piety attended the invitation-only event. Speakers included Karen Cator the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education.

Related articles on other websites

• In Math You Have to Remember, In Other Subjects You Can Think About It (maa.org)
• Fluency in Math (scmathcoach.wordpress.com)
• Wikipedia adds MathJax display option (aperiodical.com)
• White House event: STEM Equality For Americans With Disabilities (accessiblemath.dessci.com)
• How Do You Spark a Love of Math in Kids? (blogs.kqed.org)
• MathJax - An Open Source Cross-Browser JavaScript Display Engine For Mathematics (functionn.blogspot.com)