An examination of professional development in algebra for fifth-grade teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which one Southern California school district supported the fifth-grade teachers' capacity to teach their students concepts and skills related to algebra. Moreover, the study further evaluated the school principal's perception and fifth-grade teachers' experiences to determine whether the professional development offered by the district supports the fifth-grade teachers in gaining math knowledge and effective teaching strategies to teach algebra content.;In this investigation a qualitative case study research method was used. The desire to gain a rich, in-depth knowledge of the different algebra professional development for fifth-grade school teachers led to the decision to investigate a single elementary school. The selection criteria used to identify the school-site for this case study were: 1) The elementary school had a 2008-2009 API of 800 or above, and/or consistent growth in API scores for the past two academic years; 2) Student enrollment of at least 500; 3) The elementary school had a current Similar Schools Ranking of 8 or above; 4) The elementary school had under 50% of White students; and 6) The elementary school had computers and classrooms with internet.;The analysis revealed several findings including: 1) The school district needs to allow more opportunities for teachers to be involved with their professional development planning and being facilitators; 2) Professional development that focuses on Cognitive Guided Instruction (CGI) had limitations for fifth-grade teachers; 3) The district needs to provide more professional development that focuses on the MIND program given that teachers expressed their high regards for this program; and 4) Serious consideration needs to be given to the culture of the school in order to determine whether the professional development that is offered to teachers is meeting the needs of the students. Conclusions include a discussion of the study's implications for various stakeholders and several recommendations for future studies are provided.