[Wesleyan University]
Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics & Science

About PIMMS

History

In 1979, Robert A. Rosenbaum, a professor of mathematics at Wesleyan University, convened a group of citizens who were concerned about the quality of mathematics education in CT. These meetings included mathematics teachers and faculty from the public school, community college, and university levels, as well as school administrators and representatives of business and industry. Their collaboration resulted in the formation of the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics (PIMM).

PIMMS (Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science) began in 1983 when the organization's scope was broadened to include science. In the summer of 1984, the first of a continuing series of summer Fellowship programs for teachers was conducted. These two-summer, multi-week institutes were designed to increase the content background of participants, to provide them with new teaching strategies, including the use of technology, and to develop their leadership capabilities so they can extend the impact of their PIMMS experience to their colleagues and educators statewide.

Mission

To achieve this mission, PIMMS' programs are designed so that educators:

  • Strengthen their command of subject matter;
  • Learn and utilize effective teaching strategies;
  • Understand the critical importance of their expectations for high achievement by all students; 
  • Develop their leadership qualities so that they can act as agents of change at the school, district and state levels; and
  • Are better prepared to infuse instructional technologies into the teaching and learning process.

In addition, PIMMS supports networks among PIMMS Fellows and others that foster collegiality and professional cooperation; and collaborates with many stake holders in a common effort to improve mathematics and science education.

Multiplying Success

The hallmark of PIMMS is its multiplier-effect. In the years following their participation, Fellows and other alumni offer consultation, workshops, and other inservice activities to colleagues in their districts and throughout the State. The scope of PIMMS professional development is extensive; annually more than 1500 teachers participate in PIMMS programs, and another 12,000 - 15,000 are involved in workshops and other outreach activities led by PIMMS Fellows and other alumni. As a result, over 150,000 CT students per year directly benefit from improved mathematics and science instruction.

A large number of the CT State finalists and national awardees for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and Science are PIMMS Fellows. Each year, several Fellows are nominated for school or district Teacher of the Year awards, and some have received the Milken Award, the Christa A. McAuliffe Fellowship, the CT Celebration of Excellence Award, and other recognitions for their excellence in teaching and for their leadership. Administrators actively recruit PIMMS Fellows for school and district leadership positions in mathematics and science. 

Programs

The scope and focus of PIMMS programs have changed over time as new areas of critical need have been identified. Currently, our professional development programs consist of the following:

  • On-site Professional Services
  • Early Childhood Mathematics and Science Leadership Institute
  • Mathematics and Science Content Workshops
  • Mathematics and Science Fellowship Programs

Click on a program to link to the Program Descriptions below.

Partnerships

PIMMS unique role is the result of its ever-expanding partnership with school districts and education associations, the CT State Departments of Education and Higher Education, the CT Academy for Education in Math, Science, and Technology, colleges and universities, private and corporate foundations, and business and industry.

Recognition

Educators statewide recognize PIMMS as the premier staff development program for mathematics and science teachers in CT. In October 2000, the CT Quality Improvement Partnership, the state-level program for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence, awarded PIMMS one of three Platinum Connecticut Innovation Prizes.

PIMMS Programs

On-site Professional Services
PIMMS staff and consultants provide customized professional development services to fit the educational goals of  teachers, schools, and districts.

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CONTENT WORKSHOPS:  
Workshops can vary in length and be offered at times convenient to your staff - summer or academic year. They are designed to increase teachers' content knowledge of mathematics and science, to promote the use of technology as an instructional tool, to improve teachers' instructional strategies in order to motivate student learning and increase student achievement, and to provide teachers with effective evaluation methods to assess progress and learning.

CONSULTANT SERVICES:
 PIMMS staff and consultants will provide on-site assistance, including

  • Program evaluation
  • Textbook selection
  • Curriculum development
  • New program implementation
  • Assistance in other areas

COACHING/MENTORING: PIMMS staff and consultants can

  • Conduct demonstration classes for teachers
  • Co-teach lessons
  • Consult with individual teachers as a colleague-coach
  • Conduct lesson study groups

Types of Science and Mathematics Content Workshops Offered Since 1986
Primary/Elementary Level:

  • Developing Number Sense Concepts
  • Strategies for Teaching Fractions and Decimals
  • Integrating Science and Literature Activities

Middle School Level:

  • Developing Algebraic Thinking
  • Discovery Approaches in Teaching Earth Science
  • Probability and Statistics

High School Level:

  • Chemistry and Biology Using the TI-83
  • Science Inquiry: Implications for Your Teaching
  • Data Driven Mathematics

For a more comprehensive list of Content Workshops previously offered by PIMMS, please visit our Workshops page.

Early Childhood Math and Science Leadership Institutes
In June of 2002, PIMMS received a grant from the CT Center for School Change to support the CT Early Childhood Mathematics and Science Leadership Institute. The primary goal of the project was to improve young children's development of mathematics and science concepts in order to increase their probability of future success in elementary school. To continue this work, PIMMS was awarded a grant from the Braitmayer Foundation for the 2005-06 Leadership Institute. READ MORE

Mathematics and Science Fellowship Programs
Beginning in 1984 with the Vanguard Science and Mathematics Fellowship programs, PIMMS has conducted 40 programs for educators K-12 in Mathematics, Science, and Technology. More than 600 Fellows have graduated from these multi-year Institutes who have impacted countless children and educators to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and science throughout the state.