Middle Math Institutes
The CMSE Middle Math Institutes are designed to engage educators in dissecting, understanding, and making connections to the mathematics content taught in grades 6-8. Participants will gain conceptual understanding of the mathematics across all domains taught in the middle grades, learn to make connections to students’ previously learned mathematics skills, and explore strategies to effectively engage students in the mathematics learning process. Educators will be eligible for 2.4 CEUs for each content institute.
Successful completion of all four institutes will allow Mississippi educators to apply for a Supplemental Endorsement in Middle-Level Mathematics (Endorsement Code – 901).
Number System, Ratios, & Proportions
Expressions, Equations, & Functions
Geometry
Statistics & Probability
Online: Fall 2025
In-Person: Summer 2024
Online: Spring 2024
In-Person: Summer 2024
Online: Fall 2024
In-Person: Summer 2024
Online: Spring 2025
In-Person: Summer 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement
The CMSE Middle Math Institutes were designed and proposed to the Mississippi Department of Education to serve as an alternative pathway to obtain a Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement (901). This pathway is available to any educator who holds a valid Mississippi teaching license regardless of current endorsements.
For many years, the Mississippi Department of Education issued grants to fund math and science professional development institutes through the Math Science Partnership (MSP) funding that was appropriated through the No Child Left Behind federal legislation. MSP projects throughout the state provided an opportunity for elementary and special education teachers to add supplemental endorsements in middle level mathematics or science by completing project components. These programs ended in 2018, leaving Praxis and mathematics coursework as the only pathways for educators to add a supplemental endorsement in middle level mathematics (901).
This program was approved by the MDE Certification Commission at its meeting on May 7, 2021. It was then submitted to and approved by the Mississippi State Board of Education as an approved program that would lead to a supplemental Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement at their meeting on June 17, 2021 (Agenda Item IX.5.O.A).
When all four courses have been successfully completed, participants will receive a certificate of completion. Participants should apply for the endorsement through their ELMS account which can be accessed through the Mississippi Department of Education website.
Participants will be eligible to receive 2.4 CEUs at the completion of each content institute. If all four institutes are completed, the participant may earn a total of 9.6 CEUs and be eligible to apply for a supplemental Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement (901).
- The Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement (901) will allow an educator to teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade mathematics. The specific middle school courses that can be taught with the Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement (901) include:
- Mathematics Grade 6
- Course 270101: CCR Math Grade 7
- Course 270710: CCR Compacted Math Grade 7
- Course 270720: CCR Math Grade 8
Eighth grade compacted math (Course 270721) and Algebra I (Course 270404) are NOT included in the list of courses that can be taught with a Middle Level Mathematics Endorsement (901). More information about endorsements needed to teach specific courses can be found on the MDE webpage: Approved Courses for the Secondary Schools of Mississippi
Each course is designed as a stand-alone institute, and the content is identical across both instructional platforms (online and in-person). Therefore, participants may complete the institutes in any order and through either virtual or in-person modalities. For example, a teacher may choose to complete one virtual institute each semester during the academic year and then take the remaining two institutes in-person during the summer.
At this time, only one institute will be offered at any point in time.
This pathway is available to any educator who holds a valid Mississippi teaching license regardless of current endorsements. Any currently licensed educator may participate in the institutes.
Teachers who are interested in adding on the supplemental endorsement for middle grades mathematics must complete all four content institutes to be eligible for the endorsement. Current middle grade mathematics teachers may choose to participate in one or more institutes to deepen their knowledge of specific middle grades mathematics content.
Questions about the Institutes
The CMSE Middle Math Institutes were approved by MDE in Summer 2021 and were launched with the first online institute (Number Systems, Ratios, and Proportions) in Fall 2021. The initial roll out of these institutes will be as follows:
- Number System, Ratios, & Proportions (online Fall 2021)
- Expressions, Equations, and Functions (online Spring 2022)
- Geometry (in-person Summer 2022)
- Statistics and Probability (in-person Summer 2022)
After this initial roll out of each institute, these will be offered on a recurring basis as outlined below:
- Online Institutes
- Number System, Ratios, & Proportions (Fall of odd-numbered years)
- Expressions, Equations, and Functions (Spring of even-numbered years)
- Geometry (Fall of even-numbered years)
- Statistics & Probability (Spring of odd-numbered years)
- In-Person Institutes
- All four institutes will be offered each summer beginning Summer 2023.
- Online institutes will take place over 8 weeks during the academic year, and require 3 hours of engagement each week. This will be made up of a combination of synchronous virtual class sessions (via Zoom) and asynchronous assignments (via Canvas).
- In-person institutes take place over four consecutive days (6 hours each day) in the summer. The in-person institutes will be held at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, MS.
Each institute will focus on specific content domains as outlined in the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Mathematics for grades 6-8. The four content institutes include:
More information about the specific content in each course can be found on each institute webpage.
Institutes will be offered virtually during the academic year and in-person during the summer.
Each virtual institute will take place over eight weeks and will be offered using the Canvas learning management system and will include weekly assignments and weekly live instruction & discussions via Zoom.
Each in-person institute will take place over four consecutive days in the summer (June/July) and will include the same content as offered in the virtual institute.
Like all CMSE professional development, participants will be challenged to extend their current level of understanding of content, effective teaching practices, and strategies for student thinking. Since the CMSE Middle Math Institutes can lead to a supplemental content endorsement, participants will be expected to provide evidence of content knowledge development. Thus all assignments and assessments must be completed and provide evidence of adequate content knowledge to successfully teach middle level mathematics.
Each institute includes 24 instructional hours for a total of 96 instructional hours for all four institutes. For the virtual institutes, the content is spread out over eight weeks with approximately 3 hours of engagement expected each week. In-person institutes will be completed over four consecutive days with six hours of instruction each day.
Expectations for each institute include
- reading relevant articles,
- engaging in class discussions,
- explaining problem solving processes,
- analyzing student mathematical thinking, and
- exploring high quality instructional materials related to the content of the institute.
No, participants will not have to take the Praxis exam after completing the institutes. However, participants will be asked to take a content assessment at the beginning and end of each institute to measure learning outcomes.
Questions about Costs & CEUs
The registration fee for each content institute is $450.
Participants can earn 2.4 CEUs for completing all required components of each institute. Educators who complete all four content institutes will earn a total of 9.6 CEUs.
Each content institute has a registration fee of $450. Currently, there are no grants or scholarships available to assist with this cost.
Payments can be made via school/district purchase order, credit/debit card, personal check, or money order.
The CMSE Middle Math Institutes are not university courses, but rather a professional development program with a focus on middle school mathematics content. University credit is not available and the institutes will not be reflected on academic transcripts.