Co-creating the Math Education Curriculum and the Jackson Center for Excellence in Teacher Preparation

• In Event: Count Me In: An HBCU P-20 Research-Practice Partnership to Build Math Teacher Pathways

Abstract

Putting an effective, multi-institutional partnership into practice is difficult but very rewarding work. The Jackson State University team leveraged a series of existing relationships that began to coalesce around a shared educational concern – teacher shortages in mathematics. Between Fall 2020–Spring 2023, JSU had a total of six math education undergraduate degrees conferred. As the Mississippi IHE that produces nearly 60% of teachers in the JPS district, we all recognized a major problem that needed to be addressed.

This presentation will focus on the strategies used to formalize the JSU–JPS and MS State Department of Education’s Memorandum of Understanding, which laid the foundation for the creation of a District of Innovation special program – Count Me In: Future Teachers of Mathematics. In this session, one of the team leaders will share the co-creation process used to develop the dual enrollment program, the modified Math Education (Algebra/Geometry Track) Curriculum, the challenges associated with funding the implementation, as well as the broad concept for a new Jackson Center for Excellence in Educator Preparation and Research, which will be the mechanism through which future education research challenges will be addressed within the context of the research-practice partnership.

Beyond its immediate impact, this work contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on research-practice partnerships, curriculum co-design, and innovative teacher preparation pipelines. The initiative represents a scalable model for addressing persistent STEM teacher shortages through local, sustainable pathways that begin in high school and are supported through college graduation and into the teaching profession.
This work has the potential to significantly influence the teacher pipeline by creating accessible, culturally responsive, and community-driven pathways into the teaching profession. By embedding this model within an HBCU context, the project also directly supports the diversification of the teacher workforce—an urgent national priority. HBCUs, like Jackson State University, play a pivotal role in the development of Black educators, particularly in high-need content areas such as mathematics. Their historical mission, cultural assets, and deep community ties make them uniquely equipped to design equity-focused, asset-based educator preparation programs. As such, this work underscores the essential role of HBCUs not only as teacher preparation institutions but also as innovation hubs that are leading critical transformation in educator development and research.

Author

• Tony T. Latiker, Jackson State University