School-Based Communities of Practice as Mechanisms for Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum Implementation

Abstract

In this article, we draw upon Remillard and Bryans’ (2004) categorization of curriculum use in observations of two middle-grade teachers’ integration of Standards-based curriculum materials (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1989, 2000). Each teacher participated in a two-year professional development program focused on increasing content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, as well as fostering the development of communities of practice within each school site. We introduce the design of the professional development program to explain how the design supported each teacher's use of Standards-based curriculum materials. Results indicated that the existence of site-based communities of practice established during the professional development program afforded one teacher continued opportunities to reflect upon and critique her instructional decisions, whereas the lack of a community of practice at another school site served to limit the integration of Standards-based materials.