"Diagnostic Teacher Assessments in Mathematics and Science (DTAMS)"
Dr. William S. Bush
In 2002, Dr. William S. Bush and his colleagues at U of L received funding to create a center that focused on mathematics and science education. The initial funds were used to develop sets of mathematics assessments for elementary and middle grades teachers of mathematics, entitled Diagnostic Teacher Assessments in Mathematics and Science (DTAMS). The types of teacher knowledge assessed included: understanding of important mathematics and science concepts, skills, and generalizations; ability to perform important mathematics and scientific skills; ability to reason and solve problems in mathematics and science; and pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics and science. Over the past six years, a large number of elementary and middle school teachers have taken the DTAMS. Last year, the group received funding at U of L from Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) to revise the middle grades DTAMS so that the assessments align better with the new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and the accompanying Mathematical Practices. A proposal to revise the elementary DTAMS is currently under review at IES.
