{"id":606,"date":"2021-03-30T15:29:24","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T15:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/?page_id=606"},"modified":"2023-03-29T18:11:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T18:11:36","slug":"history-of-empower","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/how-is-empower-different\/history-of-empower\/","title":{"rendered":"History of EMPower"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Extending Mathematical Power (EMPower<sup>TM<\/sup>)<\/em>\u00a0was created to integrate the best of K-12 mathematics education reform into the field of education for adults and out-of-school youth.\u00a0<em>EMPower<\/em>\u00a0was designed especially for students who return for a second chance at an education. <em>EMPower<\/em> was developed with funding from the National Science Foundation. Over the course of four years (2000-2004), a collaboration of teachers and researchers with expertise in adult numeracy education and K-12 mathematics reform developed\u00a0<em>EMPower<\/em>. Teachers from Arizona, Maine, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Tennessee piloted lessons. From 2012-2013, teachers in New York piloted revised\u00a0<em>EMPower<\/em>\u00a0lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<em>EMPower<\/em>\u00a0book series was first published in 2005\u20132006. In 2016, three of the\u00a0<em>EMPower<\/em>\u00a0titles\u00a0(<em>Using Benchmarks<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Split It Up<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>Everyday Number Sense<\/em>) were updated and enhanced into\u00a0<em>EMPower Plus<\/em>. All titles in the series\u00a0align with the\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/lincs.ed.gov\/publications\/pdf\/CCRStandardsAdultEd.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>EMPower<\/em> Authors<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"accordion\" id=\"accordion-31\"><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card-header\" id=\"headingfaq-762\">\n\t\t\t\t        <h5 class=\"mb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t          <button class=\"btn btn-link\" type=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#collapsefaq-762\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsefaq-762\">\n\t\t\t\t            Mary Jane Schmitt\n\t\t\t\t          <\/button>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <div id=\"collapsefaq-762\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingfaq-762\" data-parent=\"#accordion-31\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"card-body\"><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-588 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/MJ_web.jpg\" alt=\"MJ photo\" width=\"163\" height=\"222\" \/>Mary Jane Schmitt, MEd, was the founder and first director of the Adult Numeracy Center at AV巴士. She was involved with adult numeracy\u2014the intersection of the fields of adult education and mathematics education\u2014for over 30 years. She taught and developed mathematics programs in Massachusetts and nationally. Both her doctoral work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and curriculum development work focused on inquiry into the nature of adults&#8217; mathematical thinking.<\/p>\n<p>She was active in helping to establish the <a href=\"https:\/\/adultnumeracynetwork.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adult Numeracy Network<\/a>, an at-large affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She believed ABE\/GED programs can be sites for communities of learners (teachers and students) to more effectively engage with the mathematical demands of society. She was the recipient of the 2004 COABE Kenneth J. Mattran Award, given to individuals who has a distinguished record of achievement in promoting literacy at the national or international level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t    <\/div><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card-header\" id=\"headingfaq-713\">\n\t\t\t\t        <h5 class=\"mb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t          <button class=\"btn btn-link\" type=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#collapsefaq-713\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsefaq-713\">\n\t\t\t\t            Myriam Steinback\n\t\t\t\t          <\/button>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <div id=\"collapsefaq-713\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingfaq-713\" data-parent=\"#accordion-31\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"card-body\"><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-565 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Myriam-S.png\" alt=\"Myriam Steinbeck\" width=\"166\" height=\"199\" \/>Myriam Steinback, PhD, has taught mathematics at the community college and college levels and worked with teachers and prospective teachers on mathematics content and pedagogy for many years. At AV巴士, she was co-director of the EMPower project. She directed the Investigations Workshops for Transforming Mathematics, a professional development project for K-5 teachers, leaders, math specialists; and administrators implementing the Investigations in Number, Data and Space curriculum developed at AV巴士. Her work with schools includes parents who want and need to know the math their children are learning so they can support them at home. She sees the same issues and challenges that other out-of-school youth and adult learners of math face: lack of confidence in their ability to do math, reluctance about being able to understand enough to help their children, and ideas about &#8216;not having a math brain&#8217;. She believes that learning is a lifelong process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t    <\/div><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card-header\" id=\"headingfaq-605\">\n\t\t\t\t        <h5 class=\"mb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t          <button class=\"btn btn-link\" type=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#collapsefaq-605\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsefaq-605\">\n\t\t\t\t            Tricia Donovan\n\t\t\t\t          <\/button>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <div id=\"collapsefaq-605\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingfaq-605\" data-parent=\"#accordion-31\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"card-body\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-563 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Tricia-Donovan-213x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tricia Donovan\" width=\"170\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Tricia-Donovan-213x300.jpg 213w, https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Tricia-Donovan.jpg 305w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/>Tricia Donovan became a GED instructor in 1988, and worked for World Education as a Training and Development Specialist. Over the years, she participated and led work in practitioner research projects and coordinated numerous mathematics training sessions and study groups for teachers from Massachusetts and elsewhere. She also served as the editor of The Problem Solver, a mathematics newsletter, for many years. Tricia received her doctorate in teacher education and curriculum studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focus was on epistemological change resulting from curriculum influences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t    <\/div><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card-header\" id=\"headingfaq-221\">\n\t\t\t\t        <h5 class=\"mb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t          <button class=\"btn btn-link\" type=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#collapsefaq-221\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsefaq-221\">\n\t\t\t\t            Martha Merson\n\t\t\t\t          <\/button>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <div id=\"collapsefaq-221\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingfaq-221\" data-parent=\"#accordion-31\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"card-body\"><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-562 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Martha-242x300.jpg\" alt=\"Martha Merson\" width=\"188\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Martha-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/Martha.jpg 456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 188px) 100vw, 188px\" \/>Martha Merson has worked in adult basic education since 1988. She was the co-PI and project director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/sfa.terc.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Statistics for Action<\/em><\/a> project at AV巴士. She contributed to the development of Mixing in Math activities and training resources for afterschool leaders and librarians serving elementary school aged children. Merson has taught all levels of adult basic education learners and trained volunteers for the Center for Literacy in Philadelphia and then provided staff development on math, social studies, and science and writing through the Adult Literacy Resource Institute, Boston Regional System for Adult Basic Education Support Center. Martha holds an MS in organizational leadership and curriculum instruction from the University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t    <\/div><div class=\"card\"><div class=\"card-header\" id=\"headingfaq-439\">\n\t\t\t\t        <h5 class=\"mb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t          <button class=\"btn btn-link\" type=\"button\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#collapsefaq-439\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsefaq-439\">\n\t\t\t\t            Donna Curry\n\t\t\t\t          <\/button>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <div id=\"collapsefaq-439\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingfaq-439\" data-parent=\"#accordion-31\">\n\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"card-body\"><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-587 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/donna_side_web-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"Donna Curry\" width=\"201\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/donna_side_web-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/donna_side_web.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px\" \/>Donna Curry is an educator, curriculum developer, and professional development specialist with nearly 40 years of experience in adult education. For many years, she has focused on math standards development at the national level (Equipped for the Future National Standards and Standards-in-Action projects) and at the state level (including states such as Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Ohio). She has also worked on the National Science Foundation EMPower project and served as co-director for the NSF <em>Teachers Investigating Adult Numeracy<\/em> (<a href=\"http:\/\/terc.edu\/tian\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TIAN<\/a>) project. She co-developed and implemented the Adult Numeracy Initiative (ANI) project along with Mary Jane Schmitt. She is also the Director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sabes.org\/pd-center\/math-numeracy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SABES Mathematics and Adult Numeracy Curriculum &amp; Instruction PD Center<\/a>, which provides professional development to adult education teachers in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t      <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t    <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AV巴士<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>AV巴士&nbsp;is a&nbsp;nonprofit&nbsp;made up of teams of math and science education and research experts dedicated to innovation and creative problem solving.&nbsp;At the frontier of theory and practice, AV巴士\u2019s work encompasses research, content and curriculum development, technology innovation, professional development, and program evaluation.&nbsp;AV巴士 has a passion for&nbsp;social justice&nbsp;and strives to create level playing fields for all learners, reaching more than three million students every year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more, please visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.terc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.terc.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/faqs\/empower-authors\/\">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":591,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-606","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1116,"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/606\/revisions\/1116"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.terc.edu\/empower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}