Carol Piercy

TIMSS Issues High School Results | Community Education Kit Now Available | California Mathematics Standards: An Update | Textbook Update: | News Bytes: | CPM Report Card Earns High Marks | New Resources to Meet California State Math Standards | Classroom Corner: | Where Is Everybody? CPM Statistics Nationwide | University Credit for CPM Courses? Yes! | Rumors and Half-Truths | Researchers Trace Nation's TIMSS Showing to 'Basics' | Carol PiercyCPM March 1998 Newsletter

CPM March 1998 Newsletter

TIMSS Issues High School Results

The third and final portion of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report was issued on Tuesday, February 24th.
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The 1997 winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Secondary Mathematics Teaching from the state of California was recently announced: Carol Piercy from Clovis, CA.Additionally, the 1997 secondary finalists honored for PAEMT in California were Vic Hovsepian (South), Piercy (Central) and Michael Serra (North).
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Piercy is a graduate of Corcoran High School, CA.She earned a full scholarship to Stanford University and received a bachelor's degree in Economics.She later earned a master's degree in Agriculture and Resource Economics from Oregon State.After working several years in the private sector, Carol changed careers and began teaching mathematics.Eleven years later, she is now teaching at Alta Sierra Intermediate, Clovis, CA.

Carol joins an illustrious list of national finalists from California who use CPM curriculum: the 1996 winner was Michelle Ducey, CPM teacher-leader from Visalia, CA., and the 1995 winner was Marlys Brimmer, CPM teacher from Bakersfield, CA.
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Carol began using the CPM curriculum in her 7th and 8th grade classes back in 1991.She has participated in the workshop series for both Math 1 and Math 2 and is currently a Math 1 teacher-leader in the Fresno, CA area.She has had tremendous success with her students, especially with respect to the Golden State Exam.She feels that the CPM curriculum has been part of her success."CPM has made a significant impact on my teaching," she notes."It has been great to have such a powerful curriculum that challenges students to be fearless problem solvers."

Piercy and the other state finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. in early June for a reception with President Clinton.Along with the national recognition, she receives a $7500.00 award for her school.

Congratulations to Carol for the outstanding job that she describes as "pumping up students' potential" through her inspiring methods of instruction at Alta Sierra Intermediate.She is an outstanding representative of quality mathematics instruction using the CPM curriculum.

Carol Piercy, an eighth-grade teacher at Alta Sierra Intermediate School, was shocked to hear stories about young people getting depressed and quitting college over debt.She was inspired to create a three-week program about credit for her students.
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Piercy ends the program with a lesson called "The Big Mess" in which an 18-year-old has racked up $14,000 in debt by buying new clothes and taking a weekend trip to Tahoe.It's always an eye opener for her students, she says.

"They never realized how debt can get out of control so fast," Piercy says."They had no idea."

She also teaches them the effects of paying only the minimum.Take a balance of $2,000 on a card with an 18% interest rate.

Coach: Carol Piercy