About

Who are We?

The Center for Mathematics Professional Learning and Educational Training (COMPLETE Center) is a joint center between the College of Education and the College of Science that provide a collaborative network of STEM faculty that provide outreach and professional development by bringing together a consortium of school district leaders, GMU Faculty and students, national experts, non-profit organizations and business partners. COMPLETE has secured $4.3 million of funded projects to support innovative mathematics teaching and learning initiatives from 2008-2024.

Objectives:

• Develop STEM based educational programs for students and teachers to solve real-world problems that focus on Data Science Literacy, Mathematical Modeling and 21st Century Skills including critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity, careers, technology and innovation.

• Provide sustained, intensive and high-quality K-12 teacher mathematics professional development through systemic approach that provides unique opportunities for students to increase their knowledge and access to rigorous curriculum and assessment aligned to the standards of learning.

• Provide targeted opportunities for meaningful mathematics learning to underrepresented populations in the Northern Virginia area to increase the academic achievement of Limited English Proficient and economically disadvantaged students through academic opportunities and advocacy through Undergraduate Mentors and Family Advocacy in STEM Education Initiative.

• Develop a GMU e-Learning technology infrastructure that provides global classrooms for teachers and students through content-focused mathematics education technology modules.
  
• Collaborate with national and international teams of educators as outreach to improve STEM education for teacher professional development and student learning
  

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Joint Center between College of Education and College of Science

COMPLETE Co-directors

Project Co-Investigators/Collaborators at GMU

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Funded Projects

COMPLETE has secured $4.3 million to support innovative mathematics teaching and learning initiatives from 2008-2024.
Funded projects include

Principal Investigator, EQ STEMM: Collaborative Research: Advancing Equity and Strengthening Teaching with Elementary Mathematical Modeling – National Science Foundation- Duration: 5/15/20-4/30/2024  $698,030 (GMU’s award)
This collaborative DRK12 grant with a targeted partnership between faculty from four institutions, GMU(Virginia), MSU (Montana), the University of Arizona, the University of Washington with school divisions, and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS – VA). The proposed work will engage elementary (grades K-8) mathematics teachers, special educators, and teachers of students with English Language Learners to develop Mathematical modeling concepts aligned with Common Core mathematics content, classroom strategies, and student assessment standards. Promoting equitable participation of diverse learners in mathematical modeling in the early grades is the focus of this grant.

Principal Investigator, Bridging for Math Strength- Virginia Department of Education. Duration: 4/01/21-6/30/2022  $$197,207
This project partnership with George Mason University and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is to offer strength-based formative assessment and bridging activities to support instruction for K-8 students. We recruited teacher designers from across school districts in Virginia to co-design these modules. Teacher designers spent their summer designing these bridging activities and refined the modules by piloting them in their classrooms.

Co-Principal Investigator, Green STEAM: Building an outdoor sustainability program.Institute for a Sustainable Earth, George Mason University 
Duration: 07/31/2019 – 01/31/2021   $40,000
This grant funds professional development through a three-credit graduate course, taught by seasoned environmental education teachers, where teachers will meet monthly to design and reflect on curricular approaches. Project teachers will enact these Green STEM approaches with support from GMU pre-service teacher interns and will integrate a curriculum that includes a daily outdoor component. In addition, family “STEAM night” events will facilitate parents how to engage in STEAM-related conversations and topics with their children.

Principal Investigator, IMMERSION: Integrating Mathematical Modeling, Experiential learning, and Research through a Sustainable Infrastructure and an Online Network for Elementary Teachers National Science Foundation- Duration: 9/01/2014-8/31/2021  $1,299,959
This proposal is a STEM-C targeted partnership between faculty from three institutions, GMU(Virginia), HMC (California) and MSU (Montana), with school divisions, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS – VA), Pomona Unified School District (PUSD – CA) and Bozeman Public Schools (BSD- MT). The proposed work will engage elementary (grades K-8) mathematics teachers, special educators, and teachers of students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to develop Mathematical modeling concepts aligned with Common Core mathematics content, classroom strategies, and student assessment standards. Targeting 80 teachers and coaches in Fairfax County Public Schools

Principal Investigator, TRANSITIONS: Transforming Mathematics Instruction Through Best Teaching Practices.         Virginia Department of Education          3/2017-9/ 2018    $402,870    
This grant funds professional development of teachers in grades K-8 to focus on teaching practices and showcase their enactment of problem based learning tasks aligned to the 2016 SOL and demonstrates pictures of practices of the high leverage teaching practices. 

Principal Investigator, SPARK STEM: Integrating Scientific and Mathematical Modeling in the Elementary Grades (Co-PIs: Dr. Andrew Gilbert & Dr. Padhu Seshaiyer)
State Council for Higher Education- Duration: 7/1/2017-9/30/18                                     $125,456.00
This grant is a STEM Teaching Initiative that aims to spark the interest of elementary students in the investigative and inquiry process of problem-based learning. The project will involve 60 coaches and teachers in curriculum design of STEM PBLs that focus on scientific and mathematical modeling to solve real-world problems. 

Principal Investigator, TRANSITIONS: Transforming Mathematics Instruction Through Mathematical Modeling, Algebraic Thinking and Proportional Reasoning. Teaching            
Virginia Department of Education          March 2015-September 2018
Total: $711, 114 from the sponsor to support this MSP proposal: $243,218 (Year 1), $246, 233 (Year 2) and $221, 663 (Year 3).  (Co-PI: Seshaiyer and Research Associate: Frank & Baker)
This Mathematics Science Partnership is between faculty from the COMPLETE Center at George Mason University (GMU) and nine school divisions that include seven continuing partners Arlington County, Frederick County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, Manassas City, Prince William County, Virginia Council for Private Education, Manassas Park and Roanoke Public Schools. Targeting 90 teachers, 30 coaches and 15 administrators each year for a total of 405 educators over the three years with an average of twelve Lesson Studies per year. 

Research Faculty, Partnership for Greater Mathematics Success. (PI, Dr. Toya Frank,  Democracy Prep Charter School). August 2016. District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Duration: 8/1/2016-9/30/2017. ($47,131) Targeting twenty teachers in Kindergarten through Fifth grade.
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer- COS)

Developing Rational Numbers and Proportional Reasoning through Math Modeling and Performance-Based Assessments: Teaching and Assessing Virginia’s 2009 6-8 Mathematics Standards of Learning
Virginia Department of Education. March 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015   Funded Amount: $211,456
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer– COS)

Building Number, Number Sense and Computational Fluency through Math Modeling and Performance-Based Assessments: Teaching and Assessing Virginia’s 2009 3-5 Mathematics Standards of Learning
Virginia Department of Education. March 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015   Funded Amount: $199,363
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer– COS)

Developing Rational Numbers and Proportional Reasoning through Math Models and Performance-Based Assessments: Teaching and Assessing Virginia’s 6-8 Mathematics Standards of Learning
Virginia Department of Education. March 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014   Funded Amount: $246,696
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer– COS)

Building Number and Number Sense through Math Models and Performance Based Assessment: Teaching and Assessing Virginia’s 2009 K-2 Mathematical Standards of Learning

Virginia Department of Education March 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014   Funded Amount: $246,696

Principal Investigator
ESTEEM for 21st Century Skills for Problem-based Learning
Source of Support: State Council for Higher Education in VA
Total Award Amount: $175,000 Total Award Period: 07/01/2013 – 09/30/2014This grant will be used to fund a 2013-2043 NCLB project with four districts in Virginia focused on Problem-based STEM topics in mathematics that encourage 21st century skills: 4Cs Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication and Collaboration.
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer COS)

VA STEM CoNNECT
US Department of Education, March 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014 $39,852
Co-Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. Seshaiyer– COS)

Designing Assessment in the Middle Grades: Geometry and Algebraic Thinking
Virginia Department of Education: Mathematics Science Partnership,
Source of Support: VA Department of Education Prime Source: US DoEducation
Total Award Amount: $222,040 Total Award Period: 04/01/2012 – 09/30/2013

Submitted Grants Under Review

Grant Submitted (Up to date March 2024)

Principal Investigator,  FIT FOR EQUITY
National Science Foundation- ITTEST for funding period 8/1/24-7/31/26           

Total Award Amount: $434,522. 

Framework for Integrating Technology for Equity (FIT for Equity) is an exploratory project (Level II) in the teaching strand for elementary mathematics. FIT for Equity will develop teachers’ capacity to use technology in transformative ways to advance equity, particularly for underserved student populations in the mathematics classroom.

Co Project Investigator. Collaborative Research: Fostering Mathematical Modeling via Collaborative Problem Solving in Large Language Model-Simulated Virtual Classrooms

National Science Foundation- RITEL for funding Pedriod 08/2024-08/2027

*Total Award Amount: $548,453

Overall Objectives: Motivated by the need to increase middle school students’ opportunities to engage in effective learning of mathematical modeling, and inspired by the promise of Large Language Models (LLMs).  It will study building a virtual classroom containing multiple LLM-simulated student characters as peer collaborators for training (human) students’ mathematical modeling skills. This is a high impact and multi-disciplinary research covering the areas of Natural Language Processing, Human-Computer Interaction, and Mathematics Education.

Co Project Investigator. Pathways to diverse family engagement through community-based design planning in informal STEM

National Science Foundation- AISL for funding Pedriod 08/2024-07/2027

*Total Award Amount: $685,318.00

The proposal titled Pathways to diverse family engagement through community-based design planning in informal STEM is an Integrating Research and Practice project that will expand access and opportunity for informal STEM learning with diverse families from traditionally underserved communities. This project represents a long-standing partnership between George Mason University and the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation that operates the Children’s Science Center Lab in Fairfax, VA. This effort will address key practitioner-driven questions regarding the long-running Family Science Night (FSN) program, where center staff deliver STEM experiences at various community sites across northern Virginia