Coaching last year helped Clarksdale team to state finals
OXFORD, Miss. – As a product of Clarksdale’s public schools, Donyell
Myles remembers the challenges he and other students faced in their
pursuit of a higher education.
“Growing up in Clarksdale, I know that resources there are extremely
limited,” said the senior engineering major at the University of
Mississippi. “I have always wanted to give back to the community that I
know and love despite the bad reputation it has developed over the
years.”
In late 2008, Myles found the perfect opportunity to do just that,
which resulted in an exciting outcome and a longer commitment, he said.
Myles, this year’s president of the campus chapter of the National
Society of Black Engineers, learned about MathCounts, a national
enrichment, coaching and competition program that promotes middle
school mathematics achievement, through the UM School of Engineering
and the Center for Mathematics and Science Education. Myles established
a service project and drove to Clarksdale to help students practice
math problems and prepare for the upcoming MathCounts competition.
The annual competition features the challenges of a school sporting
event and begins with school and regional matches that lead to state
and national finals. The northeast and northwest Mississippi regional
events are held each February on UM’s Oxford campus.
Doris Crawford, central office administrator of the Clarksdale
Municipal School District; Scott Dennis, MathCounts coach at Oakhurst
Middle School; and Angela Griffin, MathCounts coach at W.A . Higgins
Junior High School, brought students to campus for the 2009 northwest
regional competition.
They scored well in the regional competition, and Myles continued
coaching the team to prepare them for the state finals in March at
Hinds Community College.
“Seeing the excitement of the children and realizing what this meant to
them was so rewarding,” he said. “To know that they were successful in
the regionals and made it to the statewide competition really says a
lot about them and has made me very proud.”
Myles and other Ole Miss engineering majors are preparing
Clarksdale students for the next MathCounts competition at UM,
scheduled Feb. 20.
Crawford said the teachers and parents of the students are grateful for
UM’s involvement and support of mathematics education there. Activities
include after-school tutorials and math sessions, classroom
instruction, “Math’s Cool” video-based instruction and peer tutoring.
“Through the various math programs that Ole Miss offers, these
competitions and activities have helped our students achieve math goals
throughout the year,” Crawford said. “Students are studying more and
really paying attention to math. Their test scores are proficient or
advanced, they are mastering math objectives and goals, and they are
able to effectively communicate math concepts.”
John O’Haver, director of the Center for Mathematics and Science
Education, said the middle-school years are when many students lose
interest in mathematics and lag behind in performance. “The center
operates on the belief that retaining student interest through programs
like MathCounts is a critical component to improving mathematics
education in Mississippi.”
MathCounts is sponsored across the country by the National
Society of Professional Engineers and locally by the Mississippi
Engineering Society. The northeast and northwest Mississippi regional
co-coordinators are O’Haver; Maxine Woolsey, education outreach
specialist in the School of Engineering; and Sam DeLeeuw, professor
emeritus of civil engineering.
DeLeeuw, who has worked with MathCounts at UM for 27 years, said he is
grateful for his involvement with the program. “Seeing the students’
smiles as they are recognized for their achievements has truly been
enjoyable for me. Knowing that the university has received positive
exposure for its involvement in the program is also gratifying.”
Four-member teams of seventh- and eighth-graders representing about 20
schools will participate in the written phase of the upcoming
competition at UM. Two concurrent afternoon sessions of oral
competition are open to the public, followed by an awards ceremony
recognizing individual and team winners.
“This semester, we plan on taking a much more direct approach, visiting
the schools as much as possible,” Myles said. “We believe our kids have
what it takes to win the entire competition at both the regional and
state levels.”
Materials are being shipped to all public, private and parochial
schools with a seventh and/or eighth grade and every school that
participated in the 2008-2009 program. Ole Miss engineering students
are available to help teachers coach and tutor students wishing to
participate.
For more information about MathCounts, visit http://www.mathcounts.org or contact Maxine Woolsey at mwoolsey@olemiss.edu.