History of the Program
Since 1992, the SESAME program in the mathematics department at the University of Chicago has offered a full range of courses leading to Illinois State Endorsement for the teaching of mathematics in the middle grades. A similar program for science endorsement was started in 2001.
All of the courses in SESAME place a strong emphasis on content and the conceptual foundations of the subject along with strategies and pedagogical techniques for bringing this content to the classroom. The teachers continually work together in small groups to provide appropriate interaction with their peers. The program emphasizes, to a great extent, inquiry-based learning or the discovery method so that the teachers learn to employ this technique in their classrooms.
The mathematics endorsement program requires three general education courses: Early Adolescent Psychology; Middle Grade Curriculum, Philosophy, and Instructional Methods; and Methods of Teaching Mathematics Grades 6 - 8. Also, five additional courses must be selected from the following list: Algebra, Calculus, Computer Science, Geometry, History of Mathematics, Mathematical Strategies, Number Theory, and Probability and Statistics. SESAME has also offered advanced level courses such as Advanced Geometry and Advanced Number Theory. As part of the Chicago Public Schools Algebra Initiative, courses in Algebra II and Algebra III will be offered as well.
To date, SESAME has involved approximately 1200 teachers from more than 150 Chicago Public Schools. A significant number of these teachers have received state endorsement in the teaching of mathematics and science.
The ultimate goal is to have every teacher in the Chicago Public Schools who teaches mathematics and/or science in the middle grades to have the appropriate endorsement from the State of Illinois. Perhaps even more important is the goal to provide knowledgeable teachers who can deliver subject matter to middle grade students in a highly effective way.
In addition to fulfilling the requirements of Illinois State Endorsement, SESAME courses may also be applied towards CPS Lane Advancement and recertification.