Rivera Leading 4-Year Teacher Credentialing Program in Math

“I want SJSU to be known as the academic institution that cultivates a community of undergraduate students who are dedicated to shaping the future through mathematics teaching.”

Ferdinand Rivera, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Professor Ferdinand Rivera has been awarded a $250,000 grant to develop a four-year Integrated Bachelor of Arts/Single Subject Credential in Mathematics (SJSU BA/SSC Mathematics) at SJSU.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which awarded the grant, is looking to SJSU to develop and implement an innovative model that is the first of its kind; that is, a subject matter-driven teacher preparation program. Graduates will represent a new generation of middle and high school mathematics teachers who understand how to use improvement science so that all students learn math rigorously, coherently, and meaningfully.

“The larger educational community will be provided with cadres of SJSU graduates who are capable of teaching 21st century skills and know how to implement new math standards in diverse classrooms,” Dr. Rivera explains.

The program also provides SJSU with an opportunity to institutionalize recommendations from decades of research on how best to train future teachers at the undergraduate level. “I want SJSU to be known as the academic institution that cultivates a community of undergraduate students who are dedicated to shaping the future through mathematics teaching,” states Dr. Rivera.

Dr. Rivera is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Science.

2017