Alma Ramirez

Professional Title
Senior Research Associate, Co-PI
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
Alma Ramirez is a Senior Research Associate for WestEd's Math Pathways & Pitfalls project.

Ramirez co-directs Math Pathways & Pitfalls, and is one of the co-principal investigators for a project to develop online professional development modules, funded by the National Science Foundation. Ramirez also was responsible for the professional development of teachers in a national research study funded by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, Ramirez is one of the authors of Math Pathways & Pitfalls: Lessons and Teaching Manual for grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-8, published by WestEd.

In 2009, Ramirez and her Math Pathways & Pitfalls colleagues received the Award for Exceptional Contribution to the WestEd Community.

She has been a classroom teacher for 10 years. In addition to teaching elementary school as a bilingual teacher, as well as serving as a middle school bilingual mathematics and science teacher, she has been a mathematics methods instructor at the New College of California, a Family Math Mentor for the Lawrence Hall of Science, and a teacher-leader and case discussion facilitator for the Math Case Methods Project.

Ramirez has co-led numerous presentations at various professional meetings and conferences. She authored and reviewed a mathematics textbook series, helped develop and edit research-based materials for preschool students, and co-authored research papers and a book chapter on mathematics case discussions.
WestEd
09/15/2009

Math Pathways & Pitfalls lessons for students boost mathematics achievement for diverse students, including English Learners, English Proficient students, and Latino students. This project develops modules that increase teachers’ capacity to employ the effective and equitable principles of practice embodied by Math Pathways & Pitfalls and apply these practices to any mathematics lesson. This four-year project develops, field tests, and evaluates 10 online professional development modules.

WestEd
10/01/2013

This project that creates a set of materials for middle grades students and teacher professional development that would support the learning of early algebra. Building on their prior work with an elementary version, the efficacy study focuses on the implementation of the principals underlying the materials, fidelity of use of the materials, and impact on students' learning.