Middle Grades Research Journal, Volume 6(2), 2011, pp. 113–128 ISSN 1937-0814 Copyright © 2011 Information Age Publishing, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS INFUSION MODEL Maria Russo and Deborah Hecht Center for Advanced Study in Education, Graduate Center of The City University of New York M. David Burghardt and Michael Hacker Laura Saxman Hofstra University Center for Advanced Study in Education, Graduate Center of The City University of New York The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership (MSTP) developed a multidisciplinary instructional model for connecting mathematics to science, technology and engineering content areas at the middle school level. Specifically, the model infused mathematics into middle school curriculum through the alignment of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum, creating a mathematics infused curriculum planning template for teachers, and the implementation of connected STEM professional development workshops in middle schools. Through data collected from teachers, administrators, and faculty members involved in these activities, it was found that all involved were satisfied with connected curriculum, STEM teachers were able to successfully increase their own mathematics pedagogy and content knowledge, and students were able to grasp mathematical concepts when they were applied in science, technology, or engineering content areas. Numerous documents have reported that American students are failing to achieve grade level mathematical standards. For instance, according to Foundations for Success, the 2008 Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, American students’ mathe- matics achievement is “at a mediocre level” compared with that of their peers and this decline in achievement tends to begin when students reach late middle school (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). There are numerous strategies that schools and teachers can utilize to counteract student failure in mathematics, including changes in the curricu- lum, modification in teaching methods, or an increase in mathematics teacher preparation. • Maria Russo, Center for Advanced Study in Education, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: MRusso1@gc.cuny