This study emphasizes mathematics teaching that stresses students' own construction of meaning and connections to their world outside school. The study develops mathematical learning communities through learning modules that capitalize on the experiences of everyday life. In addition, students engage in doing mathematics "like mathematicians do", particularly in reference to the rules of discourse and the concepts of validity and argumentation in mathematics. This project is a collaboration between university-based researchers and ten teacher-researchers who work with primarily minority and economically disadvantaged students (75% - 95% Latino/Hispanic; 5% - 10% Native American; 5% - 10% African American; 5% - 10% European American). The researchers explore a model for teacher/community collaboration to improve education. The model draws on a theoretical orientation that views learning as an interactive process and centers around mathematics, including a discussion of what mathematics is and what beliefs and values of mathematics are held by project participants (teachers, researchers, parents, and students).