Math Curriculum Night

1. Math Curriculum Night New Standards, new program

2. A time of change • New standards, new program; need for new curriculum, new strategies • Shifts in math instruction: focus, coherence, rigor • http://www.achievethecore.org/shifts-mathematics

3. Everyone is impacted • Students • New content • New format • New emphasis: vocabulary, problem-solving, mental math strategies, “write math”, delving deep • Parents • New content • New approach • Questions on how to help your child • Teachers • New program: approach, content, resources • Identify and address gaps in background • Pacing • Technology • On-going professional learning

4. New standards for math • After review by State education consultants, district curriculum specialists, and CT teachers, the CT Board of Education voted to adopt the Common Core Standards for Math (CCSM) to replace the existing CT Math Standards in 2010 • A change in the standards usually impacts what topics are taught at each grade, what resources are used, and even instructional strategies

5. What are standards? • Standards list what knowledge, concepts, and skills students should learn at each grade level • State assessments measure how well students can demonstrate their mastery of state standards • Districts use standards as the starting point to develop local curriculum and select instructional materials or programs • Standards are NOT curriculum, nor do they dictate a specific program to districts • CT has had standards since the 1980’s, the math framework was last revised in 2004

6. How do districts implement standards? • All teachers need to be familiar with the content in the standards and their grade level responsibilities • District teams identify priority standards • District teams develop a scope and sequence (what is taught in what order) and pacing guides to make sure topics fit in the year • District teams examine instructional resources

7. Tight and loose • All teachers are expected to address the standards for their grade to assure consistency from class to class • Each grade level uses common assessments which include chapter tests and benchmark assessments (like MAP) to monitor students’ progress towards learning objectives • Each teacher brings their interests, strengths, experience to their instructional decisions

8. What is different about CT Core Standards? • Fewer standards at each grade level allow for deeper focus (focus) • Learning progressions: clear learning goals at each level that define what students need to master at each grade (coherence) • Emphasis on deep understanding and mathematical reasoning rather than memorizing patterns or algorithms (rigor) • The standards put a heavy emphasis on math fact fluency, precision, problem-solving, and application

9. How have the standards impacted classroom practices? • Teachers and students engage in more discourse to explain the process used to get to the correct answer (How and why questions) • Students may use manipulatives and modeling to understand why algorithms work • Students engage in “performance tasks” that require them to apply concepts in real situations

10. “New Math” • Understand why math works • Understand that there may be multiple strategies for solving problems that all result in accurate answers • Recognize that sometimes there can be more than one correct answer, but needs to use accurate reasoning and computation • More like real life-not just plugging numbers into problems and getting answers

11. How would you solve 59+59? • Break apart the addends: 50+50+9+9 • Break apart addends (place value) 5+5 tens plus 9 +9 ones • Make a “ten”: 60+58 • Doubles: 60+60 minus 2 • Use estimation to check the reasonableness of answer: 60 + 60

12. Attention to gaps • Since standards are being implemented at all grades (rather than phased in), teachers need to monitor for gaps in background or assumed content mastery, especially at the intermediate (3-5) grades

13. Identifying gaps • Beginning of year benchmark assessment • Chapter pre-test: Am I Ready? • Mid-chapter assessment: Check My Progress

14. Addressing gaps • Analyzed areas of strength and weakness by grade level • Differentiating instruction using program and personal resources: small group, 1-on-1 • Support personnel • Math fact practice sessions in computer lab • Community volunteers • Home-school connection

15. RSD 14’s choices • Our previous math series, Growing With Math, was not a good match to the 2010 standards • The Growing With Math publisher recognized that their program did not align well with the Core Standards and has discontinued the series • RSD 14 assembled a Math Committee consisting of district educators from all levels in 2012-13 to study the implications of delivering the core standards and to make recommendations on a program and other materials that would be needed to replace GWM at the elementary level (and the outdated middle school program)

16. My Math • The My Math program emerged from this study as the best match for K-5 needs • My Math was created from scratch by McGraw-Hill to align to the standards rather than trying to match up the standards to an existing program • The program was a complete package of instructional resources with student and teacher materials, standards alignment, and technology-enhanced (online) resources • Glencoe Math was selected for WMS for similar reasons and to align with the elementary program

17. Why My Math? • Created to align with state standards • Includes both paper and digital resources • Emphasizes real-world applications of math content and problem-solving • Instruction includes explaining mathematical thinking orally and in writing • Material rich (differentiation: intervention, re-teaching, enrichment) • Materials digitally update each month

18. Supplemental • No program is the whole curriculum • Additional resources for performance tasks • Math fact fluency • Fact Dash (My Math resource) • Dice games, card games, flash cards, websites, apps • Xtramath website

19. Implementation • My Math materials were ordered and organized by school administrators and the Math Specialist to be ready to use in the district by Fall 2013 • Teachers received training prior to the opening of school • The Elementary Math Specialist has dedicated time to supervising the roll-out of the program by meeting with teachers regularly to identify program components and resources, developing materials that are needed but not part of the program, and continuing individual, grade level, and school-wide professional learning

20. Unpacking the program • Problem of the Day • Daily “Quick Check” • Vocabulary cards • Digital lesson presentations including “Animations” • Daily word problems and journaling “Write Math” • Lessons devoted to problem-solving strategies starting in Kindergarten • Performance tasks-more complex multi-step problem solving • Develop number sense by checking reasonableness of answers • Exposure to multiple strategies for concept development

21. Assessment features • Pre-test: Am I Ready? • Mid-chapter assessment: Check My Progress • End of chapter review: Vocabulary check/Concept check • Chapter tests • Grades 3-5: Extended Response Test

22. Online resources for students • Lesson animations • Games-vocabulary/concepts • Songs-concept reinforcement • Fact Dash-math fact fluency

23. Learning stations • Games • Activity cards • Problem-solving cards (gr 3-5) • Real-World Problem Solving Readers (3 levels of text) • Graphic novel

24. Home-school connection • Math at Home: Family Letter • At Home activities • Vocabulary • Literature connections • Travel Talk • Math at Home: Game Time • Math at Home: Student Glossary • Homework Helper • eHelp (video and/or online tutor)

25. What are we seeing? • Students have adjusted to format • Building a math vocabulary (talk like mathematicians) • Depth of instruction: internalizing concepts and strategies, applying to new situations • Flexible thinking-real world problem solving • Explaining thinking-not memorizing algorithms in rote way with no understanding of how/why it works

26. Good news about next year • Foundations to program have been laid • Students have a base upon which to build vocabulary • Students have had an exposure to multi-strategy approach • Gaps in concepts will reduce each year • Grade 5 students will move into an aligned program at WMS (Glencoe Math) • Teachers gaining in comfort, confidence, proficiency

27. How to help your child • Share a positive attitude towards math • Establish math homework routines and review work • Support daily math fact practice • If your child is learning in ways that are new to you, learn together • Let your child persevere in solving a problem-don’t give the answer

28. More ways to help • Read math-related children’s literature • Work together on brain-teaser puzzles • Play games that develop strategic thinking • Play math travel games • Make math a part of home conversations (recipes, budget, your use of math)

29. Build your knowledge of Math • Math Chat newsletter • What are the CT Core Standards in Math? • All about My Math • Building Fact Fluency • Math and Technology • Motivating Websites • Curriculum and Instruction website • Elementary Math Specialist website

30. Building a Math Community • Monthly brainteaser • Announced in school and posted for the month • Building motivation • Promoting creative thinking • Explain reasoning/show how you figured it out • Challenge has become fun