Cherry Hill Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Planning and Selection of Curricular Material

1. Cherry Hill Public SchoolsElementary Mathematics Planning and Selection of Curricular Material -Raise achievement for all with specific focus on closing the achievement gaps -Improve instruction and student achievement in Mathematics

2. Conversation Agenda • recommendation • rationale • process for coming to a recommendation • implementation requirements including budget requests • guidelines for long term success

3. Recommendation • expand and update the K – 5 math textbooks and math tools. • purchase and adopt the joint-usage of the Investigations program and 2004 Scott Foresman Mathematics • begin pre-implementation February through June 2005: preparation, professional development, and practice Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

4. Why Bolster Our Emphasis on Math • Cherry Hill Tradition of Excellence • Cherry Hill Vision and Mission • Changing Community Needs • Prepared Students Sustain and Bolster the Economy- 80% of the jobs that will be in the labor market for today’s first graders, have not been invented yet. • A Civil Right and Equity Values Author and Civil Rights Leader, Bob Moses, says Algebra for all has the same impact as voting rights in the 60’s. • Career Access Research has shown that when low income, minority students master algebra and geometry by the end of tenth grade and have expectations to attend college- they tend to attend college at about the same rate as their non-minority or more economically advantaged peers. Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

5. Achieving preeminent & standards-based educationWe believe each Cherry Hill student must: • (1) receive the guaranteed opportunity to perform and become more mathematically prepared; • (2) benefit from the use of a coherent set of high quality tasks; • (3) be motivated by high expectations; and • (4) experience a socially safe and pedagogically sound learning context that is directed and facilitated by a well prepared and knowledgeable teacher. Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

6. Goal and RationaleMake the following statement become a reality • The district has adopted curriculum for all grade levels that is consistent with the district’s mathematics standards and assessments. This curriculum is engaging to students, contains sufficient complexity, and supports the development of mathematically powerful students. All teachers have been immersed in the professional development activities that support the teaching of the curriculum. All teachers are using the curriculum in a manner consistent with best teaching practices and district standards. The curriculum is a set of coherent activities that is worth doing.Noyce Foundation- SVMI Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

7. Fitting into a Larger Curricular System • Enhanced professional development starting this spring that focuses on math content, how children learn mathematicsand teacher collaboration; • Challenging and aligned curriculum supported by exemplary materials; and • Useful daily as well as benchmark assessment that drives instruction. Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

8. Ball and Cohen, 1996 There are good reasons to believe that changing/enhancing curricular materials can alter classroom instruction and learning. Curriculum materials provide the activities that shape the daily interaction between teacher and students. They can help translate research on how children best learn mathematics into classroom reality across a district. Aiming to Support Teachers A book being read around our K-5 schools. It points out key features of math classrooms Yet, there are other critical features of the mathematics classroom: • Role of the Teacher • Social Culture of the Classroom • Worthwhile Tasks • Using Tools for Mathematics • Equity and Access Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

9. two highest quality set of materials available in the country as determined by consensus in: research and professional standards organizations. They are and (Investigations will be used jointly with Scott Foresman Math). Everyday Math Narrowing the Choices • Investigations (Investigations also considered jointly with Scott Foresman Math) Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

10. Convened Committees in 03-04 and 04-05 year Teachers, Parents, Principals Various Forums Web Site Information Information Day Collaboration with Other Districts Research-based Selection Criteria Consultant Visits and Q&A Case Studies Visits Interviews Surveys - Parents, Principals, Teachers Decision-Making Organizer Committees Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

11. Getting a Sense of the Selection Process: Consider The Decision-making tool • Decision Making Organizer • Used by each member • Used as part of visits • Used for collective input • Force-field Analysis • Note-taking, • Archiving, • Suspending Judgment • Gathering Evidence • Personal Tool and a key to committee’s final process • record the pros, cons, and controllable factors that would mitigate the recorded cons. • Focus on: • Selection • Implementation requirements for success

12. Committee’s Ratings: Rated each program 1 to 4 according to each criterion and each program overall: 1 = limited and can not be effective with reasonable support 2 = developing but can not be effective even with reasonable support; 3 = can be successful with reasonable support; 4 = can be exemplary with reasonable support After Rating, Committee generated an implementation list: What conditions materials, and support would be needed to, ensure success with Investigations? With Everyday Math? Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

13. Committee to maximize teacher-parent involvement- advise implementation, promote communication, and grow leaders. Professional development for this and next school year- focus on deepening pedagogical math knowledge AND materials. Curriculum Map to coordinate joint usage. Parent-education. Revised assessments. Principals’ development math ed. Extend leadership development and collegial support. Specific Considerations: Special Education New Teachers Parent Education Time Line February through August 05 Ongoing learning and support over several years Implementation Plan Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05

14. Contacts with Arlington, West-Windsor, DE User’s Group, Successful N.Y. Districts, etc. Strong Teacher Support Interested Parents Strong Selection Process with convincing documentation Math Coaches are a Promising Success School-based Teacher Learning in Math Balanced-Literacy Approach to Mathematics Literature to mathematics connections Great Foundations to Support Our Work. Cherry Hill Public Schools, Feb 05