Math Curriculum Review Team

1. Math Curriculum Review Team March 13, 2009

2. Agenda • Where we’re at and where we need to get to (decisions to be made to complete the Curriculum Review process). • Today’s focus: Critically review the proposed programmatic and textbook recommendations. • Next steps.

3. Revisiting Our “Charge” • Review OCSD math data • Review best practices research on math education • Determine programmatic changes for OCSD math • Select math textbooks/materials

4. Our team is about doing what’s best for kids, based on available data and research; it’s NOT about taking the path of least resistance.

5. Math Pathways

6. Textbooks • Math I Honors, Math II Honors, Math III Honors • COMAP • Reasons for recommendation: • Have used successfully (based on CC, AP, OGT, SAT/ACT, and audit data) • Course I has been redesigned by the original authors, based on educator feedback • Authors are self-publishing and will allow us to customize units and have electronic versions of texts • Research supports strength of these texts

7. Textbooks • Honors Precalculus & CP Precalculus • COMAP Course 4 (can be customized) • Reasons for recommendation: • Have used successfully (based on CC, AP, OGT, SAT/ACT, and audit data) • Course I has been redesigned by the original authors, based on educator feedback • Authors are self-publishing and will allow us to customize units and have electronic versions of texts • Math teachers feel that this text would suitably stretch/challenge CP students, and use of this text would be consistent with audit recommendation to make CP and Honors courses more similar.

8. Textbooks • Honors 7th & CP 7th & 8th grade • Connected Math Program, 2nd Edition

9. Upgrade to CMP 2 • Reasons for recommendation: • Strong scores with CMP 1 • Nationally recognized • CMP is a well-tested program • Matches well with Ohio State Standards • Updates • Teachers have all been trained in CMP • Most commonly used middle grades texts amongst our similar districts • Our data shows success with the program (see following slides)

10. Strong Scores 8th Grade

11. Strong Scores 7th Grade

13. FY2008

14. 2008 7th Grade ITBS

15. Nationally Recognized • American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999) • 12 middle school texts • CMP ranked highest • US Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Education Expert Panel (1999) • Rated “exemplary” • Out of 61 elementary, middle school, and high school curricular submitted, only 5 received this status

16. Well-tested Program • Numerous studies • By CMP • By independent groups • By state/district achievement data • Missouri Study (high SES group) http://connectedmath.msu.edu/rnd/past.shtml

17. Results of Studies • CMP is an effective middle school curriculum that is accessible to all students. • CMP students do as well as, or better than, non-CMP students on tests of basic skills. • CMP students outperform non-CMP students on tests of problem- solving ability, conceptual understanding, and proportional reasoning. • CMP students can use basic skills to solve important mathematical problems and are able to communicate their reasoning and understanding. • By the end of grade 8, CMP students show a considerable ability to solve non-routine algebra problems and demonstrate a strong understanding of linear functions and a beginning understanding of exponential and quadratic functions.

18. Matches well with Ohio State Standards • Similar type of questioning on OAT • Next slide • We are already aware of any gaps and have adjusted • Newer additions have taken care of some of these gaps

19. Similar questioning

20. Why Update to CMP2? • Newer data • Some of the supplements that we’ve had to do are now in new materials • Order of operations • Inequalities • More spiraling in new texts • More drill and practice in new texts • Previously we had to supplement this on our own • 8th grade would like 2 additional units that were not purchased in the past • Kaleidoscopes and Hubcaps • Shapes of Algebra

21. All OJHS teachers have been trained in CMP 1 • CMP 1 isn’t DRASTICALLY different enough to need new training • Karin, Paul, Rachel, John and Bryan have all gone through CMP training at one point during the past 10 years of CMP use. • $$$

22. Oakwood Junior High Teachers’ 7th Grade Honors Math Recommendation Spring 2009

23. Use Some 7th, Some 8th CMP Units • Reasons for recommendation: • Reference texts • CMP “style” closer to 8th grade honors materials • CMP is the most used “feeder” materials to COMAP • Will save the district $$$

24. Reference Texts • By using CMP books, parents will have access to materials taught in class rather than relying solely on student’s notes • Good for student absence

25. CMP style • Inquiry based - more like COMAP • Use of textbook as apposed to worksheets solely - more like COMAP • Strong extension questions in CMP (not often appropriate for CP kids but would work will with honors)

26. CMP to COMAP • Most used text as a feeder to COMAP • Since John and Paul have both used the CMP materials, they can work together to see what books would fit best for 7th grade honors.

27. Will save the district $$ • Since the CMP books are individual units, we can use them at different times in the honors/CP tracks, thus we will not have to purchase additional honors materials • No training necessary

28. Programmatic Changes • Add: AP Calculus BC • Reasons for recommendation • Our similar districts either already offer BC or plan to begin offering it • Students attending “Research I universities” and other highly selective schools--especially students entering math, science, and engineering majors--often have access to this course • Provides opportunity for additional math rigor for students who need the challenge • According to “AP Potential,” we currently have 27 11th graders who have an 87.6% likelihood of “passing” AP Calc BC as seniors

29. Programmatic Changes • Add: College Readiness Algebra A & B • Reasons for recommendation: • Under Ohio CORE regulations, students must complete at least four years of math, including Algebra II or its equivalent, in order to attend a four-year Ohio college/university. • Research shows a strong correlation between successful completion of Algrebra II in high school and college success. • Some students may need more time/support to complete successfully the content of an Algebra II course. • Providing College Readiness Algebra A & B provides differentiated learning opportunities for students who may struggle with math.

30. Programmatic Changes • Add: Bootcamps • Reasons for recommendation: • We want to provide multiple opportunities for students to move from the CP track to the honors track. • Students need the skills and concepts that are prerequisite for the honors course into which they would be moving. Bootcamps would be designed to provide these skills/concepts. • Students get a sense through Bootcamps of the rigor and pacing of an honors math course. • Bootcamp teachers can determine whether students are ready for honors math. • Timing, duration, specific skills/concepts, and teacher assignment for Bootcamps TBD.

31. Programmatic Changes • Add: Math Lab • Would be offered M-Th during “8th period” • Staffed by math teachers as duty period • Teachers could assign students to attend Math Lab (like OWL) • Reasons for recommendation: • Some students need additional one-on-one help/support with math. • OWL (Oakwood Writing Lab), upon which we are loosely basing this idea, has been successful in helping students with their writing skills. We envision something similar for bolstering students’ math skills. • Provides an additional resource for math students.

32. Programmatic Changes • Add: trimester or 2 day/wk Math Computation course for junior high students • Dependent upon logistics working out • Students could be assigned to this course • Reasons for recommendation: • Computational fluency is important to master in order to concentrate on more advanced math concepts (algebra, problem solving, trig, etc. • Students who do not have computational fluency tend to struggle in their junior and senior high math courses. • Junior and senior high math courses reinforce computational fluency, but they do not focus on it. It is assumed that students have computational fluency that merely needs to be maintained/rehearsed.

33. Programmatic Changes • Add: Require Ohio CORE (4 years of math, including Algebra II or its equivalent), starting with Class of 2014 (current 7th graders) • Reasons for recommendation: • During 2009-2010 school year, as Class of 2014 is planning their high school course sequence, they can do so with all of the information about the Ohio CORE requirements and can plan accordingly. • We want to provide adequate lead time for students and families to make decisions about how to meet Ohio’s CORE requirements. • By the 2010-2011 school year, when the Class of 2014 is entering high school, the entire Math Pathways sequence will be available to students.

34. Programmatic Changes • Continue: Collaboration courses • Co-taught by math teacher and Intervention Specialist • Reasons for recommendation: • We believe that this is currently the best model available for supporting special needs and at-risk students. • The co-teaching model provides math content and pedagogical expertise, combined with expertise about learning challenges and effective strategies for meeting those challenges • Consideration: Intervention Specialist who specializes in math (This is dependent upon logistical feasibility and support of Special Education Department.) • Reasons for recommendation: • Intervention Specialist could become more of a math content specialist • IS could work with the entire math sequence of courses to get a strong sense of the building of skills and concepts through the courses.

35. Programmatic Changes • Drop: Math College Placement Seminar • Reasons for recommendation: • This course has never had enough students enrolled in order to offer it. • Our new Math Pathways will provide adequate options for students.

36. Next Steps • March: Review Critical Feedback • March: Administrative team determine which recommendations to take to the Board • April: Introduce recommendations to Board (everyone from MCRT is invited to attend) • May: Recommendations to Board as Information item • June: Recommendations to Board as Action item • Summer: Order materials/provide PD as needed

37. Work on the Horizon • Plan for communicating all math changes to community (any volunteers???) • Flesh out Bootcamps • Possibly create rubric for assisting the decision-making process for 6th graders entering Honors Math in 7th grade • Plan for ongoing monitoring/communication/ conversation regarding math? • Other:

38. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to all of those who have been committed to this thorny, challenging, ongoing process. We’ve done it to serve our students as best we can.