A Balanced Math Program
Brendan Jeffreys
Core Principles of the
Program
• Time
• Quality Direct
Instruction
• Repetition of
Instruction and
Review
Explicit instruction is: Systematic,
relentless, and engaging.
-Anita Archer
Top 3 Characteristics of high performing
low income schools1.A clear and shared focus.
2. High standards and expectations for
all students.
3. Effective school leadership.
-OSPI, 2003
Holy Trinity of
Mathematics
Frame work of the
Balanced Math Program
Fact
Practice
Review
10-15 minutes 15-20 minutes
per day
per day
Whole
Group
Instruction
Intervention
Groups
30 minutes
per day
45 Minutes
each day, 4
days per week
Fact Practice
•
•
•
•
Conceptual
understanding
of operations.
Strategies for
solving the
operation.
Non
Competitive
Practice of the
strategy.
Once monthly
timed
assessment.
Review
•
•
•
•
Targeted towards
assessed standards.
Cyclical: Does not
focus on one concept
in a period.
Instruction is
repeated (this should
not be an
independent work
time!).
White boards and a
you do, I do format of
instruction is
provided. Call and
response utilized at
all times.
Whole Group Instruction
• Address the new concept in no longer
than 30 minutes.
• Spend more days on the concept,
rather than more time in one day.
• Work for mastery.
• Always start conceptual and build into
abstract/skill building.
• Also done on white boards, now with an
I do, we do, we do, you do format.
Homework
• Homework assigned everyday of the week Monday through
Friday.
• Students are give 6 problems that mirror what is was taught in
class that day, both from review and from the whole group
lesson.
• 4-5 of the problems are based on the in class review and only
1-2 problems are targeted towards what was taught during
whole group.
• This is adjusted as students gain more experience with and
mastery of the given topic.
Homework Example
Intervention Groups
(Walk to Math)
• Homogenous grouping.
• Problems are targeted
towards tested performance
expectations.
• Clear procedures must be
set.
• Point at which conceptual
understanding and skills align
with application. This is
where the class work is, or
should be applied.
Problem Solving with
VE/PS
Key Elements
• V
isualize
• This should be done per sentence. The intent is to help students think through each step
so that when they arrive at the question the road to success is already paved.
E
P
• In this process they should be able to write the
xpression, or
rocedure to use,
numbers available and unavailable through either acting the problem out using taught
hand gestures indicating operational meaning, or through drawing a picture to identify
taught operational meanings
•S
olve
• The very last step. Solve it, and if possible check it. Circle your answer and make sure it
is labeled correctly.
Intervention Groups
(Walk to Math)
•
Homogenous intervention groups of 12- 20 students occur 4 days a week for 45 minutes
each day and are paced 2 weeks behind whole group instruction.
•
Groups are supported by classroom teachers, special education, and title 1 support staff.
•
Our most experienced math teachers work with our lowest groups.
•
Each week students are presented with 5 problems that are taught by the teacher to the
students.
•
These problems are followed by a 5 question formative assessment mirroring what was
previously taught.
•
Each week this data is submitted to an Excel spreadsheet.
Flexible Math Grouping: Beginning of
Year Placement
•
•
•
•
Collect 2 data points: screener and an
additional assessment (MSP score, MBSP,
etc.)
Rank order by screener, use additional
assessment as secondary.
Look for natural “breaks” in the data to form
groups.
High group of 18-24 students is ideal.
Middle groups of 14-16. Low group of 1014.
Flexible Math Grouping: Instructional
Focus
•
•
•
•
•
Stay 2 weeks behind core math
instruction
Firm up skills and concepts.
Focus on problem solving process.
Provide experience with problem solving
and higher level thinking type problems.
300 repetitions…again.
Flexible Math Grouping: Basic Schedule
•
Monday: Skills practice and review
–
•
Tuesday: Model set of problems
–
–
•
•
Whiteboards
Direct instruction and guided thinking
Problem solving process
Wednesday: Independent set of problems
Thursday: Debrief and fix
Modification: Communication Deficit
•
•
•
•
•
•
Monday: Model
Tuesday: Model
Wednesday: Independent with partners
Thursday: Debrief with the partnership, partners
correct -ORScore papers and split partnerships for fixes: high
scorer with low scorer. Conference after fixes. -ORWrite total score on top and tell partnerships to find
their own errors. Conference after fixes.
Modification: Tier 3
•
•
•
Monday: Review skills/model
Tuesday: Review skills/model
Wednesday: Independent
–
–
–
•
With “2 helps”
With read-aloud
With whole-group scaffolding
Thursday: Debrief (group or individual)
Modification: Enrichment
•
•
•
Monday: Model
Tuesday: Independent/Debrief
Wednesday and Thursday: Challenge
problems or project
Modification: Enrichment
•
•
•
•
Monday: With partner, solve a problem
and prepare to teach.
Tuesday: Students model problem for
rest of group.
Wednesday: Independent/Debrief
Thursday: Challenge problem or project
Planning and Program
Implementation
• Planning and teaming opportunities must
occur frequently.
•
We meet to plan math everyday.
•
We re-group students for intervention every 8 weeks.
•
We give students a formative assessment after each PE is taught and provide
intervention for those that do not meet standard.
• Data must be transparent so that everyone
can work collaboratively to meet the needs of
all students.
How to start.
• Think Core Content Areas and their underlying
performance expectations. Plan 4-6 weeks per Core
Content Area.
• Use your district pacing chart to align your lessons to
performance expectations. Be sure to allow yourself 3-4
weeks for review and practice prior to the MSP.
• Use your district calendar to create a simple plan for when
each Core Content Area, Performance Expectation, and
related assessments will be given.
• Plan daily math lessons as a team, as much as possible!
Performance Expectation Planning
District Pacing Chart
Thank You!
Brendan Jeffreys
bjeffreys@auburn.wednet.edu