Math Adoption Committee Notes for September 15, 2015
1.
Introductions: name and perspective brought to the committee
2.
Shared committee mission, representatives, etc.
3.
Shared committee work activities
4.
Shared group norms: read, invitation to add…none. Pointed out looking for consensus, not necessarily vote. Consensus during and end of process.
5.
Shared math pilot timeline. Parents will have opportunities to review curricula. We will also seek feedback from parents involved in the pilot with their children.
6.
Reviewed criteria for evaluation. a.
Question regarding “community”. Does this mean other teachers? It could be.
7.
Review of decision-making filters. This is a fundamental shift. We recognize the need to provide information and preparation for our parents. These items (filters) will be our guide to decisionmaking.
8.
Areas to Consider – When listening to math specialists identify curriculum areas that are considered
“musts” for math curriculum.
9.
Information from this meeting will be posted on the C&I website.
10.
Mike Stewart, BHS math teacher with 8 years of experience here. Previously in Texas. Considers our new state standards to be the “best set of standards” yet. Students will be better prepared for
AP Calculus class than any previous groups. Mike realized that memorization is not the way to prepare students. The 8 mathematical practices are the way to go. Mike shared the approaches currently in use in VUSD high schools. He introduced a unit from Mathematics Vision Project (MVP) curriculum currently being used in Math 1 and Math 2 high school courses. The task is designed to develop understanding. Everyone seemed to engage in the task. Therefore it is an example of a task with a “low floor and high ceiling” as defined by Joe Bowler, Stanford researcher. This task is the set-up of a module and would be finished after day 2. From there the week’s work would include graphing a system of linear inequalities. Mike shared some examples of what his Math 1 freshmen (regular) students completed. He also shared his own teacher notes on the task. He shares these with students. Students provide feedback and check their own work. (Math practice)
In looking at curriculum for common core and focusing on math practices, look for something kids can grab onto and make their own (low floor and high ceiling). Homework assignment – “Ready,
Set, Go” assignments. Mike guides students with warm-ups to complete the “ready” portion of their assignments. This curriculum is provided via pdf’s from the district. Students also use composition books for notes to use during homework and exams. Question regarding Williams requirements?
Don’t we have to give each student a “book”? No, we are required to provide instructional materials to every student. Natalie summarized how we selected this curriculum at high school level for 3-year trial. Question regarding professional development. It comes from a group of teachers from Utah, author is coming to VUSD for 9/28 in-service. At this time we have VUSD staff prepared to train in Math 1 curriculum. Natalie mentioned that Utah teachers referred to a middle school curriculum that they find beneficial. Math 3 was just made public by MVP/Utah last year. Question regarding student preparation for Calculus. Mike teaches many advanced courses and believes this approach best prepares students for advanced courses like Calculus. In summary, if committee can

provide curriculum that provides opportunity for students to get fingers dirty, playing around with mathematics, that’s the way to go. Students need to be comfortable to engage with open-ended problems. Instill these practices at middle school level to prepare for high school level. Question regarding parents’ feedback. Mike – parents aren’t all that involved unfortunately, they aren’t providing feedback. He has received no complaints from parents regarding curriculum. Doesn’t think many parents are involved. BHS held a parent night last year, only 20 people attended. Worth it for small group.
11.
Terry Ellingson – Elementary Mathematics Specialist – Overview of K-5 math for the sake of articulation. In K-5 we do a lot with concepts and procedures and fluency with numbers. Speed is not the only consideration, flexibility is also important – like a gymnast – flow with ease. There are various types of algorithms, such as lattice and partial product. Also, emphasis on multiple representations. Students also learn standard long division. There are lots of hands-on activities in the K-5 curriculum as well. There are also lots of opportunities for collaboration and communication
(example from math journal). There is a spiral approach to curriculum, homework and tasks.
Multiple representations and multiple solution pathways are the norm at elementary level.
12.
Comment – it is ideal to teach students the prerequisite skills before launching into a task. Is this the way the curriculum is set up. How much supplementing? The curriculum comes with tasks and novel activities. Is there a middle school curriculum for EDM? They do have a 6 th grade curriculum.
What’s the technology piece? It’s a rich platform called e-suite deluxe for teachers and students.
It’s interactive and provides on-line professional resources. It offers resources for students to access. How about homework? It’s called “study link”. There’s a spiral approach, sometimes algorithms. Kids use passwords at home to access reference books, study links and other materials.
Parent comment – I use at home but did not know about on-line resources. Letters are sent home to all parents explaining how to log-on and play games, etc. We try to push parent involvement on this electronic platform. Julie Judd explained privacy piece. We started with EDM seven years ago.
Nancy Barker talked about the professional development and parent awareness needed for implementation. Progressive program that is closer to CCSS than other areas that need to be updated. We’re currently looking at what can be pruned from EDM to conform to CCSS.
13.
Reflections: What stood out for committee from these K-5 and 9-12 presentations?
14.
Collaboration for both levels, working with partners and groups. Not working in a box, rather working together in a box.
15.
Having built-in spiral with review and preview really helps
16.
Terry – reminded committee that it was a bumpy road when implementing EDM. Many pieces now play into CCSS.
17.
Concept of entry point – low floor/high ceiling is important
18.
Remind students that it’s OK to make errors along the way. Historically it isn’t the way we math teachers did things, there was a right answer and a wrong answer.
19.
Another teacher agrees with this point – many students just want the right answer. It’s about the thinking and process.
20.
Value of notebook and students’ reflection, interpretation and getting to the answer. The math practice of building a personal resource is very cool to see for 9 th grade.

21.
For special education there are many differences between students so the idea of low floor, high ceiling and project based appeals to me. A place where everyone can contribute and participate at their instructional level and make progress in the things they need to do is good.
22.
Similarly, for gifted students, acceleration, depth, novelty, and complexity are key. The curriculum presented addresses these issues.
23.
Opportunities to think outside the box and come up with solutions are perfect approach for middle school.
24.
Teacher comments about positive value of MVP curriculum.
25.
Problems allow students to approach solutions from many different levels.
26.
Interesting – Mike said that he puts warm-up on the board and only 1/3 of classroom does the work.
Remember that no curriculum makes it happen alone. It takes more to engage students.
27.
Nancy described shift to standards-based approach to instruction. Teacher must identify student’s needs, know when to reteach or move on. Curriculum provides us with the pieces needed to teach standards. This is in contrast to curriculum-based approach. Our benchmarks help us move in the direction of standards-based instruction. Teaching is the art of knowing what students need and adjusting teaching appropriately.
DINNER BREAK
Natalie Albrizzio shared changes in CCSSM--2 sets of standards- Standards for mathematical content and standards for mathematical practice. Key Instructional Shifts: focus; coherence; rigor (combining a deeper understanding)
Natalie shared the importance of the Mathematics Framework-Underlying principles. Note page 2 “mile wide inch deep” moved away from this idea. Page 3 of the Introduction: Five guiding principles. The mathematical practices are interwoven into the guiding principles. The first three principles are more involved with curriculum selection.
Page 6- Natalie shared that when you apply math to other areas, math comes to life. Natalie shared the standards introduction- standards are based on focus; coherence; rigor. p.10 goes deeply into the shifts
Natalie shared that the Guidance for Instructional Materials should be reviewed prior to reviewing and selecting curriculum to pilot and adopt p.30
Dr.Rickard shared the changes in new assessments: It would be helpful for teachers to actually watch students take SBAC. All middle school students take the test. Summative in language arts and math.
Performance tasks are also included. Middle school students have 7 and half hours of testing.
Be aware that tests are very different. Do not compare CST with SBAC. Very different assessment.
Meeting Ended at 7:30pm