Elementary Mathematics Review Plan
Purpose
To select a high-quality elementary mathematics program to serve as a core curriculum that will
meet or exceed our standard of excellence at the West Branch Area School District.
Background
In the fall of 2010, a Curriculum Review Plan was approved by the Board of Directors of the
West Branch Area School District. Funding was allocated to purchase new math materials for
the elementary and secondary classroom in the budget year, 2011-12. In the spring of 2012, a
Math Review Committee was established to begin the process, keeping in mind the budget
allocation and the need to keep to the curriculum review cycle.
Role of the Committee
The committee is to review published math programs and identify materials that meet or
exceed district expectations.
The overall purpose of this committee is as follows:
1. Recommend alternatives to the math curriculum currently used at the elementary
and secondary levels at West Branch Area School District.
2. Recommend further refinements that will:
a. Continuously improve student math achievement and growth
b. Increase West Branch teachers’ abilities to monitor student achievement
c. Create district capacity to track student achievement and growth
3. Improve the quality and quantity of dialog between parents, teachers, students and
the community regarding math instruction in our district.
The charge given to the committee is as follows:
1. The committee will evaluate published curricula that meet or exceed West Branch
expectations for elementary and secondary math instruction. Using a standardized
rubric, the committee will summarize feedback on relevant strands of mathematical
proficiency, including conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic
competence, and adaptive reasoning.
2. The committee will evaluate and pilot the selected curriculum with the highest
rating for a selected period of time.
3. The committee will consider the strengths and weaknesses of that curriculum and
how it will best be incorporated into West Branch Area School District.
4. The committee will strive to submit a recommendation to the Board of School
Directors as soon as possible, considering the appropriate timeline for
implementation according to the district curriculum review cycle.
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The committee will first meet in late March to determine the district’s beliefs about best
practices for mathematics education. The group will then move to evaluating suggested
programs brought forward by the administration. These programs will then be presented to the
committee for review. Presentations by publishers, information from other districts, questions
and answers will all be part of the process to determine which curricular program(s) will be
piloted in select classrooms. This will be done utilizing a consensus decision-making process.
Once the decision is made as to which programs to pilot, the administration will develop a plan
to implement and collect data.
Plan Objectives
• To utilize the pilot materials in classroom settings in a systematic way and
collect quantitative data on student performance and qualitative data regarding
teacher feedback to evaluate effectiveness
• To review all program materials by teams of grade level teachers and evaluate
with a rubric that incorporates the tenets of the list of West Branch Area School District Best
Practices as developed by the Math Review Committee
• To collect feedback from parents regarding home/school materials, homework
and communication systems
• To investigate and observe the materials being used in other, similar school
districts and evaluate responses to questions based upon our district best practices list as
developed by the Math Review Committee
• To involve all relevant stakeholders, including administrators, teachers and
parents in the appropriate aspects of the plan
Leadership
Responsibility for overseeing and directing various aspects of the pilot plan will be
shared between the principals, administrators, and the members of the Math Review
Committee. Their responsibilities are outlined below:
Teacher Leadership Team
Create/Revise rubrics for pilot teachers, material reviewers, and site visits
Create/Revise parent surveys
Observe in pilot classrooms
Participate in site visits
Analyze data
Make recommendation for program adoption
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Principals and Administration
Review and finalize teacher participants
Create student achievement measures
Support pilot program implementation and review of materials
Approve rubrics
Approve surveys
Observe in pilot classrooms
Participate in site visits
Analyze data with leadership team
Serve as liaison to parents
Work with leadership team on the program recommendation process and outcome.
Principals’ Roles in the Math Recommendation Process
Encourage teachers to be a part of the Math Recommendation Process by piloting, being a part
of the Math Review Committee, or reviewing math pilot materials.
Review and finalize teacher participation.
Create student assessment measure.
Support teachers’ release time for professional development and meetings.
Approve evaluation materials created by the Math Review Committee.
Observe in classrooms where teachers are piloting and discuss what teachers are experiencing
in the pilot rooms.
Participate in site visits.
Analyze data with the Math Review Committee.
Serve as the liaison with parents to solicit parent feedback.
Work with the Math Review Committee on the final recommendation.
Plan Process
This process will incorporate review and use of material utilizing a three-pronged data
collection approach: student achievement data, teacher feedback and materials review
data. In addition, parent feedback will be incorporated.
Materials Usage
Classroom Pilots- Three teachers at each grade level will use the materials to
teach two units in their classroom. Training and planning time will be provided. Data
collection will include student achievement data, teacher feedback data, observations
of lessons by principals and other teachers.
Site Visits: (optional) A team of teachers and principals with common questions will visit classes
that are currently using the materials we are reviewing. A rubric will be used to evaluate
answers to the questions and also be applied to the site visit.
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Materials Review
Detailed Review: A team of teachers will evaluate materials for each grade level. A detailed
rubric will be provided for this purpose. Strong attention will be paid to standards alignment
(PA Common Core.) This essential component will increase the collective understanding of the
stakeholders charged with implementation.
Stakeholder Review: Opportunities will be provided for all teachers to review
materials and provide feedback utilizing the rubric. Parents of students in pilot classrooms will
also be asked for feedback on materials such as homework, reference and communications.
Evaluation
Multiple data types will be collected in each part of the evaluation process.
Evaluation
Teacher Feedback
Use in other districts
Achievement data
Evaluation
Standards alignment
Detailed materials review
(emphasis on assessment and
differentiation)
Parent feedback
Material Usage Data
Type
Rubric
Checklist
Locally developed pilot
assessment
Collected From
Teachers
Site visit
Students
Material Review Data
Type
Rubric
Rubric
Collected From
Teachers
Teachers
Survey
Parents
Student achievement data will be collected as pre-test and post-test to piloting using a locally
developed assessment. This assessment, to be developed by the elementary principal, will be
aligned with the instructional materials utilized in pilot classrooms. Where appropriate,
standards aligned PSSA released items will be included.
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A new (draft) curriculum document that outlines grade-level expectations as aligned
to PA Common Core Standards will help provide benchmarks. Rubrics will
also focus on differentiated instruction for all levels of students, and assessments.
Important Factors To Consider
• The classroom pilots are necessarily brief due to a number of factors, including time of year,
school vacations, the PSSA testing schedule and textbook adoption timeline.
• Starting at a particular time of year may limit our topic choices for piloting.
• Distribution of the pilots across classrooms and grade levels creates some logistical
complexity but is necessary to provide greater opportunities for faculty involvement.
Cost
The cost involved will include costs for substitute coverage and after school meeting times
where necessary, visitations, consulting, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What programs are being piloted?
1.Everyday Math
2. Go Math
3. Math Expressions
2. How were these programs selected?
Programs were selected by consulting with surrounding districts and the Intermediate Unit
staff from across the state.
3. What schools, grades will be in the pilot?
There will be three pilot teachers at each grade level, K-6 for each of the three pilots.
4. How will teachers be selected to pilot?
The list of pilot teachers who volunteer will be reviewed by the building principal and choices
will be made to assure there are three teachers piloting programs at each grade level. Grade six
may require only two teachers to pilot the materials. If so, selected units from all three
programs will be taught at grade six to maintain the integrity of the pilot.
5. Will all teachers have an opportunity to participate in some way?
In addition to piloting materials in the classroom, teachers may be selected to
participate as a member of the Math Review Committee that will develop rubrics,
analyze data, and address pilot teacher questions as they arise. There will also be an
opportunity for a team of teachers representing each grade level to do a thorough
materials review of each program and submit feedback. All teachers will be given the
opportunity to participate in the process.
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6. Can parents remove their student from a pilot?
To best evaluate pilot curricular materials, an inclusive sample of students is ideal.
The district recognizes concerns that may arise from the use of pilot materials in the
classroom. West Branch Area School District is committed to ensuring that the instructional
needs of all students will be met regardless of what materials are utilized in individual pilot
classrooms.
7. Besides piloting, how else will materials be reviewed?
A materials review team of teachers representing each grade level will review and
provide feedback.
8. What kind of data will be collected?
Multiple data types will be collected. Pilot teacher perception data will be collected
using a rubric. Other teacher input will include a standards alignment and a detailed
materials review, both compiled using a rubric. Student data will be collected using a
locally developed assessment. Parents whose children are participating in the pilot
will be asked to provide perception data by completing a survey.
9. How will other stakeholders be involved?
Parents will be provided opportunities to share their thoughts and reactions about
materials that are utilized in pilot classrooms. Surveys regarding homework, home-school
communications and resources will be collected from various groups.
10. How and when will the final decision be made?
All data collected, both quantitative and qualitative, will be reviewed by the Math
Review Committee, by the principals, special education director, and curriculum director at the
conclusion of the pilot period. It is expected that a clear direction will emerge from the review
of this data.
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