P-16 Alliance Math Subcommittee Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2012
On Friday, March 13, 2012 the math subcommittee for the P-16 Alliance met to discuss the
implementation of the Common Core Standards. Present at the meeting were Sheri Heiter , Weber School
District (WSD), Jeremy Floyd , Morgan School District (MSD), Kami Merchant, Davis School District (DSD), Kaye
Moulding, Ogden School District (OSD), Gerald Jackman, Box Elder School District (BESD), Dixie Blackinton
(chair) and Matt Ondrus, WSU Math Department. Krisin Hadley, WSU Teacher Education, and David Imig, WSU
Developmental Math were excused.
Assignment from Last P-16 meeting:
The group discussed the suggestions from the P-16 Committee which included reaching a greater
audience through the use of technology. As we discussed bringing together master teachers and topics for
teaching to create videotapes of the type of teaching we envision with the common core a broader vision was
enunciated. There are available now videotapes of math lessons, but what is needed is the vision of how to
build cohesive unit/course lessons based on the math common core state standards.
New Plan:
Let’s bring together four teams, one per grade, 7, 8, 9, 10, with two or three teachers per grade. Have
one teacher from each district on each team. Bring them together in the summer, perhaps at WSU with
Master’s Credit offered for their efforts, and videotape them going through the process of creating the first or
second unit of their grade band. What is essential? How do we get that across? What connections need to be
made? How does each topic fit into the whole? How do we write the lesson plans, introduction, body, and
summary? What will be our interim assessments and final assessment? Write all the pieces so the unit is
ready to teach when school begins in the fall. Videos tape the entire process. This group essentially acts as a
professional learning community to read research, develop the philosophy and create units centered around
core content, but with a refined pedagogical focus. The intent being that as they learn, they will not only
become “experts” in the “how” process, but that others will be able to SEE their work and model it in their
own districts and buildings.
In the fall plan Teacher Development in each district, under the direction of district math
specialists/supervisors and show the videotapes to the appropriate groups of teachers and lead a discussion.
Assign district teachers to begin planning a unit, using what they have learned from the videotapes.
While district teachers are organizing and creating a unit, the Dream Teams will be teaching the
lessons they have created. These lessons will be videotaped. The teams will get together again to watch the
videos, collaborate on how it went, what they would change, what surprised them, and make any
improvements of modifications to the lessons. The process of this lesson study will also be videotaped.
Once again the districts will schedule Professional Developments to view the second stage of the
process, teaching implementation, lesson study, and lesson and unit revision.
It is hoped that this process, plan, create a unit, teach the unit, analyze the results and revise, could
happen twice for both the “dream team” and the classroom teachers, in one year.
NEEDS:
1. Full time director. Is it possible that between the districts, a director could be hired, perhaps for
only one year? It would be ideal, if someone from within the districts could assume this job for one
year, a temporary be hired to replace him/her, and then return to his/her former job after a year or
two if it looked like something that should be continued.
2. Selection of Dream Team. In order to ask teachers to commit to this project, they need to know
the time commitment and the compensation.
3. Facilities for videotaping and ability to disseminate.
4. Commitment of districts for Professional Development time
5. Commitment from districts to allow teachers planning time
TIMELINE
SUMMER 2012
“DREAM TEAMS”
DISTRICTS
4 teams – (2-3 teachers / grade) - 7, 8, 9, 10
Research and Plan Unit 1
Write Lesson Plans
Write assessments
AUG – SEPT 2012
AUG – SEPT 2012
Teach Unit 1
Watch video tapes of Dream Team (DT) Planning
Watch Video Tapes
Discuss the Process
Revise
Create future unit
OCT – DEC 2012
OCT _ DEC 2012
Plan another unit
Professional Dev – watch DT teaching -debrief
Write lesson plans
Teach unit created within district
Write assessments
Video tape- watch video tapes
Video tape all
Revise
JAN _ FEB 2013
JAN – FEB 2013
Teach 2nd Unit
Professional Dev– watch DT planning
Watch video tapes
Teach 2nd Unit created by Dream Team
Revise
Watch video tape
Revise
MAR – APR 2013
Professional Dev – watch DT teaching
Plan 2nd unit