Changing High School Mathematics Across State Lines: Collaborative Efforts to Redefine

the Mathematics We Teach and How We Teach It

The Urban Mathematics Leadership Network

June 12, 2008

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A Call for Change and Collaboration: Too Few A Call for Change and Collaboration: Too Few Students Graduate from High School Prepared Students Graduate from High School Prepared

for College and Careersfor College and Careers

30% of first year students in postsecondary education are required to take remedial courses.

40% - 45% of recent high school graduates report significant gaps in their skills, both in college and the workplace.

Faculty estimate 42% of first year students in credit-bearing courses are academically unprepared.

Employers estimate 45% of recent high school graduates lack skills to advance.

American Diploma ProjectAmerican Diploma Project

The American Diploma Project (ADP) was created to ensure all graduates leave high school ready for college and careers.

Early research by ADP sought to identify “must-have” knowledge and skills graduates will need to be successful in college and the workplace.

ADP found that ready for college and ready for career are essentially the same.

ADP Network: 33 States Committed ADP Network: 33 States Committed to Improving Student Preparationto Improving Student Preparation

ID

AZ

UT

MT

WY

NM

CO

AL

SC

TN

KY

INOH

NC

SD

KS

NE

MN

WI

IA

IL

MO

AR

MS

OK

ND

OR

CA NV

WA

TX

PA

VA

NY

CT

WV MD

NJ

VTNH

MA

DE

RI

HI

GA

FL

ME

MI

LA

AK

The ADP Benchmarks: The ADP Benchmarks: Challenging Content for All Challenging Content for All

StudentsStudents

In Mathematics: A rigorous four-year course

sequence Content* equivalent to a

sequence that includes Algebra I and II, Geometry, and some Data Analysis & Statistics

*can be taught via different pathways

In English: Four courses Content equivalent to four

years of grade-level English or higher with a strong focus on oral and written communication skills and considerable research and analysis

To cover the content in the ADP benchmarks, high school graduates need:

ADP Expectations Help Ensure ADP Expectations Help Ensure High School Graduates are High School Graduates are

Prepared to SucceedPrepared to Succeed In English, the benchmarks

cover: Language Communication Writing Research Logic Informational text Media Literature Cross-cutting college/workplace

tasks

In math, the benchmarks cover: Number sense and numerical

operations Algebra Geometry Data interpretation, statistics and

probability Math reasoning skills Cross-cutting

college/workplace tasks

ADP Benchmarks: Necessary But ADP Benchmarks: Necessary But Not SufficientNot Sufficient

What else is necessary to ensure rigorous and aligned mathematics instruction from K-12? More guidance than cumulative “end-of-high school”

benchmarks Model standards that “backmap” from the ADP

Benchmarks to include high school and middle school course options and elementary grade-level standards

Criteria and models for 4th year capstone mathematics course options

Supply of aligned instructional tasks

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Closing the Mathematics Closing the Mathematics Expectations GapExpectations Gap

Achieve and Dana Center Joint Web Site and Tools

www.utdanacenter.org/k12mathbenchmarks

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Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Web Site: Web Site:

“Backmapped” Benchmarks“Backmapped” Benchmarks

Joint Achieve/Dana Center Web site includes: Link to ADP benchmarks on Achieve Web site Common core of “backmapped” secondary-level,

benchmarks (7-12), organized by strand and level Model Secondary Course Sequences

Two model high school course sequences (traditional plus and integrated) based on the common core

Two model middle school options (2-year course sequence and 1 year advanced course)

Model K-6 benchmarks, organized by strand and grade level

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Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Web Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Web Site: Site:

Benchmark Support ToolsBenchmark Support Tools

Joint Achieve/Dana Center Web site includes: Secondary-level sample tasks

30 instructional/assessment tasks aligned with the “backmapped” benchmarks

Link to workplace tasks on Achieve Web site

Content standards for the Achieve ADP Algebra II End-of-Course Exam

Correlations for the secondary-level expectations

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Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Web Tools on the Achieve/Dana Center Web Site: Site:

Supporting ResourcesSupporting Resources

Joint Achieve/Dana Center Web site includes: Criteria and models for fourth-year capstone courses

for students who have completed mathematics through Algebra II, or the equivalent

Practices Worthy of Attention (PWOA) Link to Mathematics at Work brochures on Achieve

Web site

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Closing the Mathematics Closing the Mathematics Expectations GapExpectations Gap

Workforce Brochures, White Paperand Advocacy Kit

www.achieve.org/mathatwork

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For more information on Achieve,please visit Achieve, Inc., on the Web at

http://www.achieve.org

To visit the joint Achieve/Dana Center website, please visithttp://www.utdanacenter.org/k12mathbenchmarks

Contact Achieve: Kaye Forgionekforgione@achieve.org

More InformationMore Information

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A Closer Look at Components A Closer Look at Components Developed by the Dana CenterDeveloped by the Dana Center

Instructional Tasks

Capstone Course

Practices Worthy of Attention

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Questions to Guide DiscussionQuestions to Guide Discussion

Will the tools on the joint Achieve/Dana Center Web site be useful to you in your district?

Which of the tools will be most helpful? How do you envision being able to use these

tools? How could these tools be made more useful for

you? Are there other types of tools that you need?