Keep Moving ForwardMiddle School Math UpdateMarch 13, 2017

Presented by Kimberly Beck, Assistant SuperintendentSara Dalton and Rebecca Dorn, Grade 6 Mathematics TeachersAttending: Myra Gercak and MaryAnn Goldstein, Middle School Math Department Leaders

This journey began in the spring of 2013

WHY DID WE CHANGE?Continuing the Conversation

“In the 21st century, mastery of the basic skills of reading, writing, and math is no longer enough.

We face an exponential increase of readily available information, new technologies that are constantly changing, and more complex societal challenges.

What matters today, however, is not how much our students know, but what they can do with what they know.”

Tony Wagner, Harvard UniversityAuthor of The Global Achievement Gap and Creating Innovators

Slide content from: BOE presentation February 2013Community Math Forums November 2013BOE presentation March 2014

“The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics require an increase in rigor and scope, and a change in the focus of mathematics instruction, in American classrooms.”

Cathy J. Lassiter

Navigating the Mathematics CCSSSlide content from:Community Presentations 2013 - 2015BOE presentation March 2014

2 Kinds of Math Standards

Content Represent expected learning by grade level - the “what” of teaching and learning

Reduced # of standards, increased depth of understanding

PracticeRepresent “how” we must teach all students (K-12) to think and behave like mathematicians

These practices rest on important processes and proficiencies with longstanding importance in mathematics education

2 Kinds of Math Standards

New Content Standards =

Drivers of change in curriculum, middle school

courses, and anchor resources

Practice Standards =

Drivers of professional learning and changes in

instructional practice

In the development of the middle school course sequences, we started at the high school asking the question:

What middle school coursework will give ALL students access to advanced level math courses at RHS?

Slide content shared previously within MS math course proposals 2013 - 2015

Middle School Math CoursesCommon Core 6

same course taught in levels

Pre - Algebra Linear Algebra AdvancedLinear Algebra

Foundations of Algebra Functional Algebra AdvancedFunctional Algebra

6th

7th

8th

6th

7th

8th

The 7th and 8th grade courses are 3 different courses with varying content standards being taught.

●

●

●

●

★

6th Grade Math Course: Taught in 2 levels - Different Instructional Sequence

Sharing Success

Sara Dalton

Rebecca Dorn

Keep Moving Forward: Planning for 2017-2018

Placement 6th to 7th

Placement 5th to 6th

Pre-Algebra Linear Algebra Advanced Linear Algebra

Common Core 6 Common Core 6 C (Accelerated)

Grade 5 - Departmentalized

Common Core 6 Common Core 6 C (Accelerated)

Grade 5 to 6 Parent Meetings

Branchville March 9th √

Individual School Meetings are taking place

during the school day with K-5 Math Dept. Chair,

Principal, Math Specialist and the Grade 5 Math Teacher

Barlow Mountain March 13th √

Veterans ParK March 16th (hopefully) @ 9:30

Farmingville March 22nd @ 2:30

Scotland March 21st @ 9:00

Ridgebury March 21st @ 10:30

District-wide Meeting @ VPES on March 29th at 7:00

And the Math Needed for College?

“While advanced math may be needed for admission to college, it is not the math

required for students to succeed in college. A 2013 study by the National Center on

Education and the Economy found that the mathematics that most enables students

to be successful in college courses is not high school mathematics, but middle

school mathematics, especially arithmetic, ratio, proportion, expressions and simple

equations.”

From Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era

By Tony Wagner & Ted Dintersmith

“It is not enough to have a good mind;

the main thing is to use it well.”Rene Descartes

French Mathematician (1595-1650)

Pathways for MOST Students