Mathematics Instruction, Curriculum and Coaching Panel

Moderated by Jacqui GarrisonDeputy Chief District Support Officer Tennessee Department of Education

Welcome to our Panelists

• Jamie Parris Director of Secondary Mathematics & Science, Hamilton County Schools • Virginia Mayfield CORE Math Coordinators, Upper Cumberland CORE Office • Gary Petko Math Supervisor, Knox County Schools

Today our panelists will be discussing the following three questions:

• How can you achieve focus in the mathematics curriculum?

• What does coherence mean for curriculum design and student learning?

• How are you leveraging the Constructed Response Assessment?

How can you achieve focus in the mathematics curriculum?

Jamie ParrisDirector of Secondary Mathematics & Science,

Hamilton County Schools

Hamilton County’s Approach to Achieving Focus In

Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

Jamie Parris, Hamilton County Schools Director of Secondary Math/Science

Achieving Focus In MathematicsCurriculum and Instruction

1. Clearly define and articulate your focus

2. Commit to your focus3. Always support curriculum with

high-impact instructional practices

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

1. Clearly define and articulate your focus Clearly define your focus

• Stop fully teaching dropped SPI’s• Spend 60% or more of your time on the

focus clusters/standards• Teach and plan in units, not isolated

checklists• Planning must include instructional

practices

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

1. Clearly define and articulate your focus Clearly articulate your focus

• Distributed in multiple professional learning opportunities/sources (teacher, principal, website, etc.)

• Designed teacher professional learning opportunities around understanding the focus clusters and dropped SPI’s in the context of an instructional unit and instructional practices

• Removed dropped SPI’s from district pacing guides and benchmark assessments

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

2. Commit to your focus

Actions must show commitment • Pacing guides and benchmark assessments

were completely overhauled to reflect the dropped SPI’s and focus clusters/standards

• Pacing guides were written emphasizing big ideas/units of study

• Instructional tasks and supplemental lessons were added focused around the focus clusters/standards and gaps

Teachers and administrators must see that the district office is committed to the focus!

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

2. Commit to your focus

Supports and safety nets must be created• District pacing guides, instructional tasks,

supplemental lessons, benchmark assessments and other resources

• Monthly curriculum support sessions• Numeracy Support Teachers • Professional learning always emphasizes

both content and instructional practice

Teachers and administrators must see that the district office is committed to the focus!

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

3. Always support curriculum with high-impact instructional practices

• Never separate content and instructional practices.

• Model high-impact instructional practices in every professional learning opportunity.

• Instruction should center on developing the 8 Mathematical Practices in students.

• Leverage the instructional practices emphasized in the State Summer CCSS trainings.

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Instruction

1. Clearly define and articulate your focus

2. Commit to your focus3. Always support curriculum with

high-impact instructional practices

Achieving Focus In Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction

• Focus your work on the important things! Don’t get caught by the distractors.

• Focus on high-impact instructional practices not programs.

• Make your focus the regular culture/vision of your school/district, not an add on.

What does coherence mean for curriculum design and student

learning?

Virginia MayfieldUpper Cumberland Regional

Mathematics Coordinator

What is Coherence?

Co-her-ence, n. The quality or state of cohering, especially a logical, orderly, and aesthetically consistent relationship of parts

Coherence and Math Standards?

Content Standardsarticulated over time as a

sequence of topics and performancesthat are logical

and reflect the sequential nature of mathematics.

What does this look like in mathematics?

How does having a coherent progression effect curriculum design?

Fewer standards to teach-more time to

devote to each-better focus

Vertically a less repetitive

curriculum

Opportunity to fully develop priority

standards-increased level of rigor

Better ability to identify gaps in understanding

Standards can be anchored to

previous learning

Ability to plan for conceptual understanding

How does having a coherent progression effect student learning?

Students have the time to reach

conceptual understanding

Students are held accountable for what they learn each year

Less repetition-Less boredom-

More focus

Students have previous, deep

knowledge on which to anchor new learning

Development of not only the “how” of mathematics, but

also the “why”

Provides the opportunity for students to receive more challenging work-

rigor

How are you leveraging the Constructed Response

Assessment?

Gary Petko Math Supervisor,

Knox County Schools

Diving into the 2013 CRA Data

Knox County Schools Mathematics…Going Beyond the Standards

Who Are We…Knox County Schools

Number of Schools 87

Grades Served PK - 12

Number of Students 55,160

Number of Teachers 3,373

Male 51.6%

Female 48.4%

African American 14.6%

Asian/Pacific Islander 2.2%

Hispanic 5.4%

Native American/Alaskan 0.2%

White 77.7%

SWD 12.9%

Economically Disadvantaged 47.3%

Our Focus…Growth

Focusing on the “HOW” rather than the “WHAT”

Math PracticesMP1

Make sense of problems and preserve in solving them

`MP6Attend to precision

Over

arch

ing

Habi

ts o

f Min

d M

P1 &

MP6

ASCDCommon Core: Now What?December 6, 2012 | Volume 8 | Issue 5

The impact of MP1 and MP6

• MP1 and MP6 serve as an umbrella for the other practice standards.

• MP1 and MP6 are important in every aspect of teaching and learning mathematics. The purpose of these standards is to build within students the sense that they can successfully “do” mathematics and build precision in their use of mathematical symbols, units, and language. These two standards are the habits of mind that students need to use in solving any mathematics problem and potentially lead to coherence among topics.

KCS Mathematics Department Plans for Coherence

• Each professional development will continue to focus on the progression of topics.

• Professional development is planned to discuss the K – 12 progression of key vocabulary and strategies. There will be an emphasis on key vocabulary in Numbers & Operations (a KCS Math Dept. area of focus) as it pertains to the progression of fractions and ratios.

• A cross-curricular focus between the ELA & Math Departments on similar strategies that help develop reading comprehension for both informational texts and contextual math problems.