What's Going OnAuthor(s): Harriet HaynesSource: The Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 27, No. 8 (April 1980), p. 33Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41191732 .

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CDhať> Going On...

Edited by Harriet Haynes , School District 16, Brooklyn, NY 11221

BROOKLYN SCHOOL DISTRICT MANAGES ITS MATHEMATICS PROGRAM. Community School District 19 has developed a mathematics program for grades K-6 that includes criterion-referenced survey and mastery tests for 1 62 instructional objectives. Methods of diagnosing and remediating student errors are a part of the testing program. Approximately 22 000 stu- dents in 22 schools are involved. The program assumes (1) a need for systematic instruc- tion in mathematics and (2) teaching that builds on a foundation of conceptual under- standing. Sample test items, activities, and other information are available to those who send a self-addressed stamped envelope with k$t in postage to Marvin Kreutzberger , Director of Mathematics and Science, Community School District 19, 2057 Linden Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 1 1207.

MICROCOMPUTER EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE TO EDUCATORS. The Microcomputer Resource Center at Teachers College, Columbia University has a microcomputer, of the type frequently pur- chased by school systems, available without charge to teachers and school administrators who want to try out microcomputer software. The Center has a cassette library of both teacher-made and commercially developed programs, including a baseball game that pitches arithmetic problems, a bowling game that teaches decimals, and a dart game that is scored by a student's speed in estimating round numbers. A member of the staff of the Depart- ment of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computing in Education is on hand to introduce the novice to the equipment. The Center, in Thorndike Hall at TC , is open afternoons Monday to Thursday. Visitors should telephone 678-37^0 before coming. For more information contact Karen Billings, Director of Microcomputer Resource Center, Teachers College, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027.

MATH IS A HOT ITEM IN SCHOOLS. The Identifying and Teaching Essential Mathematics Skills (ITEMS) program is designed for students in grades K-8 who have not mastered specific mathematics skills. Writers have generated ideas and suggested approaches to reinforce instruction in 5^ ITEMS mathematics skills identified through a poll of local businesses and individuals to determine which mathematics skills are essential for employment and daily functioning. The ITEMS materials, which are divided into three levels, K-2, 3*5, and 6-8, are to be used in conjunction with, in addition to, or in lieu of textbook material. ITEMS is a Title IV-C program available for adoption. The 6-8 unit has been validated for state dissemination. For additional information contact Richard E. Cowan, Coordinator of ITEMS, Roanoke Rapids Graded School District, 536 Hamilton Street, Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870.

RECIPES FOR LEARNING READING AND MATHEMATICS AT HOME. In this program parents receive weekly "recipes11 for using simple household objects and typical daily routines to foster their children's reading and mathematics abilities. The activities, based on current topics, are short, easy to do, and do not duplicate schoolwork. Topics are current issues. The weekly home learning packets are a part of the Families Learning Together program created by the nonprofit Home and School Institute. The program was tested in I979 by 36^ families in two cities, Flint, Michigan and Landrum, South Carolina. Ninety- two percent of the parents responding to a questionnaire said that the program had made their elementary school children more confident and like school better. The program, which is based on the premise that families, regardless of socio-economic level and educational backgrounds, possess the basic strengths and abilities to help their child- ren achieve in school, is available in inexpensive kits for use in homes and schools across the country. For more information contact Dorothy Rich, The Home and School Institute, c/o Trinity College, Washington, DC 20017.

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