An Update: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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An UpdateNational Council of Teachers of
Mathematics

• United States Department of Education - MSP
  Regional Conference
• Washington, D.C.
• Francis (Skip) Fennell
• Professor of Education
• McDaniel College
• Westminster, MD
• Past President, National Council of Teachers of
  Mathematics
• January 7, 2009

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First things first!

• A strong K12 mathematics education for all
  students is important for our nations economic
  stability, future national security, and
  workforce productivity.
• Everyone must be mathematically literate and
  recognize the importance of mathematics learning.
  NCTM believes that teachers and what they do in
  the classroom are at the heart of making this
  vision a reality.

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The Competition Thing
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From the Secretary

• We must encourage students to take more advanced
  math and science classes. Employers today need
  workers with pocket protector skills creative
  problem solvers with strong math and science
  backgrounds.

Margaret Spellings, June 21, 2007
Nerds Rock!!!
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Mathematics for all students

• NCTM supports programs and practices that
  encourage the acquisition of high-level
  mathematics skills by a wide range of overlapping
  populations
• children of poverty,
• English language learners,
• urban and rural students,
• students of all races and ethnicities,
• students with learning difficulties,
• students who are female, and
• students who are mathematically gifted.

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And yet

• Important, but NOT for me
• Parents are aware of the importance of math, but
  remain complacent
• Students pay lip service to the importance of
  higher level math

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NCTM Strategic Priorities

• Curriculum
• Equity
• Linking Research and Practice
• Professional Development
• Advocacy

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Curriculum and Assessment

• Increase efforts to focus and align the PreK-8
  curriculum to achieve coherence.
• NCTM supports developing stronger intervention
  programs and assessments, with an emphasis on the
  ongoing use of formative assessments.

an NMAP recommendation
an NMAP recommendation
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Curriculum
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The Intent

• To address
• Long lists of mathematics learning expectations
  at the state level with little consistency across
  states
• Emphasis on breadth resulting in lack of depth,
  i.e. mile wide, inch deep curricula in
  mathematics

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Number of 4th-Grade Learning Expectations per
State by Content Strand
Reys, et al., 2006
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The Rationale

• Identify key mathematical ideas across preK-8
  that prepare students for future mathematics,
  particularly algebra
• Identify the mathematics that should be the focus
  of instruction and student learning at each grade
  level, preK-8

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Algebra??
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NCTM Curriculum Principle

• A curriculum is more than a collection of
  activities. It must be
• coherent
• focused on important mathematics
• well articulated across the grades

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics,
p. 14
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NCTM Curriculum Principle

• a well-articulated curriculum gives teachers
  guidance regarding important ideas or major
  themes, which receive special attention at
  different points in time. It also gives guidance
  about the depth of study warranted at particular
  times and when closure is expected for particular
  skills or concepts.
• Principles and Standards for School Mathematics,
  p. 16

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Whats a Focal Point?

• A major mathematical topic of emphasis for a
  grade level
• More than a single objective, standard,
  expectation, or indicator
• An important link in the chain of building
  mathematical understanding, preK-8
• Not an element of a list of discrete topics to
  check off as mastered by students.

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• Open number lines

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76
86
83
56 27
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Boxes to multiply

• Draw a rectangle to show 46 x 7 322

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40
6
280
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46 x 7 (40 x 7) (6 x 7) 280 42 322
Navigations 3-5, Number and Operations, 2007
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What do we know now?

• Use status
• Over half of the states
• Most publishers
• Teacher education programs, textbooks
• Over 1,200,000 downloads later
• Curriculum Center Survey results
• Most popular NCTM publication sales

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And

• Focus on Grades 3-5
• Coming
• Focus on Grades 6-8
• Focus on Grade
• 3
• 4
• 5
• And more to follow

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Concerns and Challenges

• Confusion Understanding what is meant by a
  focal point target, area of emphasis?
• What does it mean to focus?
• Will states and school districts drop
  curricular topics?
• When will the state tests change?
• What about high school?

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NMAP and Curriculum

• Increase efforts to streamline, focus and align
  the PreK-8 curriculum to achieve coherence.
• Validation

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NMAPConceptual Knowledge Skills

• Curriculum focus and coherence PreK-8
• Closure with topics
• Major Topics of School Algebra
• Should be the focus of school algebra however
  algebra is presented.
• Proficiency with the Critical Foundations
• Whole numbers, fractions, particular aspects of
  geometry and measurement.
• Benchmarks
• Access to algebra
• Teacher background

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Curriculum

• High School Mathematics Project
• Drafts Reviewed
• Topic Books Algebra, Geometry, Data Analysis
  Probability

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NCTMs Goal

• Guidance for schools and states in the design of
  curricula and assessment that target the most
  important topics.
• Focus for teachers that gives sufficient time for
  students to understand concepts and develop and
  apply skills necessary for future mathematics.
• Clear direction for students and parents on the
  importance of deep understanding of particular
  topics at each grade level.

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Equity

• Equity Position Statement
• Equity Summits 2008 and 2009
• Iris Carl Annual Equity Address
• Equity and Publications
• Online issue of JRME
• TCM focus issue
• Equity FOY for 2008-09
• Equity theme of 2009 Annual Conference and
  Exposition
• And more!!!

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Linking Research and Practice

• Director of Research
• Dr. Judith Reed
• Research Analyses, Briefs and Clips at
  nctm.org/research.aspx

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NCTM ResearchClips and Briefs

• Homework

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NCTM ResearchClips and Briefs

• Formative Assessment

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Linking Research and Practice

• NSF-supported Research Agenda Conference
• Summer 2008 and Follow-Up February 2009
• Mathematicians, Mathematics Educators,
  Supervisors, Teachers, Cognitive Psychologists,
  Policy Makers

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Professional Development

• E-learning programs reached 6 continents, 50
  states, and 20 different countries
• 18 e-workshops, with over 700 sites connected
• 4 NCATE online report compiler training sessions
• Lesson Study course for teachers of grades 3-8,
  with participants from 12 states
• 7 Learn-and-Reflect sessions at NCTM Conferences
  and Affiliate Conferences
• To Come Professional Development Continuum

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Professional Development

• On the Web
• Large-Scale Assessment tool
• Intervention
• Presidents Messages
• Position Statements (2008)
• Mentoring
• Early childhood
• Equity
• Technology
• Algebra

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Advocacy and Outreach

• Senate STEM Caucus Ken Krehbiel
• National Math Advisory Panel
• Testimony before Congress re focus and
  coherent curriculum NMAP Report
• Discussion with Obama transition team
• Math Now legislation
• Board meeting with Deputy Secretary Ray Simon
• U.S. Department of Education Doing What Works
• Much more

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Emerging Issues

• What algebra? When?
• Early childhood mathematics education
• Intervention
• Elementary Mathematics Specialists
• Special Needs ELL and Special Education
• Urban-specific Needs
• High School and College articulation

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What are Intervention Programs?

• Structured plans for providing instructional
  activities and materials to support students
  learning
• Additional instruction on content that has
  already been introduced in the classroom
• Intended to boostnot supplant or copyregular
  classroom instruction

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InterventionInstructional Actions

• Can occur in a variety of settings
• -Whole-class -During school
• -One-on-one -Before/after school
• -With a tutor -In summer school
• Leads to follow-up assessment
• Have the actions been successful?

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What is Remediation?

• Actions taken to reverse established patterns of
  achievement by students who are already
  struggling or failing and who need intensive,
  long-term help.
• Supplemental instruction on content students are
  expected to have mastered but have not

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What is Intervention?

• Plan of action implemented by an instructor on
  behalf of students who may need extra help or
  acceleration
• Students difficulties or strengths are in early
  stages
• Intervention ideally addresses weaknesses or
  strengths before they become a problem for the
  student

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nctm.org/intervention.aspx
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NMAP Learning Processes

• Preschool background
• Need for the curriculum to develop conceptual
  understanding, computational fluency, and problem
  solving
• Importance of computational proficiency facts,
  standard algorithms, and properties
• Fractions
• Role of student effort
• Diverse learners
• Readiness.

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We NeedElementary SchoolMathematics
SpecialistsNOW!

NCTM News Bulletin
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Questions?
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f
ffennell_at_mcdaniel.edu