Strategies Districts Use to Develop Successful Math Implementation:

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Strategies Districts Use to Develop Successful
Math Implementation
National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics,
April 25, 2006
Key Roles Administrators Play to Engage All
Stakeholders

• Joan L. Bieler, University of Illinois, Chicago
• Jan Parsons, University of Delaware
• Donald Yackel, Albany, New York City School

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Strategies Districts Use to Develop Successful
Math Implementation

• Getting started setting the vision
• The administrators tool box
• Areas of special focus
• Ongoing professional development
• Wrap-up and questions

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Getting Started Setting the Vision

• What is my districts vision?
• Why do we need a vision?
• Making the vision a reality Developing
  leadership

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Getting Started Setting the Vision

• On an index card, write 3
• goals that you have in mind
• for your school or district.
• Share your goals with a neighbor

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Getting Started Setting the Vision

• Discuss the goals with those at your
• table. On chart paper, record all
• the goals from those at your table
• Mark with an asterisk the 3 goals that
• your group found in common at the
• table.
• Hang your chart paper.

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Getting Started Setting the Vision

• Develop a strategic plan that includes all
  stakeholders
• Do this work outside of school environment
• Use a critical friend, such as a university
  partner to facilitate and direct the conversation
• Include an administrator who can make decisions
  regarding budget issues
• Revisit the strategic plan regularly

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Ongoing Professional Development

• New teachers
• Experienced teachers math clubs, lesson study
  grade level meetings for common assessments, book
  talks
• Seek funding district, state,
• Seek expertise college and university partners

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Sixty Minutes a Day!
Strategies Districts Use to Develop Successful
Math Implementation
The child who passes through these classrooms
receives one full year of instruction less than
the student who receives 60 minutes of math every
day.
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Important Role of the Principal

• If the Principal understands mathematics
  pedagogy and is behind the change it will be
  successful.

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Administrators Tool Kit

• Training
• The Math Walk
• Accountability
• Support

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Training

• Include principals in pre and post
  implementation program training
• Why?
• Need a broad understanding of pedagogy and
  content
• Need enough specific knowledge so as to
• not damage/water down/ supplement program
• not criticize teachers for appropriate behavior
• not praise inappropriate behavior

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The Math Walk

• Make sure that all teachers and administrators
  are informed well in advance
• The principal and the "critical friend" walk
  together and observe every teacher
• The visit may be as little as 10 minutes
• a snapshot of each class

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The Math Walk Things to do

• Focus on what students are doing
• Provide feedback and a time for teachers to
  discuss what the "critical friend" saw as trends
• Make a plan

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The Math Walk Things to do

• Focus on what students are doing.
• Ask individual students about their thinking.
• Use this list of attributes to take notes about
  the whole school.
• Not every attribute will be seen in every
  classroom, but some should be apparent in each
  room and ALL should be seen throughout the
  school.
• Keep data about how often each attribute is
  observed.

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The Math Walk Things to look for

• Solving problems or participating in activities
  that enable them to construct and make sense of
  procedures and concepts that are new to them
• Using a variety of strategies to solve problems
  or investigate activities
• Working in a variety of settings independently,
  with partners, or in small groups

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The Math Walk Things to look for

• Asking questions or explaining strategies about
  the mathematics, either to the teacher or to
  classmates
• Using materials (if they choose or need to do so)
  to support, not replace their thinking
• Showing understanding of mathematics through
  written or oral explanations of their thinking
• Practicing skills and procedures as needed for
  efficiency and deeper understanding of new skills

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Accountability Tools

• Written Curriculum
• Written Pacing Maps
• Principals Feedback Forms

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Principals Feedback Forms

• Teachers need to know that someone is paying
  attention to their pacing of instruction
  throughout the year. As long as their
  administrator is watching, mathematics is not
  likely to be forgotten or shortchanged. Holding
  teachers accountable for pacing does not speak to
  the quality of instruction - only quantity or
  coverage. However, holding to a pacing map is
  one important element in assuring that students
  are taught the required curriculum.

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Accountability for Pacing
Accountability for Pacing
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The Lead Teacher

• Types
• Volunteer
• Part-Time
• Full-Time

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Fulltime Lead TeacherEssential Duties and
Responsibilities

• Senior Lead Teachers will be charged with
  supporting the implementation of the Districts
  K-5 mathematics curriculum and the Math
  Trailblazers reform mathematics program.
• Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Work in schools with teachers?
• Coaching/assisting teachers in the planning and
  execution of reform mathematics lessons (MTB)
• Plan and deliver professional development
• Assist principals in understanding reform
  mathematics
• Gather information that will help accomplish the
  above
• Assist the Instructional Supervisor for
  Mathematics

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LTs Working With the Principal

• Teach about program and philosophy
• Teach the Math Walk
• General feedback on building implementation of
  curriculum
• Answer pacing questions
• Work with identified teachers

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Parents How to Educate Them!

• What do parents want to know?
• What do we want parents to know?

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How do we leave NO CHILD BEHIND?

• Is your district using an inclusion model?
• What is the role of each of the two teachers in
  the classroom?
• What time do you give in addition to the regular
  mathematics class? (before school, after school,
  pull out?)
• Are the IEP's matched to the standards?
• Do you have remedial mathematics teachers? What
  is their role? (Push in, Pull out, "catch-up" or
  "get ahead" model?)

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Indian River School District Data
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Areas of Special Focus

• Meetings the needs of all the children in your
  district
• Working with parents

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Ongoing Professional Development

• Grade-level meetings
• Plans for working with professional developers
• Collaboration with colleges and universities
• More

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Program Selection and Implementation

• One Districts Experience

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My Experience

• Large study group
• Representation from every building effected by
  decision
• Wide open process

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The Process

• Texts Reviewed We reviewed any title the group
  suggested and agreed on.
• Paper review of materials, discussion and
  elimination of many titles
• Company presentations of several different
  programs
• Discussion and elimination of all but two
  programs
• School visits to see the two remaining programs
  in action
• Final discussion and selection.

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Caveats

• No Pilot Tests!
• Eliminate people who are just along for the ride!
• Keep the process real and people engaged

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The Result Was

• at least one strong advocate for the selected
  program in each school
• the core of a volunteer lead teacher group

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The Volunteer Lead Teacher

• Classroom teacher
• Can only train after school, summers and special
  occasions
• Tend to be grade level specific
• Least expensive Option

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Bibliography

• Fullan, Michael. Leadership and Sustainability
  System Thinkers in Action. Corwin Press
  California, 2005.
• Hiebert, James et al. Making Sense Teaching and
  Learning Mathematics with Understanding.
  Heinemann Portsmouth, 1997.
• Leinwand, Steven. Sensible Mathematics.
  Heinemann Portsmouth, 2000.

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Bibliography, contd.

• Mirra, Amy ed. A Familys Guide Fostering Your
  Childs Success in School Mathematics. NCTM
  Virginia, 2004
• Mirrra, Amy J. Administrators Guide How to
  Support and Improve Mathematics Education. NCTM
  and ASCD Virginia, 2003.
• National Research Council Mathematics Learning
  Study Committee. Adding It UpHelping Children
  Learn Mathematics. National Academies Press
  Washington, 2001.

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Questions?

• For additional information
• Website for handouts
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• E-mail TIMS_at_uic.edu
• Teaching Integrated Math and Science (TIMS)
  Project, M/C 250
• 950 S. Halsted, Room 2075 SEL
• Chicago, IL 60607

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The Part-time Lead Teacher

• Classroom teacher
• Works on a part-time pull-out schedule
• Can train during school hours on a limited basis,
  after school, summers and special occasions
• Can work across grade levels
• Tend to be building centered
• More expensive

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The Full-time Lead Teacher

• Former Classroom teacher
• Can train during school hours, after school,
  summers and special occasions
• Works across grade levels
• Works district wide
• Most expensive

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Mathematics vs Language Arts

• LA is the 800 pound gorilla in our midst Goliath
  to our David
• Elementary teachers are naturally inclined toward
  Language Arts and away from mathematics
• Getting Resources and instruction time for
  mathematics is difficult

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Getting Started Setting the Vision

• Develop a strategic plan that includes all
  stakeholders
• Do this work outside of school environment
• Use a critical friend, such as a university
  partner to facilitate and direct the conversation
• Include an administrator who can make decisions
  regarding budget issues
• Revisit the strategic plan regularly