The Connected Mathematics Project

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The Connected Mathematics Project

• Piloted this year at E. A. Tighe Middle School
• Being considered for full implementation next
  year in grades 6-8

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Why Connected Math?

• On Wednesday, October 6, 1999, the U.S.
  Department of Education announced the results of
  a review conducted by the Mathematics and Science
  Education Expert Panel. 61 programs were
  submitted for the review. Five received the
  highest recognition of "exemplary" and five
  received the recognition of "promising."
  Connected Mathematics is the only middle school
  program identified as exemplary.

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Why Connected Math?

• The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  (NCTM) issued a new vision statement, Principles
  and Standards for School Mathematics 2000.
• The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
  were redesigned to reflect the recommendations
  found in this document in July 2002.
• The Connected Mathematics Projects is completely
  aligned with the NCTMs Principles and Standards
  2000.

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Why Connected Math?

• The four principles supported by NCTM
• equity (high expectations and strong support for
  all students)
• coherent curricula rather than disconnected sets
  of activities
• teacher professionalism, including knowledge of
  curricula and learning and
• the effective use of assessment and technology in
  the service of mathematics learning.

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Why Connected Math?

• The National Science Foundation (NSF) supported
  the development of a number of reform curricula.
• The Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) was
  funded (1991-97) by the National Science
  Foundation (NSF) to write a middle school
  curriculum for students and teachers.

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Why Connected Math?

• Research-based results
• With a statewide assessment as the measure of
  performance, fourth-grade students using Everyday
  Mathematics and eighth-grade students using
  Connected Mathematics outperformed matched
  comparison groups who were using a range of
  textbooks commonly used in Massachusetts.
• July 2001 issue of Journal for Research in
  Mathematics Education

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Why Connected Math?

• Commenting on the analyses of three middle school
  reform curricula, a researcher notes,
• With respect to long-term benefits, the
  findings identified are convincing. They reveal
  that the curricula can indeed push students
  beyond the basics to more in-depth
  problem-oriented mathematical thinking without
  jeopardizing their thinking in either area
• Chappell, M. Standards-oriented school
  mathematics curricula What does the research say
  about student outcomes?

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What is Connected Math?

• Connected Mathematics is a complete mathematics
  curriculum.
• CMP helps students develop understanding of
  important concepts, skills, procedures, and ways
  of thinking and reasoning.

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Goal of Connected Math

• All students should be able to reason and
  communicate proficiently in mathematics. They
  should have knowledge of and skill in the use of
  the vocabulary, forms of representation,
  materials, tools, techniques, and intellectual
  methods of the discipline of mathematics. This
  knowledge should include the ability to define
  and solve problems with reason, insight,
  inventiveness, and technical proficiency.

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Themes in Connected Math
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Themes in Connected Math

• Mathematical Investigations
• CMP is organized around a selected number of
  important mathematical content and process goals,
  each of which is studied in depth.

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Themes in Connected Math

• Connections
• CMP emphasizes significant connections,
  meaningful to students, among various
  mathematical topics and between mathematics and
  problems in other disciplines.

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Themes in Connected Math

• Teaching for Understanding
• The instruction in CMP emphasizes inquiry and
  discovery of mathematical ideas through the
  investigation of rich problem situations.

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Themes in Connected Math

• Reasoning
• CMP helps students grow in their ability to
  reason effectively with information represented
  in graphic, numeric, symbolic, and verbal forms
  and to move flexibly among these representations.

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Themes in Connected Math

• Technology
• The goals and teaching approaches of CMP reflect
  the information-processing capabilities of
  calculators and computers and the fundamental
  changes such tools are making in the way people
  learn mathematics and apply their knowledge of
  problem solving.

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Overview of Features

• It is problem-centered.
• Important mathematical concepts are embedded in
  engaging problems.
• Students develop understanding and skill as they
  explore the problems individually, in a group, or
  with the class.

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Overview of Features

• It provides skills practice.
• The in-class problems and homework questions give
  students practice with important concepts,
  skills, and algorithms.

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Overview of Features

• It is complete.
• The twenty-four Connected Mathematics units-eight
  units for each grade-form a complete middle
  school curriculum that develops mathematical
  skills and conceptual understanding across
  mathematical strands.
• In addition, the program provides a complete
  assessment package that includes quizzes, tests,
  and projects.

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Overview of Features

• It is for teachers as well as students.
• The Connected Mathematics materials were written
  so teachers can learn from them too.
• The Teacher's Guides include extensive notes
  regarding mathematics, pedagogy, and assessment.

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Overview of Features

• It is research based.
• Each Connected Mathematics unit has been field
  tested, evaluated, and revised over a three- to
  four-year period.
• Approximately 160 teachers and 45,000 students in
  diverse school settings across the United States
  participated in the development of the
  curriculum.

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Overview of Features

• It is effective.
• Research results consistently show that CMP
  students outperform other students on tests of
  problem-solving ability, conceptual
  understanding, and proportional reasoning.
• And CMP students do as well as, or better than,
  other students on tests of basic skills.

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What Strands are Covered?

• Numerical Operations
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Statistics and Probability
• Algebra

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Problem-Oriented Teaching Model

• Launching
• Engaging the student
• Activating interest and motivation
• Exploring the Situation
• Hands-on activities
• Cooperative learning
• Student centered
• Summarizing the Results
• Journal explanations
• Oral discussions
• Presentations

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Example CMP Lesson
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The Orange Juice Problem

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The Orange Juice Problem
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The Orange Juice Problem
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The Orange Juice Problem
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The Orange Juice Problem
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Questions
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Informational Resources

• Making Mathematics Work for All Children
• Issues of Standards,Testing, and Equity
• http//www.aera.net/pubs/er/pdf/vol31_01/AERA31010
  4.pdf
• The Connected Mathematics Project website
• http//www.math.msu.edu/cmp/index.html
• NCTM Principles and Standards 2000
• http//www.nctm.org/standards
• NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards for Math
• http//www.nj.gov/njded/cccs/02/s4_math.htm