Why Math Might Be The Secret To School Success

Little children are big news this month, as the White House holds a summit on early childhood education on Wednesday. The president wants every 4-year-old to go to preschool, but the new Congress is unlikely to foot that bill.

Since last year, more than 30 states have expanded access to preschool. But there's still a lack of evidence about exactly what kinds of interventions are most effective in those crucial early years.

In New York City, an ambitious, $25 million study is collecting evidence on the best way to raise outcomes for kids in poverty. Their hunch is that it may begin with math.

Time That Counts

"One! Two! Three! Four! Five!"

Gayle Conigliaro's preschool students are jumping as they count, to get the feeling of the numbers into their bodies — a concept called "embodied cognition."

Read more from NPR...

Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability: December 18, 2014

M-STEP Spring 2015 Preview

The M-STEP Spring 2015 Preview is now available for Michigan students and teachers. The M-STEP Spring 2015 Preview must be used in Google Chrome.The preview is intended to provide students and teachers with a brief look at the technology-enhanced item types they are likely to see for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Students will also have an opportunity to use the navigation tools and features of the online delivery engine. Students and teachers may log into the Spring 2015 Preview as often as they like.
Please note: The Spring 2015 Preview is just that, a preview of the item types and system tools. It does not represent all standards for ELA and mathematics, nor all grade levels. A more complete M-STEP sample will be released in early 2015.

Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability: December 4, 2014

PD opportunity: Modeling Effective Science Instruction

Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability: Week of November 24, 2014

Finally: Spring assessments decided

The Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) would like to share the latest information from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) informing educators across state on the new spring 2015 summative assessments. 

MDE has listed three key points:

• MEAP is replaced by the M-Step (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) test.
• Both Michigan developed content as well as Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) content will be included on the Spring 2015 assessment.  
• The deadline for schools to apply for a  paper/pencil waiver is today,  November 21, 2014.

The mathematics (grades 3-8) assessment will include a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT), a classroom activity, and a performance task.

The mathematics for grade 11 assessment will include ACT, WorkKeys, and M-Step summative assessments.  The mathematics portion of the assessment program will also contain content from the SBAC plus Michigan developed field tested items that will include a CAT, a classroom activity and a performance task*.

Note: Due to time concerns and restrictions for the 11th grade assessment, the Performance Tasks and their accompanying classroom activities will be recommended but not required for 11th graders.

To learn more please peruse the M-Step Assessment Transition document.

Fluency Without Fear: Research Evidence on the Best Ways to Learn Math Facts

By Jo Boaler
Professor of Mathematics Education, co-founder youcubed
with the help of Cathy Williams, co-founder youcubed, & Amanda Confer
Stanford University.

Introduction
A few years ago a British politician, Stephen Byers, made a harmless error in an interview. The right honorable minister was asked to give the answer to 7 x 8 and he gave the answer of 54, instead of the correct 56. His error prompted widespread ridicule in the national media, accompanied by calls for a stronger emphasis on ‘times table’ memorization in schools. This past September the Conservative education minister for England, a man with no education experience, insisted that all students in England memorize all their times tables up to 12 x 12 by the age of 9. This requirement has now been placed into the UK’s mathematics curriculum and will result, I predict, in rising levels of math anxiety and students turning away from mathematics in record numbers. The US is moving in the opposite direction, as the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) de-emphasize the rote memorization of math facts. Unfortunately misinterpretations of the meaning of the word ‘fluency’ in the CCSS are commonplace and publishers continue to emphasize rote memorization, encouraging the persistence of damaging classroom practices across the United States.

Read more on how to develop fluency effectively...

Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability: Week of November 3, 2014

Effective Instruction for K-2 Addition & Subtraction Dates & Times: A two day series 11/10/2014 8:30AM-3:30PM 12/10/2014 8:30AM-3:30PM Location: Kalamazoo RESA Service Center, 1819 East Milham Avenue, Portage, MI 49002 SCECH'S: 12 .. $15 fee is due at sign-in (cash or personal check only) Presenter(s): Matt Mayer Tuition: $170 Consortium Member | $248 Non Consortium K-2 Addition & Subtraction: In this two-day series Kindergarten through 2nd grade teachers will develop a common understanding of what students are expected to learn about early addition and subtraction and how they are supposed to learn it. Teachers will leave the series with detailed knowledge of their grade-level content standards for addition and subtraction, lessons that are in support of students developing a deep understanding of addition and subtraction, diagnostics for assessing students’ level of addition and subtraction understanding, and a plan for teaching addition and subtraction with the appropriate focus, coherence, and rigor as is called for in the Common Core. Registration help: Linda Bussema @ lbussema@kresa.org or 269-250-9210 View all Kalamazoo RESA PD offerings here: www.kresa.org/PD

Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability: Week of October 20, 2014 update

Want to find out about each of these (and more)? Just click and read.

• Sample Schedules for Online Testing
• Pre-identification for Spring 2015 Assessments
• Request for Paper/Pencil Administration
• Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA)
• Technology Readiness Information

Why students hate word problems

In 2012, Dan Meyer gave a talk in Durham, ON looking at why students hate word problems, posing five ways to improve them, and introducing this thing called “three-act math.”

Spring 2015 Testing Schedule

What will be assessed?
When will it be assessed?
What about the ACT?
Will they be paper-pencil or online?
What about make-ups?

Get all the latest news here.

Paper-Pencil Administration of Michigan Student Assessments

On October 2nd, the MDE released a memo explaining the process and procedures for districts to request a waiver to administer a paper-pencil of the spring assessments. Key points to know:

• Online assessment is now the default administration mode for Michigan general assessments and MI-Access FI assessments.

• Schools that are not technology-ready, or have an instructional reason to not transition online, must submit an online waiver request for a paper-pencil administration.

• A school (or building) is the smallest unit that may request a paper-pencil administration waiver, i.e., a school may not apply to have only certain grades or content areas take the paper-pencil assessments.

Check out the memo for information on how to apply for a waiver.

Spotlight: Michigan Assessment and Accountability Newsletter

To ensure you have quick access to timely and important assessment and accountability related information, today, MDE's Office of Assessment and Accountability launched the first weekly interactive e-publication delivered each Thursday called Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability. This new easy to read publication will ensure you stay up-to-date with the latest news and information. Check it out today.

Time to collaborate: Math Workgroups

▪ Are you feeling isolated as a math teacher? ▪ Would you like to collaborate with other teachers from your grade/course? ▪ Are you looking for a network of teachers with whom you can share ideas? ▪ Would you like to work with others to develop solutions to your current teaching challenges? If your answer is “YES!,” then plan to come to Kalamazoo RESA’s FREE monthly Math Workgroups. These collaborative and supportive groups are scheduled for grade bands (K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-8) and high school courses (Algebra and Geometry). The Math Workgroups have been designed to be peer-facilitated. Registration is not required. Rooms have been reserved for a one hour block as indicated on the schedule, but end time is flexible. Please bring your own laptop and refreshment.

We will use the following standing agenda as a framework for the workgroup time. We will adapt the agenda to meet the group’s current needs. 1) Working: What's working well--come prepared to share out 2) Not working (challenges): What are the current challenges - sharing 3) Problem-solving and planning: Brainstorm resolutions to current challenges, if applicable 4) Try this: New endeavors--collaborate to encourage implementation of new ideas and figure out what data we should collect to see if it’s working 5) Rotating discussion topics: student engagement, grading, higher level tasks, positive learning environment, classroom management challenges, etc. 6) Collaborating (based on textbook): break into groups based on the textbooks and collaborate.

Please check out KRESA's other PD offerings If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Seabold.

PD Opportunity: Components of an Effective K-5 Math Block: Core Instruction

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2014

Time: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Location: Kalamazoo RESA Service Center, 1819 East Milham Avenue, Portage, MI 49002 SCECH'S: 6 ($10 fee - cash or personal check at sign-in) Presenter(s): Danielle Seabold

Tuition: $80 Consortium Member | $128 Non Consortium

This one day session is connected to two other sessions, Number Sense Routines and Fluency and Maintenance. Together these three sessions detail the components of an effective K-5 math block. This session highlights the Core Instruction of a Math Block. Together we will explore what Whole-Group Math Instruction and Gradual Release of Responsibility are, the critical stages of learning mathematics, and what instruction (and the math block) look like when we attend to each stage. What is Gradual Release of Responsibility and how does it impact student success in mathematics?

Registration help: Linda Bussema @ lbussema@kresa.org or 269-250-9210 View all Kalamazoo RESA PD offerings here: www.kresa.org/PD

PD opportunity: Effective Instruction for 5th Grade Multiplication & Division

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Time: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Location: Kalamazoo RESA Service Center, 1819 East Milham Avenue, Portage, MI 49002 SCECH'S: 6 ($10 fee - cash or personal check at sign-in) Presenter(s): Matt Mayer

Tuition: $113 Consortium Member | $161 Non Consortium

The purpose of this workshop is for educators to learn best-practice, instructional routines and strategies aligned with the Common Core State standards (CCSS) to support students’ understanding and use of algorithms for multiplication and division. Content is built upon the instructional shifts and increased expectations of the CCSS. Teachers will be actively engaged in learning different algorithms for multiplication and division and preparing students for the traditional algorithm.

Registration help: Linda Bussema @ lbussema@kresa.org or 269-250-9210 View all Kalamazoo RESA PD offerings here: www.kresa.org/PD

PD opportunity: Secondary Math Instruction & Assessment in Light of the Common Core: The Math Assessment Project

Professional Learning Series starts soon at Kalamazoo RESA

Dates & Times: 10/1/2014 7:30AM-2:30PM 11/5/2014 7:30AM-2:30PM 12/3/2014 7:30AM-2:30PM 1/23/2015 7:30AM-2:30PM Location: Kalamazoo RESA Service Center, 1819 East Milham Avenue, Portage, MI 49002 SCECH'S: 18 .. $15 fee is due at sign-in (cash or personal check only) Presenter(s): Diane Rogers

Tuition: $365 Consortium Member | $503 Non Consortium

Secondary Math Instruction & Assessment in Light of the Common Core This four-day series is activity-based; built around a collection of classroom formative assessment lessons aligned to the Mathematical Practices and Content called for in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Groups of teachers will be engaged in constructive discussions about their own practices and how these could change. Teachers will be provided with time to plan to teach a lesson using these ideas in their own classroom, and meet again to reflect on their experiences.

Registration help: Linda Bussema @ lbussema@kresa.org or 269-250-9210 View all Kalamazoo RESA PD offerings

Fall Virtual Lecture Series from Illustrative Mathematics

This school year Illustrative Mathematics will offer two series for math educators. In the fall they are featuring “Working with Number in the Elementary Classroom” and this spring they will offer “Incorporating Mathematical Practices into the Middle and High School Classroom.” 

The intended audience for these series is classroom teachers, district and state mathematics specialists, and mathematics coaches. The five hour long sessions will include 40 minutes of presentation from national experts on Adobe Connect, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A. The sessions will also be recorded for participants that are not able to join in person. The cost to virtually attend each series is $150.

Working with Number in the Elementary Classroom

The following lectures are scheduled in the series on Thursday nights from 7-8pm Eastern on Adobe Connect.  Watch them live with the ability to ask questions, or watch the recordings at any time:

September 25, 2014 Linda Gojak, Immediate Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Director, The Center for Mathematics Education, Teaching, and Technology, John Carroll University "Using Representations to Introduce Early Number and Fraction Concepts"

October 23, 2014 Dona Apple, Mathematics Learning Community Project, Regional Science Resource Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School "Supporting students' conceptual understanding about number through reasoning, explaining and evidence in both their oral and written work"

November 20, 2014 TBA!

December 11, 2014 Francis (Skip) Fennell, Professor of Education McDaniel College, Past President NCTM "Fractions Sense – It’s all about understanding fractions as numbers (and this includes those special fractions – decimals!) – use of representations, equivalence, comparing/ordering and connections"

January 22, 2015 Susan Jo Russell, TERC: Mathematics and Science Education and Deborah Schifter, Education Development Center (EDC) "Operations and Algebraic Thinking in the Elementary Grades"

Sign-up here!

Getting our students used to online testing before this spring

So, we don't yet know who the content provider will be for this spring's assessments. We know it won't be Smarter Balanced. Here's just the little we do know:

• The assessments will be online and testing windows have been assigned
• Specific dates have been assigned for assessment for those school that elect to do paper-pencil testing instead
• The mathematics assessments will be offered grades 3-8
• The content of the assessments will be taken from our Common Core State Standards
• The platform used will be the same as the platform for the Interim Assessments.

So, how can we get our students ready to take online assessments? The answer might sound a little strange: Sign up for the Michigan Interim Field tests.

Why? There are now two good (big) reasons to do this.

1. Students can become familiar with the testing platform that will be used this spring. They'll get their practice now in a no-stakes testing environment.
2. School Districts will earn a $3.00 minimum participation incentive per completed test for the Fall 2014 Interim Assessment Field Test

Although the interim assessment field test window begins Monday, September 15, testing does not have to begin Monday and there is still time for your district or school to participate.

Funding is being made available through the Technology Readiness InfrastructureGrant (TRIG), furthering the TRIG goal to support and build state capacity in technology.

Additional Reasons to Participate

• The Fall 2014 Field Test provides an opportunity for schools to test bandwidth capacity and student scheduling for online testing, prior to the state summative assessment to be administered in the spring 2015.

• Students will have the benefit of taking an online assessment in a low-stakes situation and practice using common online assessment tools (calculators, highlighters, etc.)

• Earn TRIG incentive funds in the amount of $3.00 minimum, per test completed (Each content or subject area test consists of two parts, and both parts of the test must be completed to be eligible for the participation incentive. For example, a student who completes both parts of each assessment in ELA and Mathematics will earn the school district a participation incentive of a minimum of $6.00.)  Final amount to be based on the total number of completed tests throughout the state.

• Teachers will receive an invitation to provide feedback and recommendations for improvement. 

Technology Considerations

• Schools may use Windows or Mac desktops and laptops to administer the field test assessments. The field test window is September 15, 2014 through October 17, 2014. Schools may administer the field test assessments any time within this five-week test window.

• NEW - MDE is also seeking schools to administer the field tests on iPads and Chromebooks. This separate window encompasses only these devices and runs from October 20 - November 14, 2014. Additional information on sign up and on testing with these devices will be provided during the next few weeks. Tests completed as a part of this separate window will also qualify for the TRIG participation incentive as well.

Details regarding the minimum requirements for each device type are provided in the Michigan Testing Device Requirements document.

 

To participate in the Fall 2014 Interim Assessment Field Test, please complete the registration survey for each school. If you have already completed the registration survey, you do not have to complete it again to qualify for the TRIG participation incentive.

 

Fraction Foundations: Helping Students Understand Fractions

Are you helping students learn fractions? 

Having trouble attending PD because your school can't afford to send you?

Then help yourself to the latest Massive Open Online Course for Educators (MOOC-Ed) from the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University's College of Education.

"FractionFoundations" introduces activities about fair-sharing, measurement, and the number line that you can use to teach fractions concepts and skills. Goals of this free, self-directed course include

• developing a deeper understanding of the fractions content standards, and relevant practice standards, that apply in your school
• investigating common student misconceptions about fractions and why fractions are hard for children (and adults) to understand
• analyzing students' thinking about fractions to inform instruction
• addressing students' learning differences when teaching fraction concepts and skills

This MOOC-Ed is organized around the recommendations of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guide entitled "Developing Effective Fractions Instructionfor Kindergarten through 8th Grade"


The 2014 Fraction Foundations MOOC-Ed is comprised of five units scheduled over eight weeks.  It begins on September 22, 2014 and ends eight weeks later on November 16, 2014.  For those who would like more time to complete their work, the course will remain open until December 16.

More information is provided in the Course Overview section and other links below. Participants are invited to engage in all the units and activities or to select those that are most relevant to their personal learning goals. For those who complete the requirements, a Certificate of Completion will be provided that can be submitted to your local agency to obtain Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

The Fraction Foundations MOOC-Ed is brought to you by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University's College of Education. Dr. Glenn Kleiman is the program director, working with a team of teachers, researchers, designers and technologists to develop and offer the course.

Register NOW

Back to school: Time to engage parents and students

By NCTM President Diane J. Briars
August 2014

It’s August—back-to-school time. As you plan for the new school year, don’t forget to make explicit plans for engaging parents and families. As you well know, parents can be invaluable supports for their children’s mathematics learning. While it’s helpful to send parents basic information about their children’s mathematics class, such as course outlines, assignments, and descriptions of teacher expectations, they typically need much more than that to be prepared to support their children’s mathematics learning, as the following examples illustrate:

• The father of a third-grader who says, “Every night, my son and I fight about math! Like last night. I told him you have to start adding from the right; he says ‘No, you don’t. That’s not the way we do it. I can start adding at the left—or anywhere.’ He gets the right answers—and explains to me what he’s doing. But it’s not the way I learned it! Is that okay? I’m very frustrated!”
• The mother of a seventh grader who calls the principal, complaining that her daughter’s mathematics teacher is not teaching; she’s just asking students questions instead of showing students “the steps.”
• The mother of a high school student who complains, “Ms. Smith is not a good teacher. When my son does his homework, there are problems that he struggles to solve. If she were a good teacher, he would be able to work all the problems easily.”

Sound familiar? Read more of Diane's current President's Corner message.

Website Design Competition for High School Girls

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation is excited to announce its 9th annual MCWTFoundation Website Design Competition for high school girls in Michigan!  

High school girls in Michigan are challenged to create a website addressing this year’s theme, "Repurposing:  The ultimate in creativity and recycling." It is open ended enough to encourage creativity, thoughtfulness, and a little research.

Student teams can be individuals or groups of two. MCWT Foundation will award monetary prizes, ranging from $50 to $750. Girls may enroll in one of two categories: Beginner or Advanced. 

Free optional instruction will be offered in two locations on different Saturdays.  

The application deadline is fast approaching: October 1, 2014. The deadline to upload the design entries is November 12, 2014. Winners will be judged not only on the technology used, but also on their creativity and innovation. 

Recent winners and finalists have been from Lake Shore HS, Utica Stevenson HS, Ferndale University HS, Salem HS, Mercy HS, Warren Fitzgerald HS, Livonia Franklin, Canton HS, UAIS, Lakeview HS, Farmington HS, Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology, Centerline HS, International Academy, Ingham County Computer Science Academy, and many others.

MISSION:  The MCWT Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and assisting girls and women in Michigan to pursue technology education and careers. To that end, the Foundation fosters technology aspirations among women, of all ages, throughout Southeastern Michigan to create a sustainable talent pool of women technology leaders for tomorrow.

Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) updates

The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) Frequently AskedQuestions document has been updated to reflect the latest changes in legislation. The credit guidance documents for ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies have been updated as well. Questions should be directed to Ruth Anne Hodges. 

Opportunity to Participate in Interim Assessment Field Test for K-2 and High School

Michigan schools are invited to register to participate in the Fall 2014 Interim Assessment Field Test (September 15-October 17, 2014). This field test is an important part of a high quality test development process and can be valuable to schools, students and teachers.

Reasons to Participate

• Prior to the state summative assessment to be administered in the spring 2015, participation in the Fall 2014 Field Test provides an opportunity for schools to test bandwidth capacity and to logistically schedule and move students through an online assessment experience. 
• Students would have the benefit of taking an online assessment in a low-stakes situation. The test would offer students a chance to have an online experience and to practice commonly used online assessment tools.
• Teachers who offer the field test assessments will receive an invitation to participate in a focus group that will provide valuable feedback on the interim assessment reporting features.

Districts may have several schools participate in one or more subjects and grade levels. Each participating school must individually register. Content areas to be field tested include:

• English language arts (ELA) and mathematics for grades K, 1, and 2.
• High school science courses (Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics)
• High school social studies courses (US History & Geography, World History & Geography, Civics, and Economics).

Technology Considerations: 

• Schools may use Windows or Mac desktops and laptops to administer the field test assessments.
• Additionally, MDE is seeking schools to administer the field tests on devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, and Windows 8 tablets (non-touch). Test window runs from October 20 - November 14, 2014. Additional information on testing with these devices will be provided during the next few weeks. 

Details regarding the minimum requirements for each device type are provided in the Michigan Testing Device Requirements document.

Additional information regarding the Fall 2014 Interim Assessment Field Tests:

• The Michigan interim assessments are only available on-line.
• All interim assessments are aligned to Michigan’s education standards and assess students currently enrolled in the subjects selected.
• If Earth Science high school courses are offered to 8^th grade students, schools may consider offering the Earth Science interim assessment to these 8^th grade students.
• The field test window is September 15, 2014 through October 17, 2014. Schools may administer the field test assessments any time within this five-week test window.

How to Register
To participate in the Fall 2014 Interim Assessment Field Test, please complete the registration survey for each school.


Check out more information about the Michigan Interim Assessments.

Spring 2015 Testing Schedule Update

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) Spring 2015 testing schedules for all summative assessments in grades 3-8 and 11 have been updated.

The general assessment for grades 3-8 and 11 are shown in the first four rows of the table. The window for these assessments spans eight weeks with grades testing within sub windows as specified. The high school test window has been extended to provide high schools with the flexibility to complete
state summative assessments prior to the beginning of Advanced Placement testing if they choose to do so.

For more information and to check out the paper-pencil schedule, read the entire update.