Knight Middle School’s Innovative Math Enrichment Course
Posted by admin on October 17th, 2007
Math Department Chair Amy English at T.T. Knight Middle School in Louisville Kentucky was kind enough to share with us the syllabus of their new Math Enrichment Course: Pathways to Proficiency. This course is designed to help students struggling with math through a one-semester intervention program. A variety of strategies are used, including our Math Upgrade online course. You can read the syllabus below:
T.T. Knight Math Enrichment Course: Pathways to Proficiency
Objective: To decrease novice-performing students in mathematics while providing a strong base of fundamental mathematics, which will improve student self-perception and confidence.
Teaching Tools:
• SuccessMaker
• Learning Upgrade: Math Upgrade
• Understanding Math
• Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Grades 5-8 Van De Walle and Lovin
Assessment Tools:
• SuccessMaker
• Accelerated Math
• PAS (Initial Placement only and Intermediate Progress)
• Star Math (Initial Placement for Accelerated Math and Intermediate Progress)
• Teacher observations and notes
• Student Reflections
Placement:
Students will be scheduled to participate in a semester intervention program. They will be selected based on PAS results and 2006-2007 CATS data, teacher recommendation, and classroom performance indicators such as period grades and Core Content Assessments.
Students will take STAR math during the first week of the course to determine Accelerated Math placement.
Students will take PAS test in the winter to determine placement for the spring semester.
Demonstration of Student Achievement:
Student growth/achievement will be based on a set of criteria (listed below) which includes emotional and academic growth, mastery of fundamental concepts (listed below) and improvement of PAS and STAR math scores. Intervention teacher of record, Math department chair, and math teacher of record will determine improvement.
Students show growth by meeting at least 3 out of 5 of the following measures of achievement-
• Build confidence with mathematics (Determined through Intervention Teacher of Record observation and Student Reflections)
• Demonstrate mastery of basic math concepts and skills in Accelerated Math and Success Maker/Learning Upgrade(Number of Objectives determined by Intervention Teacher of Record)
• Increase achievement in mathematics Core Content Assessments and classroom work
• Bring students up at least two grade levels in STAR math
• Demonstrate a minimum of Apprentice in majority of PAS categories
Class Structure:
• Class size is limited to 15-20 students per class period.
Fundamental Concepts Taught:
1. Place Value
2. Addition of Whole Numbers*
3. Subtraction of Whole Numbers*
4. Multiplication of Whole Numbers *
5. Division of Whole Numbers*
6. Rational numbers and all related symbolic representations
7. Computation of rational numbers
8. Integers and computation of Integers
9. Order of Operations
10.Algebraic Reasoning
*Emphasis on number theory concepts and inverse relationships including properties
Pathways to Proficiencey Teacher of Record will determine details of class structure but a skeleton is provided below:
• Problem solving skills and fundamental concepts will be taught through mini-lessons and small-group pull-outs using Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Grades 5-8 Van De Walle and Lovin
• Understanding Math will be used as an additional teaching tool on an as-needed basis determined by the Intervention Teacher of Record.
• Students will spend 20 minutes a day on Success Maker program, which will reinforce fundamental concept understandings and basic skills. (7th and 8th grade only)
• Students will complete tutorials provided on Math Upgrade for a minimum of 30 minutes a week with a goal of mastering one level a week. (6th grade only)
• Basic skills will be practiced and reinforced through Accelerated Math (Intervention Teacher of Record will determine frequency)
March 16th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Your program sounds very interesting. Is this program in addition to the students’ grade level math class or instead of it? I am searching for ideas on how to get the students who continue to struggle year after year and get further and further behind to a place where they can manage a grade level class. This program sounds like it does this…am I understanding what you have presented here?
Thanks for your ideas.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Janet Starble,
Math Upgrade is often used in addition to grade level math classes. The goal is to have students fill in gaps in their skills so they can handle grade-level work. In the case of Knight Middle School, Ms. English integrated Math Upgrade into a class for struggling students to help them catch up to grade level. Other schools have used Math Upgrade in an intervention period or after school program separate from the math classes. Each school has a unique situation. The common element: to give students enough time on task (typically 30 to 45 minutes per day) with Math Upgrade to give at risk students the rigorous review they need.
April 5th, 2008 at 10:12 am
i got to knight middle