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K-5 Mathematics Department

Linda Menkis K-5 Math Department Head	Jean Kelly District Wide Math Specialist	Sharon FitzGerald District Math Intervention Specialist	Megan Arseneau Harrington	Amy Burk Estabrook
Becky DeSantis Hastings	Sarah Majors Bridge	Molly Rawding Fiske	Cristina Roof Bowman	Nithya Subramanian Estabrook/Hastings

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Why a Math Curriculum Review?

Evaluate the effectiveness of the current curriculum
Research best practices and updated curricula
Reflect on current status and explore changes

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Lexington Strategic Plan

Lexington’s Mission & Core Values

Joy in learning

We all belong

Be curious

Lexington’s Ten Year Vision

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Students as Active Agents

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Timeline

2018 - 2019	2019 - 2020	2020 - 2021	2021 - 2022	2022 - 2023	2023 - 2024
Audit	Research	Paused	Development	Implement	Implement
Evaluated current practices. Determined grade band priorities.	What makes a high quality math program? Developed rubric. Researched curriculum programs.		Piloted three curriculum programs in K-5.	Grade 3 - 5 Provide professional development. Monitor outcomes.	Kinder - Grade 2 Provide professional development. Monitor outcomes.

We are here!

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Audit 2018 - 2019

K-12 Math Curriculum Review Steering Committee

Examined our current curriculum
Identified top priorities for each grade band

K-5 Priority: Adoption of a new math curriculum

Administrators	Math Coaches
Classroom Teachers	Special Educators
English Language Learner Teachers

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Audit Year Word Cloud

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What is a high quality math program, and how will we know when we have one?

Focus Question

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Research 2019 - 2020

K-5 Math Working Group
Read publications and research articles on best practices
Identified Lexington’s priorities and beliefs for math teaching and learning

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Research 2019 - 2020

Identified characteristics of a high quality math program
Developed a curriculum evaluation rubric

Incorporated elements from EdReports and CURATE
Included elements for equity practices and student identity.

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Selection Process for Pilots

Aligned with Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
High ratings by educational reviewers
Coherence within and across grade levels
Rubric non-negotiables
Evaluated potential programs

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What is coherence?

The math content is tied together from one lesson to the next, from one unit to the next, and from one year to the next
Routines, visual models, and math language is consistent throughout the program
All of these elements build a solid foundation for math learning

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Rubric Non-Negotiables

Stimulates joy in learning and curiosity of mathematics
Student centered problem solving approach
60 minute math block
Vetted by a diverse group of educators or a nationally recognized equity organization

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Paused 2020 - 2021

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Pilot Programs 2021-2022

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K-5 Math Pilot Logistics

Pilot units replaced an LPS unit of same content
Each program piloted at each elementary school
Each program piloted at each grade level
Volunteer teachers piloted one unit

Some teachers requested to pilot a second unit

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K-5 Math Pilot by the Numbers

93 classroom teachers piloted at least 1 unit
26 teachers piloted 2 units
148 surveys collected from classroom teachers, special educators, math specialists, and administrators
Over 2,000 surveys collected from K-5 students
24 LHS juniors and seniors participated in a focus group

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LHS Student Feedback

Liked that we built a really solid foundation. I look back now on things I learned (and sometimes did not learn well) and see how everything builds off the ideas you learn in elementary school.

It is really important that students learn how to collaborate with others while doing math.

Enjoyed working with other students (partners). Often my peers could explain something in a manner that I understood well, even better than the teacher sometimes.

Having a variety of activities was good.

Using concrete materials was really helpful in understanding the concepts. Being able to create, hold, and act out the math operation or concept was important.

The program should support teaching ideas in multiple ways. That allowed at least one way to be successful if you did not understand all the methods.

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Research & Collaboration

Elementary Math Department

Observations of pilot lessons for each program
Debrief with pilot teams
Thorough grade level standards analysis

District-wide

Dr. Hackett site visits
Administrator/Curriculum Leader Observations
K-12 Math Department Head Collaboration
Exploring Elementary Math Pilot Programs: Community Presentation & Community Input Form

Peer School Districts

Site visits to observe curriculums
Informational meetings with math curriculum leaders

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“…my goals for my children's math learning are that they develop abilities to use multiple strategies to approach problem solving, that they approach math tasks with joy and curiosity, and that they build fluency and competency.”

What are your hopes for your child’s math learning?

~ LPS Parent

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Selection Process

Evaluated data from teacher and student surveys
Analyzed strengths and challenges
Eliminated Reveal Math

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Strengths	Challenges
Coherence: lessons, units, grade levels	Tight pacing - can lack flexibility
Consistency of lesson structure with daily exit tickets	Repetitive lesson structure
Clarity of teacher resources	No online student component

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“The lessons are well structured and concepts build naturally both throughout a lesson and across a series of lessons. I have found that almost all of my students can access the tasks independently and are making great strides in their understanding and ability to explain their thinking.”

~ Grade 1 Teacher

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Addressing Challenges

Can we add variety to lesson structure without affecting integrity and coherence?
Follow-up conversations with publishers
Discussions with surrounding school districts

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Strengths	Challenges
Inquiry based, problem solving approach	No publishing partner - All elements supported solely by K-5 Math Dept
Developed collaboratively with curriculum experts, district leaders and teachers	Fewer curriculum components
Creative tasks that promote student engagement	No online student component

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“This was a wonderful unit to teach and to have students learn. The activities were very well laid out for teachers and students and the use of manipulatives definitely enhanced everyone's experience…

I LOVED that there were centers every five days to allow children to practice their skills in meaningful ways and that they had choice in what they wanted to do.”

~ Grade 5 Teacher

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Addressing Challenges

Exploring ways to augment the program

Evaluating the “lift” for the K-5 Math Department

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Selection Process

Looking at two very high quality math programs
Continually revisiting our identified priorities

Stimulates joy in learning and curiosity of mathematics
Student centered problem solving approach
Program that supports all learners
Coherence K-5

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Implementation 2022 - 2024

Professional Learning for Staff

summer and school year sessions

2023 - 2024

Kindergarten - Grade 2 Classrooms

2022 - 2023

Grades 3 - 5 Classrooms

Monitoring Implementation & Outcomes

Multi-year approach
Monitoring student achievement
Teacher feedback
Make adjustments as needed

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Next Steps

Recommendation of final program made by mid-May
Professional Learning
Parent information session in Fall 2022

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“...they are inspired to love math, that they are given multiple modes to express their knowledge, and that they learn math at a deep, conceptual level.”