Mathematics Instructional Materials Discussion

Many CMC members have asked if CMC recommends specific programs for adoption. At this time we do not have any specific recommendations, but we are interested in what districts and schools are looking at and adopting. Please use the comment section to share what you are doing, the programs you are piloting and/or adopting, and any other information you feel would be helpful to others.
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Gretchen's Advice for Adoption Committees

This is an article I wrote for the CASCD newsletter:

On November 8, 2007, the State Board of Education approved 40 programs in three categories, Basic, Intervention, and Algebra Readiness, for the mathematics adoption. This is the largest adoption by the state to date and the English-Language Arts adoption looks to be even larger. Following in the footsteps of the statewide science education community, the California Mathematics Council (CMC) organized a team of observers to monitor the adoption process beginning in March with the training of the IMAPs and CRPs. The team was headed by Sara Munshin, CMC past president, Royce Page, CMC South president, and myself, Gretchen Muller, CMC North president elect. We observed the training of the evaluation panels in March and the deliberations in July and attended the Curriculum Commission and State Board of Education meetings. The main purpose of CMC’s efforts was to ensure that the adoption process would be fair and reasonable, and we are very pleased with the results. I would like to share some suggestions and observations of the process that are important for anyone involved with their school or district math adoption during the next two years.

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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I attended my first State Board meeting yesterday to complete the CMC 2007 Math Text book observation process. I didn’t know quite what to expect from the Board, but was hoping to see some of the same spirit that was evident through out the IMAP process. Alas, when I saw the consent agenda, which included all of the programs that the IMAP and Curriculum Commission (CC) agreed to either accept or reject, I knew things would be pretty much anticlimactic. There were, however, a few points that I found curious. Read More...
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SBE Approves Math Programs

The State Board of Education approved the instructional materials for the 2007 mathematics adoption today. 40 programs out of 54 submitted were approved during a process that started with the revision of the mathematics framework in 2005. Complete list of approved programs.

Thank you to all of the teachers, publishers, curriculum commissioners, state board of education members, the CDE staff, and all of the other volunteers who made this process possible.
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SBE Math Materials Consent List

A consent list has been recommended for tomorrow's vote on approving the mathematics instructional materials. All of the items receiving the same recommendation from both the IMAP/CRP panel and the curriculum commission are on the consent list. The 6 programs with different recommendations are not on the list.

Download the complete list.
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CMC Member appointed to Curriculum Commission

Hope Bjerke, outgoing CMC-North President, has been appointed to the Curriculum Commission. This is exciting news for the math community. Other appointed members are Christine Lanphere, HS French Teacher, Bama Medley, MS Science/Math Teacher, and Monica Ward, MS History/Social Science Teacher.

Congratulations to the new appointees.
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State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Invites Public Input on Mathematics Instructional Resources

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced that instructional materials submitted for the 2007 K-8 mathematics adoption are available for public review and comment during October.

"Thirty-three publishers submitted 54 programs for review in this round of K-8 mathematics adoption, making this one of the largest adoptions conducted by the state," said O'Connell. "With this wide variety of mathematics instructional materials we will be able to offer schools additional resources to help students who are struggling and thus help close the achievement gap. I urge interested parties to take the opportunity to review these materials. This process provides an important opportunity for the public to confirm students will get the content they need and also gives community members a say on what instructional resources students should get."

For the first time, publishers were able to submit programs in three separate categories: basic, algebra readiness, and intervention programs. Intervention programs are designed to provide additional support and instruction for students working below grade level in grades 4-7. One hundred forty-one Instructional Materials Advisory Panel and 14 Content Review Panel members reviewed the programs. The panel members included classroom teachers, community members, mathematics educators, and mathematicians.

Now it is the public's turn to review the instructional materials that have already been on display since April 2007 at 21 Learning Resources Display Centers (LRDCs) located throughout California. After viewing the materials, comments may be submitted on forms available at the LRDCs. Comment must be received by
October 31, 2007 to be considered by the State Board of Education.

Comments may also be emailed to
math@cde.ca.gov or mailed to Tom Adams, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 3207, Sacramento, California 95814. Concerns may be expressed at a public hearing of the State Board of Education on November 7-8 in Sacramento.

The
complete list of recommended materials is available.
Locations of the
LRDCs.

URL: http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr07/yr07rel127.asp
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Alternate Report of Findings from the Curriculum Commission

The alternate report of findings written by members of the Mathematics SMC can be accessed here. They are the working versions. The final versions for all of the differing recommendations by the Curriculum Commission from the IMAP/CRP recommendations will be posted on the CDE website in about a week.

Carnegie Learning
Everyday Math
Prentice Hall 6-8
Prentice Hall Algebra
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Curriculum Commission Recommendations

The Curriculum Commission voted Friday on its recommendations to send to the State Board of Education. Both the IMAP/CRP and Curriculum Commission reports and recommendations will be sent to the SBE for their consideration. The IMAP/CRP panels and the Curriculum Commission are advisory bodies only. The State Board of Education makes the final adoption decisions. There is now a 30-day public viewing period of all of the materials and the SBE will vote during its meeting November 7 and 8.

Curriculum Commission votes
List of Recommendations
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Public Statement by Eric Hsu, CRP for the Carnegie Learning panel

The following statement will be read tomorrow at the Curriculum Commission meeting on behalf of Dr. Eric Hsu.

This is a brief comment from Dr. Eric Hsu, the CRP on the Carnegie Learning panel, whose recommendation of Adopt with Corrections was altered by the Math SMC to Not Adopt.

Hello and thanks to all the Commissioners for all their work. Reviewing 4 programs ate most of my summer and garage space. I can't imagine what reviewing 50 would be like.
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