LAO report on Instructional Materials Process
May 25, 2007 Adoption
A new
Legislative Analyst’s Office study,
“Reforming California’s Instructional
Material Adoption Process,” finds fault with the
state’s process for adopting K-8 instructional
materials. The LAO recommends that the Legislature
adopt a package of six reforms designed to lower
instructional material costs, expand school
district choice and enhance program effectiveness.
“The report affirms what districts have conveyed for many years,” said Holly Jacobson, assistant executive director for Policy and Continuing Education. “The state's adoption process is too inflexible for school districts and too cumbersome at the state level. While the recommendations fall short of allowing local districts to purchase standards-based materials that are not adopted by the state Board of Education the report is an important first step in highlighting many problems in the current adoption process." Read More...
“The report affirms what districts have conveyed for many years,” said Holly Jacobson, assistant executive director for Policy and Continuing Education. “The state's adoption process is too inflexible for school districts and too cumbersome at the state level. While the recommendations fall short of allowing local districts to purchase standards-based materials that are not adopted by the state Board of Education the report is an important first step in highlighting many problems in the current adoption process." Read More...
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AB 1027 - Teacher Professional Development
May 19, 2007 Other
AB 1027 is
a new bill that would allow more flexibility in
the use of SB 472 funds. Existing law establishes
the Mathematics and Reading Professional
Development Program, which is administered by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction with the
approval of the State Board of Education. The
Program, however, only allows school districts to
fund staff professional development on
materials adopted
by the State Board, but does not allow districts to
support the development of their staff in content
areas, specifically mathematics. In other words,
school personnel are trained on the materials that
they will be teaching students not on the
foundational concepts that underlie the instructional
materials. If school districts wish to provide
professional development to teachers and other
qualified personnel to bolster their understanding of
mathematics, they need to use and/or seek other
external, and mainly private, sources of funding.
AB 1027 authorizes a local educational agency to use up to 25 percent of the Program’s funds for districts to provide training to specified personnel in the foundations of mathematics.
This bill will provide school districts the flexibility to provide teachers with training in the foundational elements of mathematical content beyond training for state-adopted instructional materials that districts are now funded to deliver. AB 1027 continues to support the state’s content standards, assessment and accountability systems, and the alignment therein. Our students’ math achievement levels are far behind the rest of the nation, however. California needs to move faster with a targeted focus on improving the mathematical content knowledge of our teaching corps.
AB 1027 authorizes a local educational agency to use up to 25 percent of the Program’s funds for districts to provide training to specified personnel in the foundations of mathematics.
This bill will provide school districts the flexibility to provide teachers with training in the foundational elements of mathematical content beyond training for state-adopted instructional materials that districts are now funded to deliver. AB 1027 continues to support the state’s content standards, assessment and accountability systems, and the alignment therein. Our students’ math achievement levels are far behind the rest of the nation, however. California needs to move faster with a targeted focus on improving the mathematical content knowledge of our teaching corps.
Algebra Forum Update
May 14, 2007 Algebra
Forum
Here is the
complete program
from the Algebra Forum. We have asked some of the
researchers for permission to post their articles. As
we get permission, the articles will be linked from
the "Forum Research Articles" entry below.
SB 472 Breaking News!
May 09, 2007 ELL
I have some good news and some news that will require
analysis. There was a meeting last Friday in
Sacramento in which Legislative Analysts/Consultants
(LAC) and CDE reps met. Among the agenda
items was the SB 472 EL Institutes. The LACs
still maintain that the intent of the legislation was
that EL Institutes would be for Reading LA
only. This again despite the fact that the
legislation that was passed included both. CDE
sent its recommendations to the State Board and I was
still led to believe that math was excluded, but wait
there's more....... Read
More...
Forum Research Articles
May 09, 2007 Algebra
Forum
Here are the articles that the forum members read in
preparation for the Algebra Forum
Ball, D., Hill, H., and Bass, H. (2005). Knowing mathematics teaching. American Educator Fall 2005
Bielock, S.L. and Carr, T. H. (2005). When high-powered people fail: Working memory and "choking under pressure" in math. Psychological Science, 16(2), 101-105.
Fuson, K.C. and Abrahamson, D. Word problem types, numerical situation drawings, and a conceptual-phase model to implement an algebraic approach to problem-solving in elementary classrooms.
Jordan, N. et al. (2007). Predicting first-grade math achievement from developmental number sense trajectories. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(1), 36-46.
Lager, C.A. (2006). Types of mathematics-reading interactions that unnecessarily hinder algebra learning and assessment. Reading Psychology, 27(2-3), 165-204.
Abridged version download: Lager, C.A. (2006). Types of mathematics-reading interactions that
unnecessarily hinder algebra learning and assessment. (abridged early
draft of full article)
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (pre-publication). Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. (2006). Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2006). Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence. Reson, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
National Mathematics Preliminary Report 2007
National Research Council. (2001). Kilpatrick, K., Swafford, J., and Findell, B., (Eds.) Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. Executive Summary. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Rittle-Johnson, R. and Star, J. (in press). Does comparing solution methods facilitate conceptual and procedural knowledge? An experimental study on learning to solve equations. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Ball, D., Hill, H., and Bass, H. (2005). Knowing mathematics teaching. American Educator Fall 2005
Bielock, S.L. and Carr, T. H. (2005). When high-powered people fail: Working memory and "choking under pressure" in math. Psychological Science, 16(2), 101-105.
Fuson, K.C. and Abrahamson, D. Word problem types, numerical situation drawings, and a conceptual-phase model to implement an algebraic approach to problem-solving in elementary classrooms.
Jordan, N. et al. (2007). Predicting first-grade math achievement from developmental number sense trajectories. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(1), 36-46.
Lager, C.A. (2006). Types of mathematics-reading interactions that unnecessarily hinder algebra learning and assessment. Reading Psychology, 27(2-3), 165-204.
Abridged version download: Lager, C.A. (2006). Types of mathematics-reading interactions that
unnecessarily hinder algebra learning and assessment. (abridged early
draft of full article)
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (pre-publication). Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. (2006). Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2006). Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence. Reson, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
National Mathematics Preliminary Report 2007
National Research Council. (2001). Kilpatrick, K., Swafford, J., and Findell, B., (Eds.) Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. Executive Summary. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Rittle-Johnson, R. and Star, J. (in press). Does comparing solution methods facilitate conceptual and procedural knowledge? An experimental study on learning to solve equations. Journal of Educational Psychology.
CA Algebra Forum
May 09, 2007 Algebra
Forum
Many CMC members including officers and researchers
attended the CA Algebra Forum May 8 and 9 in San
Diego. The Algebra Forum is a gathering of regional
teams of mathematics educators representing preschool
through higher ed and is focused on the research and
discussions of teh National Mathematics Panel. The
intention is to further the research-based diaglogue
for increasing student achievement in mathematics and
on supporting success in algebra for all students.
The researchers and their topics can be viewed on
the
forum schedule.
All of the presentations have raised thought-provoking issues that as a mathematics community we need to take serious steps towards addressing: equity, access to high quality instruction, and developing flexible thinking in our students. All of these issues have implications in how students learn, perform on high stakes tests, and the design and use of instructional materials.
There will be more information posted about the algebra forum, the regional teams, and research presented in the next week.
All of the presentations have raised thought-provoking issues that as a mathematics community we need to take serious steps towards addressing: equity, access to high quality instruction, and developing flexible thinking in our students. All of these issues have implications in how students learn, perform on high stakes tests, and the design and use of instructional materials.
There will be more information posted about the algebra forum, the regional teams, and research presented in the next week.
