tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69526083538984455472024-03-05T06:04:29.292-05:00Andover Math Suggestion BoxComments, ideas and concerns about the math curricula at Andover Public SchoolsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-76653557016395847592007-10-11T20:41:00.000-05:002007-10-11T20:45:52.860-05:00So, how is it going?Please give some feedback as to how things are going in the math classrooms this fall. It is really important to have open and honest communication about what's happening in each of the middle schools. Posts can be anonymous.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-56957393716976830782007-09-17T11:47:00.000-05:002007-09-17T11:48:23.634-05:00School Committee survey resultsThe Andover School Committee survey presentation is available on-line at aps1.net.<br /><br />If you look left you will see the link to the survey presentation made at School Committee meeting held in late August.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-69237975366586837372007-09-17T11:03:00.000-05:002007-09-17T11:07:53.613-05:00Fall 2007The kids are back in the classrooms and we are all back at our computers. Hopefully you are seeing some positive effects of the math plan. If you have any info you can share please post your comments.<br /><br />Updates:<br /> - Susan Nicholson has said that she will provide updates re: middle school math at the School Committee meetings. <br /> - Middle School math teachers are meeting to share best practices and workbooks with extension/supplement activities. Also they have put togehter exercises dovetailing IMPACT math with CMP.<br /> - Pre-assessments were given to some classes at the start of the first units. These should enable teachers to determine what material is already known. Hopefully this will cut down on redundancy.<br /> - Pacing should be adjusted this year..<br /> - MCAS scores are due out in the beginning of October.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-35967002848229677012007-08-15T09:03:00.000-05:002007-08-15T09:36:17.756-05:00Math update for the fall - from MarjAs the school year starts we should expect to see changes in the implementation of middle school math according to the enhancement plan presented by the principals at the June 12 School Committee meeting.<br /><br />Some of the anticipated "improvements" include:<br /> - use of the IMPACT math materials in the classroom<br /> - use of pre and post assessments to determine student knowledge of the materials, grouping of students, what materials can be skipped, where extra time should be spent, etc. <br /> - flexible grouping of students into work groups for enrichment and extension<br /> - possible cross - teaming of students to assist with flexible grouping (where applicable at your middle school)<br /> - use of enrichment periods for additional math work (where applicable at your middle school)<br /><br />Marj Andresen has been told that Ann Collins, the consultant to the district, will be working with the teachers to adjust the pacing charts for Connected Math. You can check with your child's teacher on this. <br /><br />Donna Pappalardo is the new 6-12 math coordinator. <br /><br />Teachers will be attending a workshop specifically geared toward differentiated instruction for Connected Math. This workshop is being delivered by Teachers21. <br /><br />Not to be negative but:<br />There are still some lingering questions and concerns about this enhancement plan. It did not result from a robust evaluation of the current curriculum and implementation -- or at least no evaluation was published for community review. It remains to be seen whether or not this plan addresses the concerns that have been voiced by parents, students and teachers over the course of the last year. Or whether it addresses concerns raised publicly at the Jan 2007 forum. <br /><br />And becuz this plan was presented at the end of the school year, there was no chance for stakeholders to ask questions before this plan was put into place. <br /><br />According to the published curriculum review plan, the last school year was the time to collect data for the evaluation of the K-12 math program. For reasons unknown this data collection did not occur last year and is now slated for this school year. A part of that published plan is collection of benchmark assessments (what do other schools do?) as well as a survey of parents, students and teachers to determine the impact of the program. We are all looking forward to the opportunity to participate in this process during the upcoming school year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-52844714460400309622007-08-15T08:57:00.001-05:002007-08-15T09:28:08.012-05:00Notes from School Committee meeting 8/14At last night's School Committee meeting they reviewed the draft of the 2007-2008 Goals and Objectives. These are what the school district is tasked to achieve for the upcoming school year and represent our best chance to exert influence over the administration. <br /><br />Marj Andresen attended the working session where these goals were drafted. There was a lot of discussion around ensuring that we strive for student achievement for all students. And that the goals and objectives are measurable. The question "how do we know when we get there?" was often asked. <br /><br />Using the draft goals as a starting point, the school administration will refine the document to come up with the published goals and objectives for the Andover public schools. Although not the focus of the upcoming admin offsite, there will be some discussion around this topic. At last night's meeting Dr. Bach said she would return to the School Committee with a refined set of goals and objectives in about a month (late September - early October).<br /><br />Here, on page three, is the <a href="http://www.aps1.net/District/School%20Committee/SC07-08/SCAgenda8-14-07.pdf">current draft</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-38745403245645123272007-07-25T11:46:00.000-05:002007-07-25T11:51:11.556-05:00Summer VacationPosting has been quiet (although there continue to be discussions at the schools and the school committee during the summer.)<br /><br />For those who did not hear, Susan Nicholson (formerly principal at North Andover High School) has been named the interim Assistant Superintedent, replacing Marcia O'Neil.<br /><br />We know that some parents have received replies from the middle school principals to the parents' questions about the math proposal from June. Feel free to share any highlights or surprises in the comments.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-25906559687449310932007-06-25T17:40:00.000-05:002007-07-25T11:56:24.864-05:00Internal Job Posting for Andover Public Schools -- Program Advisor for Mathematics 6-12Program Advisor for mathematics 6-12<br /> General Description:<br />Under the direction of the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, the program advisor Mathematics will be responsible for the four major areas of instructional leadership: curriculum and instruction; supervision and evaluation of teachers; staff development; and, administration.<br /><br />Full posting is available at:<br /><a href="http://www.aps1.net/hr/Admin%20Positions%20Pages/progadvmath.htm">http://www.aps1.net/hr/Admin%20Positions%20Pages/progadvmath.htm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com170tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-10771164514635730372007-06-23T08:20:00.000-05:002007-07-25T11:57:04.272-05:00School Committee meeting Tues June 26 7:30pmThe last School Committee meeting of the year is on Tuesday night June 26 at 7:30pm<br /><br />Agenda can be found at <a href="http://www.aps1.net/District/School%20Committee/SC06-07/SCAgenda6-26-07.pdf">http://www.aps1.net/District/School%20Committee/SC06-07/SCAgenda6-26-07.pdf</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-86888780720030015402007-06-19T16:18:00.001-05:002007-06-19T16:23:27.888-05:00Math Plan PollOnly a few parents were quoted in Monday's Eagle-Tribune story mentioned below. After you have reviewed the <a href="http://www.aps1.net/District/Curriculum/Math/Final%206-12-07%20MS%20Math%20Enhancement%20Plan.pdf">administration's math plan</a>, please vote in the following poll:<br /><br /><iframe class="MajikWidget" src="http://www.majikwidget.com/mw/api/poll1/poll1.php?id=c0560792e4a3c79e62f76cbf9fb277dd" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="350" height="340"></iframe><br /><br />Feel free to explain your vote by leaving a comment!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com253tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-16734547359082273012007-06-18T18:05:00.001-05:002007-07-25T11:58:00.984-05:00Eagle Tribune Follow Up article on Andover mathThe Monday, June 18, edition of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune has a follow-up article called "Some unhappy with math plan" on page 2. The article is available online (<a href="http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_169115403">excerpt</a> only - full text available to Eagle Tribune subscribers with a Plus Edition account.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-36884009125539846592007-06-13T14:05:00.001-05:002007-06-13T14:11:56.268-05:00Middle School Math PlanThe Middle School Math plan is now available on the aps1 server. Look left for the link to the plan.<br /><br />At the School Committee we were told that if we have questions or comments about the plan these should be submitted to the middle school principals with copies to the School Committee.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-11031785163317981192007-06-12T22:33:00.000-05:002007-06-12T22:51:04.566-05:00Eagle-Tribune article on Andover mathThe Tuesday, June 12 edition of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune contains a story titled <i>"Parents continue to ask for addition of advanced math"</i> on page 7. The article is available online <a href="http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_163115410">here</a> (excerpt only -- full text available to Eagle-Tribune subscribers with a Plus Edition account.)<br /><br />In spite of some minor factual inaccuracies, the article is fair and reflects well on the concerns discussed here on the blog. Andover Public Schools parents Marj Andresen, Lori Barsalou and Debbie Begos -- all of whom have contributed to this site -- are quoted in the article.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-26699806223385905022007-06-08T13:43:00.000-05:002007-06-12T22:54:40.934-05:00School Committee meeting Tues June 12 at 7:30pmNext School Committee meeting is Tuesday June 12 at 7:30pm in the School Admin building (back of Doherty).<br /><br />Agenda includes Middle School Math Program Update during the Communications section of the meeting (approx scheduled at 7:30pm. <br /><br />Agenda also includes next textbook adoptions during the Education section of the meeting (approx scheduled at 8:00pm).<br /><br />This meeting is free and open to the public.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-60282143353191303552007-06-07T19:06:00.001-05:002007-06-12T22:53:44.301-05:00Andover Townsman weekly pollIf you have a moment please go to:<br /><a href="http://www.andovertownsman.com/">http://www.andovertownsman.com/</a><br /><br />You can vote in this week's poll at the bottom right:<br />Andover assistant superintendent, the leader in determining how lessons are taught and what textbooks are used, is leaving. On what area do you want the next curriculum czar to focus most:<br /> Elementary school math and science<br /> Elementary school English<br /> Other elementary school needs<br /> Middle school math and science<br /> Middle school English<br /> Other middle school needs<br /> High school math and science<br /> High school English<br /> Other high school needsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-20664628169197276332007-06-04T09:01:00.000-05:002007-06-04T09:03:53.841-05:00Tuesday June 5 10am Superintendent's coffeeTomorrow is the last of Dr. Bach's coffees for this school year. She will be at the Starbucks in downtown Andover at 10am. This is a good opportunity to talk about what's on your mind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-46807728721140062152007-05-26T06:10:00.000-05:002007-05-26T20:43:59.923-05:00[UPDATED] Wellesley visitThe three middle school principals and Dr. O'Neil visited Wellesley middle school to learn more about their math program. This is particularly interesting because of the sixteen comparable towns, Wellesley is one of the few using CMP at all, and the only other town of the "elite eight" to choose it as their sole middle school math curriculum. <br /><br />Previously Wellesley had leveling for all of their classes but in 1998 moved to more what we now know is the "middle school model" and eliminated leveling except for math classes. Over time they have come to more of a heterogeneous (mixed) grouping for math as well, however, they maintain accelerated CMP classes for their 8th graders. (Dr. Bach has said that having 50% of the class move at an accelerated pace is not considered to be leveling.)<br /><br />Wellesley outscored Andover on the MCAS over the past three years, however, their rate of decline is actually steeper than ours.<br /><br /><b>New update:</b> Wellesley's middle school program of studies for 2007-08 is now published and is quoted below:<br /><blockquote>"In grade eight, students are heterogeneously grouped for all subjects except Mathematics. In Mathematics, there are four course offerings, a core course in Algebra, an accelerated Algebra course, a course designed for students who would benefit from a measured pace to master the major topics of first year algebra, and The Interactive Mathematics Program.<br /><br />Teachers will offer their perspectives to parents and seventh grade students for the level placement in eight grade mathematics. After careful consideration by the teacher of a student's work and study habits, classroom performance, and current achievement, an appropriate level placement will be suggested."</blockquote><br /><br />(It appears that we were incorrect in saying that Wellesley offers CMP as its sole middle school math curriculum.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-9374846023290775822007-05-26T06:04:00.000-05:002007-05-26T06:15:32.759-05:00Changes from CMP to CMP2 to streamline and focusTo the left is a link to the Prentice-Hall description of the differences between CMP and CMP2. The effort centers on streamlining investigations, adding new content and bringing more focus. For instance in Comparing and Scaling "the authors have created a number of new problems that more directly convey the mathematical focus they feel is critical. One rather big shift is that the mathematics goals of the unit include more explicit work on forming ratios..." In many units investigations have been removed completely. More actual math has been incorporated as well. <br /><br />Reading between the lines it appears that developers have recognized and addressed many of the issues and deficiencies noted by Andover students and teachers. The removal of investigations and the compacting of units speaks to the repetition so many students find "boring". The addition of focused mathematic application speaks to the challenge that was missing for some students previously. <br /><br />It is clear that the program itself had significant room for improvement. Perhaps not quite as robust and rigorous as Andover has been expected to believe.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-6917034974582102882007-05-23T16:23:00.000-05:002007-05-23T16:39:20.008-05:00Spirited math discussion at last night's meetingQuite a few interested parents and students attended the 5/22 School Committee meeting to learn what the next steps were for the middle school math curriculum. The discussion during citizen's input lasted over one hour! Many parents -- and two students who have gone through the program -- all raised compelling questions. Other supportive parents were in the audience as well. Dr. Bach, Donna Pappalardo from the high school, and all three middle school principals were there to answer questions.<br /><br />(One of the more controversial statements of the evening was Dr. Bach's claim that the parents and students who are unhappy were a "small group". If you are reading this post, you are probably part of that group, so let your voice be heard -- by leaving comments and suggestions for posts here, by contacting your teachers and principals and the school committee, and by telling other unhappy customers of this curriculum to make their voices heard as well.)<br /><br />The Shapes of Algebra module and the pacing of CMP were discussed at length. Art Barber ended the debate with a proposal for Donna Pappalardo to take over the task of collecting data from our comparable communities and to convene a special meeting with Marj Andresen and other concerned parents and students.<br /><br />It's hard to capture in a blog post, so people are encouraged to watch/record the rebroadcasts (Thursday at 8:00pm; Sunday at 7:00am on Comcast Channel 10.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-11012968471407984652007-05-23T08:38:00.000-05:002007-05-23T16:42:33.446-05:00Which School?<em>[Bumped yet again for new visitors to vote!]</em><br />It seems that not every middle school sent a notification to families about the January 31 roundtable. (The superintendent claimed at her coffee this month that at some schools, parents were completely satisfied.) Please answer the following anonymous poll for your middle-school-age child (if you have one) or the school system they attend if not currently in middle school.<br /><br /><iframe class="MajikWidget" src="http://www.majikwidget.com/mw/api/poll1/poll1.php?id=e5e63da79fcd2bebbd7cb8bf1c1d0274" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="350" height="290"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-1522892808772340712007-05-20T19:58:00.001-05:002007-05-20T20:25:48.318-05:00School Committee Meeting Tues May 22 7:30pmReminder that there is a School Committee meeting on Tuesday May 22 at 7:30pm in the School Admin building. <br /><br />Here is the link to the <a href="http://www.aps1.net/District/School%20Committee/SC06-07/SCAgenda5-22-07.pdf">agenda</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-34041722757379728512007-05-15T05:29:00.000-05:002007-05-15T11:50:37.824-05:00What happens next? posted by Marj AndresenAre you tired of hearing about the math program? Especially from me????<br /><br />I know that I am tired of thinking about it and tired of talking about it. But because I have a 6th grader and a 2cnd grader I still feel compelled to deal with it. Any progress now is too late to help out my 8th grader. <br /><br />I first met with my 8th grade son's principal a year ago and first met with Dr. O'Neil last August to talk about enrichment and challenge. Since then I've talked with many other Andover parents, students and faculty about middle school math. And, as you know, I spoke with parents, students, teachers and administrators in 25 comparable towns. The School Committee has heard from me continuously since last November and saw a "mob" come out to talk about math in late January.<br /><br />So far:<br />We heard about the diagnostic test given at AHS. The level 1 students scored an average of 86%. The level 2 students scored an average of 58%. And remember this is after a half year of algebra 2 under their belts. <br />Now we are being told that these results don't really tell us anything. And we're being told that since we don't have prior data we don't know if these algebra gaps have always existed. <br />While it's true that we don't have prior diagnostic test scores we do have the previous MCAS scores (which were high) and prior soft data in the form of student, parent, teacher, and private school feedback. The perception of the community is that there has been a decline in algebra capability of our students over the past three years. <br /><br />As a fix-- The Shapes of Algebra:<br />We heard that this year's 8th grade will be using the Shapes of Algebra module to address prior deficiencies. But many of the 8th graders haven't begun that six week module yet. We have five teaching weeks left of school to cover this ground. It is possible that this fix will not be delivered as promised. So where does that leave our 8th graders?<br /><br />And now:<br />We are hearing that the solutions for next year come in the form of more professional development leading towards better differentiated instruction. (what EXACTLY does that mean?) We are hearing that a math coach might come to work with the teachers (if we can find the $$ to pay for one). We are hearing that we'll bolster CMP with modules of Impact Math to address some of the challenge issues that have been raised. We are being told that students wanting more should pursue math at the high school or use a software program in the place of classroom instruction. <br /><br />We are continuing to hear that we are mistaken and that this program is truly rigorous and challenging. We are continuing to hear that our students are well prepared for the rigors of high school math. We are continuing to hear that if we seek additional challenge for our students that they can leave the classroom to receive it.<br /><br />But:<br />We're NOT hearing that math interest and ability will be considered in the formation of teams for next year. We're NOT hearing that we will accelerate the pace of the math instruction (as do our peer communities). We're NOT hearing that we will consider any sort of leveled math instruction (as do our peer communities). We're NOT hearing that the upcoming K-12 program evaluation will consider solutions beyond CMP for the middle school. <br /><br />So what happens next?<br />It can't be only me continuing to voice discontent. If you have concerns, if you have comments, if you want to see things change then you need to make your opinion known. Call/email your prinicipal. Copy it to Marcia O'Neil, copy it to Claudia Bach. And most of all contact the School Committee. <br /><br />The best thing you can do is to show up at the Tuesday May 22 School Committee meeting. 7:30pm School Admin building.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-11260469151441281942007-05-01T17:17:00.000-05:002007-05-07T20:14:18.526-05:00School Committee Meeting and Dr. Bach coffee on May 8thThere's a new date for Dr. Bach's coffee at Starbucks: Tuesday May 8th at 9:30am. This is a good time to come to talk with Dr. Bach in a smaller venue. <br /><br />Also on Tuesday May 8th is the School Committee Meeting. It's at 7:30pm in the School Administration Building (back of Doherty Middle School). Agenda is posted at:<br /><br /> http://www.aps1.net/District/School%20Committee/SC06-07/SCAgenda5-8-07.pdfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-53625311979087292322007-04-12T18:18:00.000-05:002007-04-12T19:35:41.839-05:00Rebroadcast of 4/9 School Committee MeetingThe April 9th meeting had a math-heavy agenda, with presentations by Marcia O'Neil for the administration and Marj Andresen for the parents and a number of questions and comments by parents, School Committee members and Superintendent Claudia Bach.<br /><br />The meeting will be rebroadcast <strike>tonight (Thursday April 12th) at 8:00 pm</strike><i>[or not -- special Tri-Board meeting on the budget instead]</i>, and Sunday morning April 15th at 7:00 am on Comcast Channel 10. Set your VCRs and DVRs!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-13435350230735751732007-04-10T15:21:00.000-05:002007-04-10T15:42:59.666-05:00How Andover Compares to the 16 Towns<i>[Marj Andresen provided this slide from her presentation to the School Committee on April 9.]</i><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoSrEp9wLidoSwOWvoI70wj1tFuzHV8J6-W9oq0_AFNwB9KMS9usg-79Rt3ixMSGEgk4KvZ485IpPS5Ex9xeAHTUa-KgMo2S0r3YaP1ZuQE-_FYvgrqLPx8fHIOMU58zE_W0A7L_XYlA/s1600-h/HowWeCompareNotes.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LAfsLL4DKf_aeegr0IOX_Z-IIjx7tzlrYLGWOCNIiqaqilWqjtjMCuyV2LwPomoaF6yUMU61Aj5Xxvx4Iry-uM4lXKImbvayJlFSGdl5kjwLEiOt2jvyOBW6F_BNiS25R88o9QfOxt4/s400/HowWeCompare.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051898823315456962" /></a><br />(Click on the image to see a larger version with her explanatory notes for the data.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6952608353898445547.post-74015303565223159402007-04-10T11:21:00.000-05:002007-04-10T11:27:08.234-05:00Looking at the Wrong Data?<i>[Bob Willard sent the note below to the School Committee (with copies to Claudia Bach and the MS Principals) on 10 April 2007.]</i><br /><br />I applaud your desire to use educational data to drive educational policy. However, when it comes to the two contentious issues of MS math (CMP and ability-based grouping), I believe that you are looking at the wrong data.<br /><br />The data that should be your guide is the number of MS students that are bored with MS math; or, the number that have settled for the inevitable by cruising through CMP in a heterogeneous class; or, the number that receive supplemental extra-curricular instruction; or, the number that need remedial assistance in secondary schools that are more demanding than AHS. Instead, you are using data that "proves" the success of MS math in APS by counting the number of students who score mediocre or better in our mediocre MS math program.<br /><br />I strongly believe that we should be using ability-based grouping in MS math. I do not believe and I do not argue that we should be using ability-based grouping in all MS subjects, but I am sure that if our brighter students are to succeed in high-tech careers, they will need to have been challenged in math, starting in MS.<br /><br />I do not accept the notion that differentiated instruction (DI) within a heterogeneous classroom is a viable alternative to ability-based grouping for MS math. DI might work, if all teachers were incredibly outstanding and if class sizes were a dozen or less. But, with teachers who are merely great and class sizes of two dozen, the resources are inadequate for the<br />task of making DI replace ability-based grouping in MS math. (I have focused more on ability-based grouping than on CMP because I fully expect that any class for high-ability MS math students would heavily supplement CMP; enough to compensate for that program's shortcomings.)<br /><br />Thanks for listening.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0