by Kara Hildreth
Thisweek Newspapers

Students learn how to correctly compute the answers to simple math equations in elementary and later learn to master more complex algebraic formulas, trigonometry and even calculus.

But can a student easily explain how he or she came up with the correct answer?

A new math series recently adopted in the Farmington Area School District will address building a student's math vocabulary and offer ways to get to a higher level of learning math.

The new math series also hopes to instill in students how important the role math plays in everyday life.

"Basically, the philosophy is based on a high level of student interaction with the learning material as it reinforces mental math for students to process and understand," said Steve Dibb, director of curriculum.

Many times students know how to accurately complete the math problem, Dibb said, but students fall short when asked how they came up with the answer or how to apply that math problem knowledge to everyday, relevant problems.

Math story problems about measurement, for example, can help students learn the same or similar information in other course subjects, such as science class.
"Without the application, students have a tough time making the jump," Dibb said.

"It will engage students to work interactively and have a discussion where the teacher will do less leading in the learning process," Dibb said.

For many teachers, the new math series will be a new form of teaching, Dibb said.
Teacher driven

Halfway through the academic year last year, Dibb said after gaining feedback from teachers, they found that the group of elementary and middle school teaching staff was divided on what kind of philosophy to pursue in the adoption on a new math curriculum.

So, the school district decided to start over and make the curriculum changes that were both teacher approved and teacher driven, Dibb said.

Teachers visited different schools to see how different kinds of math curriculum functioned and spent time talking with salespeople and looking over math textbooks. Then the teachers shared the feedback on what kind of math teaching and math philosophy works best.

At a Dec. 14 meeting, the math committee came together as each member shared opinions.

"They were 100 percent unanimous," said Dibb before deciding to go with the new teaching methods.

The Houghton-Mifflin "Math Expressions'" teaching methods were adopted to be taught to elementary students and the "Math Thematics" series from McDougal-Littell series will be introduced into the sixth- through eighth-grade math classes as early as the 2007-08 school years.

"The biggest challenge I have right now is that I cannot put it out there fast enough for teachers," Dibb said. "There is such broad base support from teachers."

All teachers will be trained on the new curriculum beginning as early as this spring and into the summer months before the full district implementation for all kindergarten through eighth-grade students in the fall of 2007-08 school years.
Feedback

For years, math teachers from the elementary to the high school level share some similar concerns about students' math understanding, vocabulary and math knowledge retention.

Teachers also questioned if students really understood the principles of math even if they scored well on tests and received good grades in math.

"We have seen this for years," Dibb said. "Even at the AP level at the senior high right up the line, the consistent message is our kids can do the math computations, but they do not understand why or how to apply it?"

The new math series will hopefully change that fact.

Math students beginning in kindergarten and moving forward into middle school will begin to learn math vocabulary in a new way and gain knowledge that can carry them forward from one grade level to the next.

Middle school math students need to master fractions and if adding, subtracting and dividing skills learned in elementary really becomes a struggle, than working on fractions can only be more difficult, Dibb said.

"We are adjusting the whole middle school math curriculum and raising the bar so students gain a better understanding of mathematical concepts," Dibb said.
Cost, test results

Teaching materials for the new curriculum cost around $250,000, Dibb told School Board members Jan. 22, but those costs do not include the cost of training to fully implement the changes.

"Over time to have it fully implemented it will cost $90,000 in training over two years," Dibb said.

Dibb said the recent MCA test scores reflect that a new math curriculum was "sorely needed."

The new math series closely follows the criteria that are part of the national standards in mathematics, Dibb added.

Knowing how to use the equations to solve the problem is one area on the MCA in the past few years that student do not do well, according to Dibb.

Addressing the vocabulary will help with the shortcomings and help students who struggle.

Within a year or so, Dibb said he and the math committee hope the hard work on adopting a new math curriculum will show up in higher MCA test scores in math.

"We will implement it next fall as a pilot and then to everyone in kindergarten through fifth grade next fall," Dibb said.

The first measurement of the new math series will be seen in the 2008 MCA test results.

"It is not just the teaching materials, but also the consistent teaching methods for teaching behind it will give a double whammy," Dibb said.

"We want to bring consistency in the classroom," he added.
Homework

As the new math curriculum gets rolled out to all the elementary and middle school classrooms, Dibb said parents see more information coming home in handouts and homework.

To keep parents in good communication, form letters will be sent home each month in backpacks describing each new section or math chapter. Parents will begin to understand their children are learning a new approach to understanding math that involves learning two or three different ways to solve math problems.

"When kids discover there is more than one way to get to the answer, they will be better able to understand and explain how the process works," Dibb said.

"Parents will definitely see more working coming home, so they can sit down and work with students and this will offer a good support piece," Dibb said. Parents will also be directed to online resources that offer a tutorial and can aid students with the math topics.

"We really recognize the importance of keeping the parents in the loop on the new materials," said Dibb, adding how there will also be public meetings set up to give information to parents.

School Board Member Ann Manthey and Chairwoman Julie McKnight voiced how they were looking forward to seeing the new math series implemented. Both said they were appreciative of all the hard work done by committee members before the new series could be adopted.
Careers use math

The role of technology in future jobs that demand math skills and math literacy is great and hard to predict how far reaching the job demands will be, Dibb said.

Jobs in technology, engineering, and even two-year technical degrees will demand a solid knowledge of math skills, Dibb said.

"The role of technology whether it be mechanical tech, computer tech will have a greater impact on the career worlds for the future," said Dibb.

"There is no doubt that kids are going to need to have a higher level of math to function in jobs," said Dibb.

"We do hear from industry and college that they need higher learning skills," Dibb said. "A good math background will open doors."

"Every student must be competent in algebra at least by the time they graduate," Dibb said.

Students come back each year after pursuing an education and career in the graphic arts and vocational fields and say how important math skills are to their learning their new career fields, Dibb said.

Simple math skills such as mental math and learning to make the proper change with money in shopping are skills that some youth today have not mastered as young adults, Dibb said.

"They need to be able to see the problem in their head as they are doing it and be able to explain it," he said.

"Math is absolutely critical for success of students both in higher education and the working world."

Kara Hildreth is at farmington.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.