| Family Math NightsSeattle Schools hosted a series of | | | | must be similar for each grade so that students |
| Family Math Nights to help parents and students learn | | | | move progressively through a range of math |
| about upcoming changes and challenges to the | | | | experiences that reflect the same practices and |
| Seattle Public School Mathematics Curriculum. Topics | | | | approach. The research also indicated that the |
| covered included helping your child with math at | | | | curriculum and instruction need to focus on the |
| home, questions parents can ask, computational | | | | achievement standards in order for a high percentage |
| fluency, algorithms and mathematical proficiency, and | | | | of students to perform at the required proficiency. In |
| relationships between research and the National | | | | order to monitor this, assessment needs to monitor |
| Council of Teachers of Mathematics | | | | student progress within and between grade levels. In |
| Standards.Teachers and administrators at the Family | | | | addition, the cultural needs of students needs to be |
| Math Nights stressed the importance of deeply | | | | considered in developing effective |
| engaging all elementary school students in | | | | instruction.Mathematics Curriculum TimelineIn October |
| mathematics instruction that is meaningful in order to | | | | 2005, the Seattle Public School District began the |
| create a learning environment in which students are | | | | process by selecting a committee of teacher, |
| math literate. The meetings were led by Gini | | | | parents, and administrators. This committee included |
| Stimpson, a University of Washington Mathematics | | | | representatives for English Language Learners, Special |
| Educator and Senior Researcher. Examples of student | | | | Education, and various ethnic groups. This committee |
| work from Seattle Public Schools were shared in | | | | sought feedback throughout the community to |
| order to show what students were currently learning | | | | choose the best teaching program for Seattle Public |
| and what more they needed to learn. In addition, | | | | School students. The community has had many |
| parents received valuable suggestions for how to | | | | opportunities to learn about the various programs and |
| help their children improve math skills at | | | | offer feedback on which ones would be most |
| home.Mathematics Curriculum Adoption | | | | appropriate for Seattle Public School students.From |
| OverviewSeattle Public Schools began a district wide | | | | November 2005 to January 2006, the committee |
| initiative to improve the mathematics curriculum in | | | | developed a screening process that offered |
| late 2005. The last time that new textbooks and | | | | opportunities for the community and families to |
| curriculum were considered varied for each level of | | | | increase awareness and understanding of the new |
| schooling. Seattle Public High Schools last revised their | | | | mathematics curriculum and why it was chosen. From |
| curriculum in 1993, elementary schools in 1998, and | | | | February to March, the committee evaluated the |
| middle schools in 2000. The push for new textbooks | | | | best candidate programs in order to recommend a |
| and curriculum is based on the recognition that | | | | program to the Seattle Public School Board. Based on |
| student achievement must improve in order to meet | | | | their recommendation, the Seattle Public School Board |
| the new graduation requirements in Seattle Public | | | | determined the best mathematics program for the |
| Schools. In order to meet these new graduation | | | | students of the Seattle Public School System.Stacy |
| requirements, research into the best mathematics | | | | Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing |
| programs available began.After conducting extensive | | | | free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private |
| research into new mathematics curriculum, Seattle | | | | K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and |
| Public Schools concluded that the new programs | | | | writes stimulating news and views on school issues. |