CONTENT

Alignment to standards

I use a credible text and assume that the mathematics standards are covered.

I studied the standards and benchmarks and have a sense of what units to cover.

I use the mathematics standards and benchmarks to plan instruction using multiple sources.

I have participated with our staff in mapping the curriculum and comparing what we teach to the standards/benchmarks.

I use the result of our mapping and the gap analysis to address the needs of the students and plan units.

Organization of Curriculum

I use the text and follow chapter topics and begin the year with remediation of previous levels.

I use the text for lessons, but also supplement with materials that teach topics in another way.

I study the curriculum in relation to the standards and benchmarks of the district, state and NCTM. I use these standards to plan appropriate units.

I use or develop lessons that integrate the areas of mathematics and revisit concepts and skills through those ideas.

I develop and/or use units that focus on big ideas that are key to mathematical power – pattern, relationships, problem-solving.

Integrated Curriculum

I teach mathematics separate from other subject areas.

I use current events to show students how mathematics is part of everyday life.

I use the state standards and benchmarks in multiple disciplines to combine mathematics curriculum with other subjects.

I work with a team of educators to develop problem situations where mathematics is taught within investigations that require work across disciplines.

I work with educators and business and community representatives to develop problem situations that relate to the world beyond school.

INSTRUCTION

Higher Order Thinking

I use a lecture approach to deliver the lessons and then allow students to work on assigned problems.

I ask students questions that promote exploration, discussion, and questioning.

I use student questions about problems and situations involving math to begin investigations.

I encourage students to describe and explain multiple methods to solve a problem.

I create situations in which students engage in hypothesizing, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating to solve problems.

Connections and Relationships

I teach so that students work on specific discrete skills.

I teach so that students learn the best methods for knowing when and how to use a variety of computational techniques.

I organize instruction so that students build on their own understandings and knowledge.

I create opportunities for students to identify connections and relationships among concepts and applications of general principles to several areas of mathematical reasoning.

I orchestrate activities where students can create their own connections and relationships within math and into everyday experiences.

Communication

I teach so that students learn to follow procedures which conclude in a correct answer.

I add opportunities for students to work on open ended problems and require students develop questions about the problem and techniques to use.

I have students write about how they solved their problems and what techniques they used.

I have students work in groups to solve problems including processes of collection data, developing an analysis and reporting data and conclusions.

I create situations in which students must communicate with a variety of audiences about their problem solving.

Authentic Context

I emphasize math as a unique, discrete field without relation to other fields.

I imbed mathematics in problem solving involving issues and processes used in other fields.

I create discussion opportunities to allow students to investigate the permeation of society with mathematical structures and processes.

I use real life school situations as the basis for problem solving and use of mathematical techniques.

I connect students with community members to generate problems that require mathematical power and reasoning.

Diverse Learners

I believe that students come to math with a variety of developmental, environmental, and success experiences.

I ensure that a variety of ethnic, racial, gender and other contributions to the field of mathematics are reflected in lessons.

I use student prior knowledge to find out where to start to design instruction.

I use a variety of teaching techniques to respond to student learning styles and intelligences.

I allow students to use a variety of methods for solving problems and presenting solutions.

Technology Integration

I know that technologies are important in real life mathematical work and convey that to students with examples.

I use appropriate technologies to demonstrate mathematical techniques.

I integrate all available technologies into classroom investigations.

I encourage students to determine appropriate technologies for the work to be done.

I use community-based resources to provide students with opportunities for investigating new technologies.

ASSESSMENT

Informing Instruction

I use end of chapter and unit tests and enter student achievement level for each interval.

I use assessments to design the next learning experiences of students.

I disaggregate data by subgroup (i.e. gender) and review my results to inform next steps in instruction.

I have students join me in developing criteria of quality for use on projects.

I have students discuss, summarize, and communicate their evaluation of their work on selected projects.

Multiple Measures

I use assessments from the textbook to measure student achievement.

I have experimented with one or more methods of assessing student understanding.

I develop or use assessments that are in paper/pencil, selected response, constructed response, performance, and personal communication formats for every major unit.

I allow students to create some assessments for their learning.

I have students create a portfolio of work for analyzing and communicating their achievement.

Validity

I use assessments from the textbook and assume the validity.

I use assessments that mirror the state assessments that students must take.

I work with a team of staff to create meaningful assessments and have our product reviewed for content validity.

I use assessments created by research teams that match standards, benchmarks and expectations for performance for students.

I participate with a team of staff to score student work using range finding and anchor papers that reflect rubric that students and staff are aware of through instruction.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Articulation

I focus on goals from my textbooks and on benchmarks for my course/grade level, if available.

I compare my textbooks and materials to the standards and benchmarks of our district and the state and adjust what I teach. This may require supplementing with materials that I develop.

I work with my grade colleagues, teaching team, or department to assure that we are providing instruction in to meet the necessary standards and benchmarks and together we supple materials needed.

I work with my school to map curriculum and to develop benchmarks for each course/grade level and follow our map, according to the match with the local and state standards and benchmarks. We work closely with district staff to assure alignment.

I participate in meetings periodically throughout the year with staff from grades/courses similar to mine and with total staff across grade levels to discuss progress on benchmarks and student success at mastery.

Decision-making Based on Student and Program Data

I carry out programs that are sponsored by the district, using the materials provided. Decisions for instruction are made by following the texts or guidelines.

I look at past data collected on each students from the previous year and group students according to those data. I work with other staff for placement.

I have assessments that I feel are authentic for the benchmarks and make decisions for instruction from student data.

I analyze MEAP data, districtwide assessment and national test and, working with other staff, plan the program for instruction that will meet student needs.

I work with a study team related to a school improvement goals and use or develop new assessments to use to track student success related to instructional strategies and materials used.

Reporting Success

I use a traditional report card and issue interim reports if problems arise.

I am working with school and district staf to develop a new way of more effectively reporting student success that relates to standards, benchmarks and school improvement goals.

I participate with staff to develop a comprehensive report to parents and community related to school improvement goals.

I participate in a study team and do action research which we report to all stakeholders.

I provide for and expect students to collect evidence to support their meeting standards and benchmarks, and to be able to report their success and needs.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Content

I attend staff development in my subject area.

I attend staff development that is designed and related to address the standards and benchmarks of the district and state.

I choose staff development that has data that shows it is effective in teaching appropriate content for students like mine.

I choose staff development that is research based and that has direct relation to our school improvement goals and my students needs.

I choose staff development that is research based, related to my students needs, standards based and is decided on by my staff team as relevant to our needs.

Context

I attend professional development sessions that I think sound appropriate, that others have liked, and that I have read about in journals.

I analyze my instructional strengths and weaknesses and then choose staff development that takes me to a higher level in a particular research based methodology.

I attend staff development sessions that are based on work that our staff has designated will serve our school improvement goals.

I attend designated staff development and then mentor another teacher or teachers in the methodologies.

I participate in a team that studies and reports the implementation and efficacy of staff development that we have chosen to meet student needs.

Process

I attend popular staff development sessions with no prior discussion with the presenter related to my individual needs.

I attend staff development that immerses me in quality content and proven strategies.

I attend staff development that I know provides experiences in higher order thinking, substantive discussion, integrated knowledge (including technologies), and connection to the world beyond the workshop.

I attend staff development which relates to effective adult learning needs, such as job-embedded case studies, practicing how I think in problem solving and in how students think in problem solving.

I attend quality staff development and then am supported back at my school with time for a study team to help each other implement and gather data on our own student learning using the recommended strategies.