Significant DiscussionsAligning 9-14 Math Curriculum

for Student Success

Valerie Cope, Sinclair Community CollegeAlicia Morse, Anne Arundel Community College

Cynthia Wilson, League for Innovation in the Community College

www.league.org/significantdiscussions

Significant Discussions• Misalignment of curriculum across sectors creates

barriers to student success.

• Collaborative discussions about curriculum alignment are often random and voluntary.

• Incentives to collaborate on curriculum alignment are rare.

Significant Discussions

• Develop a Significant Discussions guide for faculty and administrators (2010).

• Inventory major projects on math and student success (2012).

• Develop examples of aligned curriculum in math (2012).

OHIO

Valerie Cope, Math Academy Coordinator, Sinclair Community College

Katie King, High School Math Teacher, Dayton Early College Academy

Who We Are• Main campus located in Dayton, OH• Several higher education institutions within

commuting distance• 23,553 headcount (Fall 2012)• 80% of students require at least one developmental

math course• Academic Foundations Department (15 full-time and

75 part-time) and Mathematics Department (28 full time and 59 part-time)

• Local school districts with their own jurisdiction

The Process

1. Curriculum Gap Analysis

2. Brainstormed and Outlined

3. Received feedback from forum of 7-14 teachers and administration to revise plan

7th Grade: Pre-Algebra

• 7th Grade End-of-Course Exam

• If you fail it then extra intervention in 8th grade

• Every student is ready for Algebra 1 at the start of 9th grade or earlier

Algebra 2 End-of-Course College Placement Test

• Assuming this is taken junior year

• Assessment created by 7-14 educators– Student who passes it is placed into college math at agreed

colleges– Student who does not pass it takes senior bridge course

and retests at the end of senior year.

Embed Core Topics Throughout 7-12

• Five core ideas: fractions, decimals, percents, proportional reasoning, simplifying expressions/ solving equations

• Less use of calculator to promote number sense• Sinclair is piloting a similar idea through an Ohio

Department of Education HS-HE Alignment grant

Next Steps• Create Exams

– Create 7th grade end-of-course exam– Create Algebra 2/College placement exam

• Create Courses– Create 8th grade remedial course– Create senior bridge course

• Embedding of core ideas• Interventions at the 4th grade level

The Anne Arundel Significant Discussion

Alicia MorseMathematics Department ChairAnne Arundel Community College

An Overview

Who We Are

Understanding Alignment Issues

Taking Action

Key Factors and Considerations

• Main campus located in Arnold, MD, in the greater Baltimore-DC corridor

• Numerous higher education institutions within commuting distance

• 25,941 headcount (FY 2011)

• Enroll 75% of county high school grads who remain in-state

• 70% of matriculating students require at least one developmental math course

• Math Department, 30 full time & 90 part time faculty

Anne Arundel Community College

“Actively partner with Anne Arundel Community College, Towson State University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Maryland among others”

-Quote from AACPS Fast Facts

Anne Arundel County Public Schools

• 125 schools serving 76,300 students

• 12 comprehensive high schools

• Schools of choice: STEM, Performing/Visual Arts, BioMedical Allied Health, International Baccalaureate

• 88% of graduating seniors pursue higher education

Kick-off discussion, May 2012

Agenda

1.Gap Analysis: AACPS and AACC Math Curricula

2.The impact of Maryland community college placement policies

3.Hands-on experience with Accuplacer math placement test

4.Explore AACC’s Math FIRS3T program

Our Significant Discussion

• The AACPS and AACC curriculum is closely aligned

• Our Focus: Strategies to avoid or minimize developmental math requirements

• Commitment to 9 – 14 math partnership made possible by shared goals

Alignment Discussion Results

Strategy 1: Developmental Math in AACPS

• Complete AACC’s Math FIRS3T program in 12th grade Foundations of College Algebra, an existing AACPS bridge course

• How?

– AACC Math Faculty mentor AACPS teachers

– Parent Information Nights

– Pilots at two county high schools, 150 students

– Information Release Form

Strategy 2: Raising Placement Test Awareness

• Accuplacer Professional Development Workshop

– 20 AACPS math teachers from all 12 county high schools

– Hands-on Accuplacer math placement test session

– Working Sessions

• What Surprised Me

• Student Coaching Guide

• Creating Sample Placement Test Problems

Factors and Considerations• AACPS

– Uniform mathematics curriculum in all county high schools

– Graduation requirement: 4 units of high school math

– Target track: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 + FOCA

• AACC– Uniform placement policies at all Maryland community colleges

– Maryland state-wide definition of general education mathematics

– Established relationship between AACPS and AACC

Significant DiscussionsProject information and PDF versions of

Significant Discussions: A Guide for Secondary and Postsecondary Curriculum Alignment

are available atwww.league.org/significantdiscussions

Valerie Cope, valerie.cope@sinclair.eduAlicia Morse, ammorse@aacc.edu

Cynthia Wilson, wilson@league.org