High School Math

GaDOE Formative Assessment Correlations

The state has released the correlations to the Midterm Formative Assessment. Each questions is connected to a standard and element. The file can be found below.
Download GAFormativeAssessmentItemAlignment .

Math II EOCT Study Guide Available

The state has released the Math II EOCT Study Guide is available here.

Moving Mathematics Out of Mediocrity

In his Education Week commentary article, researcher Steven Leinwand heaps criticism on U.S. math teaching and says “it’s time to turn to the real basics of what we expect students to learn, how we convey that, how we measure student learning, and how we support teachers and reduce their isolation.” Here are his specific suggestions

• Get broad acceptance for a “strongly recommended” set of world-class national math standards to guarantee coherence, focus, and alignment. 
• De facto national standards would lead textbook publishers to reduce redundancy, present material that each grade level could manage, add depth, and balance procedural and conceptual understanding.
• Provide training in classroom methods that only a few teachers use now, including: constantly asking “Why” to promote reasoning and justification; using daily cumulative review; valuing different ways to reach solutions to problems; and using real-world applications and questions to create language-rich math classrooms. “Good mathematics instruction is hard,” says Leinwand, “but it isn’t quantum physics.” 
• Provide teachers with “compassionate, collegial, and yet candid coaching and supervision, guided by a compelling vision of high-quality mathematics instruction.”  
• Broaden the scope of assessments. “How can one expect instruction to focus on conceptual understanding, or communicating one’s thinking or reasoning through a complex problem, when tests hold students accountable for only low-level skills and multiple-choice answers?” asks Leinwand. “Accountability isn’t the problem. The problem rests with the instruments being used to hold the system accountable.” Pointing to Singapore  ’s assessments as a model, he advocates national assessments at grades 4, 8, and 10 with problem-oriented, constructed-response items. “Establishing a set of high-stakes, high-quality, annually-released national assessments will drive improvement, reduce the current hodge-podge of state assessments, and move the United States toward a rational alignment between what is taught and what is tested.”  
• Reduce teachers’ isolation. “Far too often,” says Leinwand, “teachers revert to how they were taught, not how their effective colleagues are teaching. Common problems are often solved individually rather than collaboratively. Successful enterprises don’t tolerate such conditions.” This means scheduling common meeting time and supporting meaningful sharing and interaction among teachers, including viewing videotapes of each others’ teaching and discussing student results. 

“Moving Mathematics Out of Mediocrity” by Steven Leinwand in Education Week, Jan. 7, 2009 (Vol. 28, #16, p. 32-33)  
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/01/07/16leinwand.h28.html

State Trainings via the ETC

MEMORANDUM

TO:                System Superintendents 

FROM:                Martha R. Reichrath, Ph.D.

                 Deputy State Superintendent

                 Office of Standards, Instruction, and Assessment 

SUBJECT:        Georgia Performance Standards Training  

DATE:                December 12, 2008  

 

 

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), in collaboration with the Educational Technology Centers (ETC) and the Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA), will continue Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) training during winter 2009.  These training conferences will be focused on support for Mathematics, English/Language Arts, Literacy, and Administrators.  Listed below is course and date information.  All courses are one day events (unless indicated otherwise).  These GPS training events will be held at each of the ETCs in Georgia.  The training will originate in Atlanta and will be broadcast live to each ETC.  Participants at each ETC will have on-site facilitator support from ETC and RESA content specialists.

 

Content Area	Course Topic	Audience to include...	Date
8th Grade Mathematics	Assessing for Mathematics Success	8th grade math teachers who did not attend this GaDOE training during fall 2008 at the RESAs.	January 12
Mathematics I (9th Grade)	Assessing for Mathematics Success	Mathematics I teachers who did not attend this GaDOE training during fall 2008 at the RESAs.	January 15
K-5 ELA	New GPS Writing Standards and K-5 Alignment - Module II	ELA Coaches, Lead Teachers, Grade Chairs, Classroom Teachers	January 21
K-5 ELA	New GPS Writing Standards and K-5 Alignment - Module II	ELA Coaches, Lead Teachers, Grade Chairs, Classroom Teachers	January 22
9-12 Content Literacy	Literacy skills to support content area teachers at the secondary level.	HS audience to include Science, Social Studies, Math, and CTAE teachers.	February 2
K-5 Math	"Addressing Content by Responding to Student Performance"	Math Coaches, Lead Teachers, Grade Chairs, Classroom Teachers	February 5
K-5 Math	"Addressing Content by Responding to Student Performance"	Math Coaches, Lead Teachers, Grade Chairs, Classroom Teachers	February 9
Administrators	Advisement and Interventions	K-12 Administrators	March 9
K-12 ELA	The use of Lexiles in instructional decision making. (1/2 day)	Media specialists	March 30
K-12 ELA	The use of Lexiles in instructional decision making. (1/2 day)	Administrators, ELA coaches, and lead teachers	March 31

 

Please use the link below to register for all of these GPS training courses.  Additional sections of these GPS training courses may be added if registration exceeds projections.  Registration will open on December 15, 2008.

 http://georgiastandards.org/training.aspx

 

Please remember that local school systems will be responsible for managing the professional learning units (PLU) that may be connected with these sessions.  The Department will provide a sample course approval template and documentation of attendance for system use. 

 

In January 2009, we will send you information about high school Mathematics I, II, and III training that will occur in May and June 2009. 

 

Please contact John Wight (jwight@doe.k12.ga.us) with any questions you have.       

 

 

Martha R. Reichrath, Ph.D.

Deputy State Superintendent

Georgia Department of Education Office of Standards, Instruction, and Assessment

205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive 1

766 Twin Towers East Atlanta, GA 30334

Tel:  (404) 656-2804

Fax:  (404) 651-8507

mreichra@doe.k12.ga.us

Download ETC GPS Training Jan-Mar 2009 DATES

Mini Lessons for GHSGT Review

Here are some mini-lessons that were developed for specific objectives for the GHSGT.

Download GHSGT Obj. 30 Geometric Properties

Download GHSGT Obj.26-27,Perimeter,Area, volume

Download GHSGT Obj.31 Angles

Download GHSGT Obj.33 Linear Expressions

Download GHSGT Obj.36 Direct-Inverse Proportion

Download GHSGT Obj.42-43 Linear Equations

Math I Formative Assessment

THIS LETTER WAS SENT OUT TO ALL
GEORGIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS (Oct 2008)

---

Superintendents:

As you know, this year we reach an important milestone in the implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards, with the roll-out of the new Mathematics I course. Along with the new course, an End of Course Test (EOCT) aligned to the Mathematics I standards will also be administered starting in December 2008.

We know that educators across the state are working hard to implement the new, rigorous mathematics curriculum and position students for success with the EOCT. The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) wants to help support your focus on student success and one resource that we believe will assist in this endeavor is the creation of a mid-course formative assessment. To that end, the GaDOE has created a diagnostic Mathematics I Mid-Course Formative Assessment in the Online Assessment System (OAS) that we believe will provide useful information to help understand and promote student achievement.

The Mathematics I Mid-Course Formative Assessment is not intended to be a high-stakes test – nor is it a test designed to predict performance on the EOCT. This test should not be used as a grade in any form, but rather, it is intended to be a diagnostic tool that follows the state suggested curricular sequence for units 1, 2, and 3 of the frameworks for the Mathematics I course. It can be used by educators to identify strengths and weaknesses, assisting teachers in their efforts to focus instructional strategies.

It is important that all students who are completing the Mathematics I course this fall (i.e. those students on a block schedule), take this mid-course formative assessment sometime between October 6, 2008 and October 31, 2008. After administration, systems will be able to access the full array of OAS reports that will enable you to view results at the student, class, school, or system level. You’ll also be able to review results for each item, standard, and element. We believe this can be powerful information. In addition, a spreadsheet will be provided that identifies the unit and task each item is associated with, thereby aligning resources that the teacher can use to strengthen student understanding.

The GaDOE also plans to analyze the data collected from this administration. While the data will NOT be used for any high-stakes or accountability purposes, it will help inform the ongoing efforts of the GaDOE to build quality assessments and provide targeted curricular support. Therefore, we ask that you make every effort to administer the assessment through the OAS in a standardized, secure manner. For example, it is not appropriate to release the items before the assessment is administered and we ask that all students in the system take the formative mid-course assessment under appropriate supervised conditions on the same day or adjacent days, as is the practice with the EOCT. The assessment items will be presented in a unique randomized order for each student. The assessment consists of 50 items and may be paused for use of multiple administrative sessions.

This assessment will need to be assigned through the System Level (Level 3) administrative access to the OAS. System Level tests are assigned through a SuperClass which includes all students at a grade level. The district will need to assign the test to each appropriate grade level, then inform Mathematics I teachers to have their students take the assessments. Once the assessment has been taken, teachers and administrators will be able to view reports aligned to domain, standard, and element to assist with instruction.

The Mathematics I Formative Mid-course Assessment is named: 2008-09 Math I Formative Units 1, 2, 3 Diagnostic Only.

Math Support Acceleration

GaDOE recently did an Elluminate Live! session for Math Support on Acceleration. View the recording here: http://elluminate.gavirtualschool.org/doe/play_recording.html?recordingId=1221243254062_1225744703968

Don't have time for the entire Elluminate session. Here is the powerpoint.
Download MathSupportAcceleration

Math I EOCT Fall 08 Administration News.

The following email was sent to principals, curriculum APs and testing coordinators, Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

Principals,

 

The SDOE has changed their schedule for setting the EOCT standards for Math I.  Originally, the standards were to be set after the December EOCT administration but that process has been delayed until the end of the school year in order to  include students who complete Math I first OR second semester. After looking at the characteristics of the population to be included in the December standard setting, state leaders felt it was not an adequate representation of students taking Math I in Georgia. 

 

This does NOT change the EOCT testing requirement for students completing Math I this semester---those students will still participate in testing in December as scheduled and their scores will be included on their transcripts (although scores will not be available until after standard setting in May).  Stress the importance of the winter administration to students as they will receive a score report once a cut score is set in the spring and  the score may affect their ability to get a waiver or variance of the Georgia High School Graduation Test requirements.

 

Teachers of Math I will need to go into Pinnacle and reset the percentage that the EOCT counts to 0% rather than the 15% originally scheduled. (We will send directions about how to make this change to you this week so you can forward that on to teachers).  

 

AS A SCHOOL, you have the flexibility to develop a plan for a final grade that takes the place of the 15% EOCT would have counted for the student grade.  The flexibility is for the school rather than the individual teacher.  Math I teachers may develop a common final exam/performance projects/assignments OR your school may administer a district developed final exam.  Dr. James Pratt is in the process of creating a final exam for Math I and he will send it, along with the answer key, immediately after the Thanksgiving holiday.  The school will be responsible for printing and scoring this exam if you choose to use it. It is important to communicate the change to students as soon as your teachers have made a decision about the best alternative for your school. 

 

Based on the information from the state today, students completing Math I at the end of second semester will have the EOCT included as 15% of their grade.

 

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please email me.

 

Judi Jones

Online Resources available to support Math I

CSI: Mathematics | www.ceismc.gatech.edu/CSI/

Mathematics resource for parents, teachers, and students
Unit parent letters
Suggested websites for additional support

Math I Support Resource | http://moodle.gavirtualschool.org/

Classroom teachers can direct students to online lessons for reinforcement of Math I concepts.
Highly qualified certified mathematics teacher available in an online classroom during the school day. Students may access this teacher as needed or just complete activities as outlined by their regular classroom teacher.
This resource is not for credit and is free of charge to Georgia public schools.

Middle School Math Transition Resource | http://moodle.gavirtualschool.org

This course is intended to assist in transition into Math I for students who did not successfully complete the middle school Georgia Performance Standards curriculum. This can be used in Math Support to help students gain requisite skills from the middle school curriculum.

McDougal Littell Classzone | http://www.classzone.com

Resources for teachers and students aligned with adopted text. Provides additional practice, animations, and assessments. Includes access to electronic version of the text.

High School Math Teachers | http://picasso.cobbk12.org/

An online collaborative class environment through PICASSO designed for teachers across the district to share ideas and resources with each other. This will allow our teachers to share with each other throughout the year.

Learning Village | https://portal.doe.k12.ga.us/LearningVillageLogin.aspx

Unit Plans, Learning Tasks, Lesson Plans, Assessments, and Resources for instructional use.
Online, web-based tutorials and models that teach and reinforce math concepts

Vertical Alignment Charts

The state has made vertical alignment charts. These would be beneficial when working within a vertical team on helping determine when something is taught.

Download MathVertical_Alignment_K-2.doc


Download MathVertical_Alignment_3-5.pdf

Download MathVertical_Alignment_6-8.doc


Download MathVertical_Alignment_9-12.doc