Riverpoint Advanced Math Partnership Project

Riverpoint Partnership for Math and Science

Who are we? A group of high school, college and university faculty from

7 school districts, 2 community colleges and 2 universities What is our mission? We are committed to improving student success in

college mathematics classes. What do we do? Work in collaborative teams to research, plan, design,

compare, analyze, reflect, discuss, debate and persevere.

Riverpoint Advanced Math Riverpoint Advanced Math PartnershipPartnership

College mathematics course placement◦ More than 20% of students entering college

(including some who have taken upper level high school math classes) are placed into developmental math courses (no college credit).

◦ This number rises to almost 50% of students entering a two-year college.

Success in developmental courses◦ Only 30% of the students placed into

developmental math classes successfully complete the courses, thus allowing them to move into the required credit bearing courses.

◦ This effectively bars them from completing a college education.

The IssueThe Issue

◦ Teams of high school and college math faculty

◦ College Readiness Standards (process strands, content strands and Student Attributes)

◦ Design CRS-based tasks, lessons and assessments

◦ Formative assessment of student work

◦ Analysis of assessment implications

◦ Implement change in classrooms.

◦ Reading, research and reflection

Learning TogetherLearning Together

Learning TogetherLearning Together

Learning TogetherLearning Together

Learning TogetherLearning Together

Creation and comparison of standards-based “ramp” tasks across sectors.

Use of formative assessment to guide design of tasks/lessons to extend mathematical thinking.

Development, implementation and assessment of “gourmet” lessons.

Outcomes – Tasks and Outcomes – Tasks and LessonsLessons

All participants (high school, college and university) gave common tasks aligned to the College Readiness Standards (CRS).

Tasks were evaluated using a holistic, standards-based rubric.

Resulting understandings and misunderstandings were common across institutions and levels.

Outcomes - AssessmentOutcomes - Assessment

Participants engaged, committed and enthusiastic about the work.

Participants increasingly willing to share reflections about their own practice including opening their classrooms to others.

Group inquiry into roots and solutions of surprisingly common problems.

Outcomes - EngagementOutcomes - Engagement

Current FundingCurrent Funding

Representatives from WSU, EWU, SCC, SFCC, Spokane Schools, Central Valley Schools, Mead Schools, Gonzaga Preparatory School, West Valley Schools, East Valley Schools, Cheney Schools and Chewelah Schools.

Two Cohorts: ◦ Continuing group: 32 participants ◦ New group: 30 participants

Administrators from each school

Connections to school goals and initiatives

Current WorkCurrent Work

3-day summer institutes focused on mathematical content for teaching◦ 2009 Algebra and Functions ◦ 2010 Geometric Thinking ◦ 2011 Probability and Statistics

4 workshops/year focused on pedagogy and student work

3 classroom observations/year In-school team meetings Online dialogue

Teacher PlansTeacher Plans

Annual Overview Meeting School and team goals Familiarity with CRS and PEs Identify high quality teaching practices and

benchmarks to guide observations Connect with other administrators

Connections to School Team and the RAMP Project throughout the year.

Ongoing support from RAMP facilitators Development of RAMP administrator

community

Administrator Commitment Administrator Commitment