District Administration - May 2008 - (Page 38)

ALGEBRA : Changing the Equation adolescents can get discouraged and disengage with school. Our job is to motivate them and help them get through it. We think these programs can do that, and once we get students to believe in their own ability, it takes oﬀ.” A similar program gives students at the Aldine Independent School District in Houston a chance to use the PLATO Learning software system to earn algebra credits after failing the course. Like the Apex system, the PLATO credit recovery software is self-paced and oﬀers multiple ways of learning concepts. “If they’re motivated enough, students can recover the credits quickly by going through the materials and taking the proﬁciency test sooner,” says Carlos Varonne, program director of secondary mathematics at Aldine. “If the students weren’t successful the ﬁrst time, then they won’t be just by taking the same course again where the material is presented in the same way. That’s why diﬀerentiated instruction is so important.” Preparation Programs The Aldine district also has programs designed to help ensure that students don’t A Rockingham County Schools sophomore works on Algebra I as Terry Worrell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, sits to his right, Superintendent Rodney Shotwell stands over him and teacher Laura Mignone sits to his left. ered in grades 2 through 7. The program is designed to ensure that students have a clear grasp on the underlying concepts leading up to algebra that experts say are necessary to be successful once students take the course. “It’s not like pre-algebra, because it literally goes back and rebuilds that foundation,” says Andrew Coulson, president of the education division for MIND Insti- “The mathematical skills of thinking need to begin at an early age.” Ð Shelley Weston, assistant superintendent of secondary instruction, Los Angeles Uniﬁed School District fail Algebra 1 in the ﬁrst place, a strategy that is popular in many districts. In California, according to the state educational framework, students should be entering ninth grade already having ﬁnished algebra. For those that haven’t, MIND Research Institute has been pilot testing in 11 middle and high schools throughout California a one-year Algebra Readiness program, which uses visual diagrams with accompanying software to present ideas in new, accessible ways. The curriculum walks struggling ninth-graders through the essential math concepts that were cov38 May 2008 tute. “Our approach is to use accessible rigor and visualization to show how the concepts work.” Oxnard (Calif.) Union High School District has one high school class using Algebra Readiness this school year. With a largely immigrant, low-income student population, the district has struggled for several years to ensure that all of its students at six traditional and two alternative high schools succeed in algebra. Jim Short, a district math specialist, says that about a quarter of its students could use help to be ready for Algebra 1. “In our program [with Algebra Readiness], most students are engaged and learning, and their scores on tests so far show that,” Short says. “The real proof will be when they move on to algebra, but we’re very optimistic.” Seeley says that bridge programs such as Algebra Readiness can help students make the transition from standard arithmetic in traditional elementary and middle-school math to the more abstract ideas that are required for algebra. The Dana Center runs a program, Academic Youth Development, for districts around the country that identiﬁes eighth-graders who are struggling with math and are also social leaders in the school. The summer course includes math content that extends K8 math concepts to prepare students for Algebra 1 alongside youth development coursework on such concepts as being a school leader and how the brain works. The combination is more interesting to students than just a summer math class, Seeley says. Math in LA To help struggling students in the Los Angeles Uniﬁed School District pass algebra, some LAUSD schools have adopted an optional double-block Algebra 1 course, which means ninth-graders District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2008

District Administration - May 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Book Excerpt
Addressing Food Allergies
Algebra: Changing the Equation
Stopping MRSA
Resources to Support Disabled Learners
Web Tools: The Second Generation
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Speaking Out
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion
Leadership Books
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - May 2008