MEMO
To: K-12 Mathematics Department
From: Bryan McCourt, K-12 Mathematics Supervisor
Date: November 25th, 2015
Re: Professional Development for New Mathematics Curriculum
Over the last two school years, the mathematics curriculum committee has examined an important curricular issue impacting our lower-level students. Data collected from teacher assessments and standardized tests indicate low retention rates of algebraic skills/reasoning. To address this gap in student achievement, we conducted research of an integrated mathematics curriculum in nearby districts as well as districts throughout the nation. From your research and our in-depth conversations, I brought this to the attention of the Board of Education. As a result, both parties agreed that an integrated approach to mathematics instruction should be implemented for our lower-level learners.
I would like to take this time to applaud all of you for your hard work in this matter. I am truly thankful for all you do to help our students succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
A curricular overhaul of this magnitude requires selective and effective professional development opportunities to prepare teachers for this shift in curriculum. In
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Also, there is an abundant amount of lesson plans, assessments, and practice worksheets made available for you to incorporate into your classrooms immediately. We want to make this transition as easy for you as we possibly can. In addition, you will find resources related to PARCC and the Common Core. While we are ahead of most districts, it is important that we continue to do all we can to stay on top of all our students. If you have any resources that you would like to share with the department, please post these directly to the wiki page. This link will be shared with you via email, but can also be accessed through