did anyone attend the 2.0 math curriculum mtg last night?

[Anonymous]

I wasn't able to go b/c of a sick toddler. I'd be very interested to hear about the meeting from anyone who was there. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't able to go b/c of a sick toddler. I'd be very interested to hear about the meeting from anyone who was there. Thank you.

I was there. I liked the intention of the curriculum to be in depth. The difference they showed between the current math assessment and the new one shows a lot of promise. However there is so much uncertaininty in the implementation details that we will have wait a couple of years to understand the impact.

[Anonymous]

Did they talk about differentiation (by ability level)? Right now, our school doesn't differentiate and it has caused a lot of frustration. Also, did they commit to any challenge/enrichment opportunities for next year (4th grade)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did they talk about differentiation (by ability level)? Right now, our school doesn't differentiate and it has caused a lot of frustration. Also, did they commit to any challenge/enrichment opportunities for next year (4th grade)?

Your school doesn't differntiate at all? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did they talk about differentiation (by ability level)? Right now, our school doesn't differentiate and it has caused a lot of frustration. Also, did they commit to any challenge/enrichment opportunities for next year (4th grade)?

They did, however they were fuzzy about the implementation detail. The math pathways shows compacted curriculum... like in 4th grade kids can be placed in compacted 4/5 curriculum instead of just 4. They also talked about a kid can be advanced to a higher grade level. What they did not say is how the objective evaluation of a student can take place when there is no specific test for it established yet. Aparently the Principal has the authority (based on teacher's recommendation) to place the student in compacted or higher grade level Math. So, yes the concept of acceleration exist but, implemenation detail is not clear. My suggestion to parents (my kid is in 5th grade) of rising 4th graders to pay attention to when the curriculum is out (were were told it would be by end of February to March) and have a conversation with the Principal.

[Anonymous]

From my local listserv:

Learn about math curriculum 2.0. What is new? How does this reflect the new Common Core State Standards adopted in Maryland and MCPS? Find out more about what composes the math instruction as well as the homework expectations in elementary and secondary Curriculum 2.0, delve into the expected changes in secondary math Curriculum 2.0, along with how acceleration, challenges, and support are being implemented within the 2.0 framework.

A large group of specialized MCPS staff provides a full range of information on the components and implementation of the Math 2.0 Curriculum, and interact with the community by answering the challenging questions in a forum held January 30, 2013, and being rebroadcast weekend mornings at 9am in February on MCPS tv Comcast channel 34, Verizon channel 36 and RCN channel 89.

This outstanding program was coordinated by the Montgomery County Council of PTAs Curriculum and Gifted Child Committees, chaired by Michelle Gluck, Amanda Graver and Laurie Halverson and will be re-broadcast in its entirety weekend mornings in February at 9am. Please do help spread the word and widely share this announcement today.

MCPS TV will air the entire event on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:00 am February 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 & 24 on Comcast channel 34, Verizon channel 36 and RCN channel 89. Be sure to watch or record it!

Thank you in advance for widely publicizing the air times of this valuable session, Suzanne Weiss, MCCPTA Cable TV Chair, 2010-2013 [e-mail]

__._,_.___

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't able to go b/c of a sick toddler. I'd be very interested to hear about the meeting from anyone who was there. Thank you.

I was there. I liked the intention of the curriculum to be in depth. The difference they showed between the current math assessment and the new one shows a lot of promise. However there is so much uncertaininty in the implementation details that we will have wait a couple of years to understand the impact.

Can you elaborate on the "current math assessment" and the "new one". As far as I can tell, there is no systematic "math assessment" being administered to C2.0 third graders. Individual teachers seem to be administering individual "assessments" (i.e. one-question assessments), but there aren't enough to at all constitute a systematic evaluation of whether a child understands all concept across a topic area.

What is the "new" math assessment? Is it presently being used or is this something MCPS will roll out?

I would watch myself as suggested by another PP, but unfortunately we don't get cable TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't able to go b/c of a sick toddler. I'd be very interested to hear about the meeting from anyone who was there. Thank you.

I was there. I liked the intention of the curriculum to be in depth. The difference they showed between the current math assessment and the new one shows a lot of promise. However there is so much uncertaininty in the implementation details that we will have wait a couple of years to understand the impact.

Can you elaborate on the "current math assessment" and the "new one". As far as I can tell, there is no systematic "math assessment" being administered to C2.0 third graders. Individual teachers seem to be administering individual "assessments" (i.e. one-question assessments), but there aren't enough to at all constitute a systematic evaluation of whether a child understands all concept across a topic area.

What is the "new" math assessment? Is it presently being used or is this something MCPS will roll out?

I would watch myself as suggested by another PP, but unfortunately we don't get cable TV.

Not the PP, but the new math assessment is PARCC and the old assessment is MSA. The reference is to the standardized test that students will need to be prepared for.

[Anonymous]

11:54 is right. PARCC is the new assessment that goes along with the Common Core. So far 40 states have implemented the Common Core and most will be using PARCC as the standardized assessment to go with it. There's another standardized test that some of those states will be using but they're both along the same lines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:54 is right. PARCC is the new assessment that goes along with the Common Core. So far 40 states have implemented the Common Core and most will be using PARCC as the standardized assessment to go with it. There's another standardized test that some of those states will be using but they're both along the same lines.

But, they are not even finished writing PARCC yet. They are still "writing" the accommodations policies, for example, not all of which have even been open for public comment yet.

So for, some period of time, we will have new curriculum but the old assessment?

Also, what I meant when I asked about "assessment" earlier was not the 1 standardized annual assessment required by NCLB, but the suite of assessments that normal go along with a curriculum when it is introduced. When my child was exposed to C2.0 in 1st grade at an early adopting school, the curriculum came without any assessment tools to see whether a child had learned the objectives in the curriculum. Now that child is in 3rd grade, and I can see that there are a couple of assessments in his graded work, but most of the graded work has been made up by the teacher on the fly and pulled from internet resources. Once again, C 2.0 has come up with a framework of objectives, but no actual teaching materials nor does there seem to be a systematic assessment packages that tracks a student on a weekly or monthly basis as the skills are being taught.

Parents and kids need to know how they are doing in school as they go thru the year so adjustments can be made. It's too late to find out at the April administration of PARCC that your child didn't actually master the skills in the past year.

[Anonymous]

I was there. Here's what I noted, in case someone else finds it useful.

"On grade" will now correspond to Algebra 1 in 8th grade and AP Calculus in 12th grade.

"Few students" who show proficiency in "all [ucare] indicators" "may" progress to the compacted 456-in-45 path ("compacted curriculum".

Additional positions were requested in budget to deal with the possibility of running less-than-full classes in elementary schools where only a handful of students meet the criteria to be advanced to the compacted curriculum.

Progressing to the compacted curriculum is based on assessment on UCARE indicators. There may be teacher-principal conferences to discuss readiness.

There is "No expectation" on the number of students who qualify. This from Ed Nolan. It contradicts what I have heard and read elsewhere.

For highly prepared K students (eg Montessori kids), "early entrance to grade 1" curriculum is possible. Process would be parent->teacher->acceleration and enrichment office->placement or additional instruction.