Reply to What will the 'Effective Mathematics Educator' course be?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]https://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2025/0325/Pre-K-12-Comprehensive-Mathematics-Policy-A.pdf

"By Spring 2027, MSDE will develop a Maryland Effective Mathematics Educator course. This
course will be available to all math educators, special educators, ML educators, coaches,
interventionists, and administrators as a component of their Individualized Professional
Development Plan (IPDP) towards licensure renewal. LEAs shall collaborate with MSDE to
communicate the availability of this course to all educators and provide ongoing opportunities
for educator course participation."

It's just generic paper pushing.

More important is the plan to eliminate the honors math track entirely. How will kids in Intgrated Algebra 1 and 2 learn the advanced math content and practice they need for their future? [/quote]

Where are you seeing a plan to eliminate honors?  Or is that MCPS's plan to comport with the new MSDE approach, figuring that mathy types will self-select into the most academic (Algebraic Foundations of Calculus) of the 4 post-Integrated-Algebra pathways offered?  That would effectively create an honors cohort, moving straight to AP PreCalc (though of questionable rigor in relation to current Honors version), then AP Calc AB/BC & beyond.

It would be unfortunate to lose enrichment opportunities for those pursuing one of the other three pathways (Quantitative Reasoning, Data & Data Analytics, Statistics & Probability), though we'd have to see the course particulars, there.  They mention IB math when showing Integrated Algebra provides for prerequisite knowledge (questionable, as IB math does not detail prerequisites), but I don't think they define it vis-a-vis the 4 pathways.  As an aside, not having an Honors Integrated Algebra would mean a GPA hit for a year vs. the current paradigm (Algebra is not offered as Honors; Geometry & Algebra 2 are, but only one of those relative bumps would be lost with the 2-year Integrated Algebra approach).

I worry more about the content MSDE might be cutting from the current 3-year Algebra 1/Geometry/Algebra 2 sequence when condensing that into 2 years of Integrated Algebra.  They may lose foundation/completeness of understanding if they do cut or risk difficult digestion for non-mathy types if they cram it in.  Perhaps they are relying on improvements in Pre-Algebra?

For students entering Algebra the year before implementation, MCPS is going to have to keep Geometry and Algebra 2 active for them for the next 2 years.  One hopes they will keep the honors versions of those available, as well, until that cohort gets to the post-Algebra pathways.  Not so much for the GPA bump, mentioned above as a point of information, but for the rigor/enrichment.  There's going to be a logistical challenge during the overlap period, ensuring enough trained teaching coverage for the periods needed for each course.[/quote]

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