Math Adoption Update

From reader Rick B:

Re: the K-5 Math Adoption. Here's a quick process overview and status update from the trenches:

The Math Adoption Committee (MAC) has met three times so far. The SSD website has some basic info and minutes of the first meeting, but not for meeting #2 or meeting #3:

In these meetings, the committee laid the typical process groundwork, developed selection criteria and weighting formula for evaluation, and reviewed the 8 candidate programs. All MAC members are supposed to complete their reviews and submit score sheets this week for tabulation.

A separate questionnaire was created for community feedback, which is on the tables at the JSCEE library, or can be accessed and submitted online from the website above. DEADLINE FOR THIS IS TOMORROW if you still want to weigh in.

The top three programs are to be selected as finalists by Friday the 10th. Additional copies of these finalist programs will be ordered from publishers and distributed to ~5 locations around the city for formal public review and comment during the month of March.

Final selection of a single program will take place by the end of March, to be submitted to the SB for introduction Apr 23rd and approval May 7th.

Comments

Greg Linden said…
The criteria for selection surprised me. It does not appear to be which one will teach math most effectively (measured by some objective measurement like math test scores) or information from other districts showing which of these curriculum has yielded measurable improvements in student math performance. Am I alone in being surprised by that?
1/8/14, 7:50 AM
Benjamin Leis said…
@Greg - where did you find the selection criteria?

The one I saw @http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Policies/Board/series2000/2015.pdf?

has a bullet point about "Be based on best practices and research including benchmarking from similar districts and other sources"

Given the loose relationship between policy and practice the district follows that doesn't necessarily mean the policy will be honored of course but its at least part of the formal description.

Ben
1/8/14, 9:48 AM
Linh-Co said…
The criteria for selection was drafted with CCSS in mind. If you look at the initial screening tool's first two criteria, they are based on whether 3/4 of the textbook's focus is on the CCSS (Common Core State Standards) major work for each grade and whether the materials will assess this major work.

There is no question in my mind that CCSS will drive the adoption selection. This may be a downfall for JUMP math since it does not have a completed CCSS alignment for the primary grades until September. Too bad for JUMP math since it has all the necessary mathematical content and a logical scope and sequence.
1/8/14, 11:36 AM
Anonymous said…
Too bad about JUMP. It's great stuff I have to say.

-FedMomof2
1/8/14, 2:49 PM
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