D021 Task 2
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School
Western Governors University *
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Course
D021
Subject
Mathematics
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by ElderDiscoveryPigeon35
Caitlin Rappelli D021 Course Task Number Two December 28th, 2023
A1. The fourth-grade math curriculum map for West Oak Cove Elementary School outlines the estimated period for each unit. This map specifically addresses the standards covered in each unit, with most standards being taught over several sessions. Notably, standards 4.OA.3, 4.OA.B.4, and 4.NBT.A1 are included in the curriculum and covered in multiple sessions. However, it is vital to note that 4.NBT.A.3 and 4.NBT.B.4, are not covered throughout the school year. The remaining standards are introduced and taught once within the defined scope and sequence. A2. The math performance of students at West Oak Cove Elementary School is consistently below the state average across all standards. Only 23% of students demonstrate proficiency in math, while the state average stands at 30%. Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and English Language Learners (ELLs) fall well below the state average. Conversely, low-
income students show no significant concerns when compared to the district and state averages. The curriculum addresses Standard 4.OA at the beginning of the school year for the initial 7 weeks. While West Oak Cove Elementary exhibits better proficiency than the district average, there is still a 5% lower average score in this domain. To enhance performance, it is recommended to distribute the content, allocate more time for teaching, and utilize it as a foundational element for other standards throughout the academic year. Similarly, Standard 4.NBT is introduced in the first 7 weeks of the school year. Despite slightly better proficiency compared to the district, the average score is significantly lower than the state average, with only 22.8% of fourth-grade students demonstrating proficiency (compared to the state average of 30%). Given this standard's importance, it is suggested to prioritize its teaching during the initial weeks of school, potentially leading to improvements in other domains.. Standard 3.NF shows weaknesses like the operations and algebraic thinking domain. Despite the absence of lessons targeting 3rd-grade foundational skills supporting this standard, scores are not as low as could be expected. The recommended 7-8 weeks allocated to teaching fractions is considered a fair time frame, but it would be beneficial to understand the level of intervention and the utilization of manipulatives during this period.
Standards 4.MD and 4.G display lower-than-desired proficiency at the end of the year, with scores 7% to 8% lower compared to the state average. While early-year test scores often suffer due to limited exposure, it is advisable to incorporate these standards throughout the academic year to potentially boost performance.
A3. The first modification that I would make is to provide at least 3 weeks to allow for review and screen for prior knowledge. I would call this period "zero weeks" and this would allow teachers and coaches to see where they are as far as knowledge with the standards. Teachers could also group students to allow specific skill sets to be met. The pacing guide would then be adjusted to meet the modification. NBT.A.3 and NBT.B.4 would be two of the first standards taught after the "zero weeks" period. These standards are imperative to master because of how they start the scaffolding process for the next standards. The school report card showed extremely low proficiency scores in the NBT domain. At the minimum, a modification would have intervention with this domain throughout the year that helps to support the standards being taught.
A4. According to the "Curriculum Map
,”
most of the standards are covered throughout the year. However, NBT.A.3 and NBT.B.4 are not addressed at all during the year for the 4th graders. I would like to see the priority standards list for 3rd grade and 5th grade at West Oak Cove to fully understand why two of the most foundational skills are not taught in 4th grade. Also, 6-7 weeks to teach measurement and line plots should be shorter especially during state testing. I think there would be more reviewing of previous standards during this time. Also, the time allocations for the units and chapters need to be more specific on the map to help readers understand the time period in which they should be covered. Providing a more detailed pacing guide can help teachers better evaluate when instruction needs to be stretched or shortened. Looking at the school's report card, I would look at the time allotted for the subjects in the building. 45 minutes is not much time to fully engage in a lesson like the example that is provided. I would not shorten other times in other subjects, but if possible, it should be looked at how to find the extra 15 mins in the day to add to the core math period. B1. The 4
th
grade curriculum guide excerpt shows 6 to 7 weeks of multiplication concepts being taught. Some strengths to the excerpt is that it provides a scaffolding section with "connections to previous learning", "unit focus", and "connections to future learning". This section is not only important for teacher instruction but to allow students to know where they came from, where they are, and where they are heading. The excerpt also gives important guiding questions that can help the teachers assess student understanding that goes beyond their final answers on paper. One of the strongest strengths in the excerpt is that the teachers can provide success criterion that will let students and teachers know when students "get it" during instruction. Weaknesses with the excerpt is that standard 4.NBT.A.3 is not in the curriculum map. It also does not address any true intervention pieces for students who are struggling or students who could move a bit faster. Is there an intervention program at West Oak Cove? Teachers should provide accommodations for students and a process for classroom support for students. New concepts in math need to be taught from a “
step 1 approach
”
. This would make sure all foundational skills are met. Manipulatives should be used whenever possible during new areas of focus. The comfort level with the use and knowledge of manipulatives is low and should be addressed. The school report card shows a low proficiency level in multiplication practices. Standards 4.OA and 4.NBT are two areas of needed focus to strengthen with a state average of 32.8% and the school is at 24.8%. Meeting the needs of all students is important. The curriculum guide excerpt does not address students with needed accommodations or modifications. It also does not address ELL students. The excerpt should include areas of support for these students. B2. Alignment with the curriculum guide and the curriculum map could be better. One modification would be to provide teachers with a better scope and sequence that displays the information on both the excerpt and the map. Provided or available resources would also be a modification to the curriculum guide excerpt. Giving teachers the tools and resources they need to fulfill the success in their students is vital. Formative assessments should be more frequent to drive the instruction for each lesson. Understanding the strengths and weakness in each student's learning ability can also help with the pace in the excerpt provided. One challenge when aligning standards with any curriculum is understanding what they look like. Having examples of what each standard looks like helps not just teachers and students, but also parents as well. Using a type of grade evidence journal to help families understand what is missing can help provide some closure to the data students produce. There is no mention that technology is utilized. The
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school would benefit from having smart boards/projectors to aid instruction for students and students should have access to Chromebooks or another device to provide instructional support. Programs that are used in buildings I work with include Prodigy, Khan Academy, and Canvas or another learning management system. These are all relevant components to support student learning. Shared drives between teachers and administration also support data collection during interventions to provide better solutions when grouping students. B3. The school report card provides evidence that there is a need for more math involvement. I stated earlier that more time should be added to the math schedule during the day. It would also be helpful to provide an additional 20-30 mins in the day for a separate math intervention that focuses on areas that students are struggling with. Teachers should meet at least once a week during a PLC (Professional Learning Communities) period to go over the pacing guide. This would let them see if too much time is being spent on one domain and not enough time is being spent on another. This would be dependent on the assessments given in each chapter. Prior to moving on, teachers would perform a quick assessment or exit ticket that targets specific standards. This would allow students to perform more rigorous focus on these domains with the students. Adding more time to math is just one of the ways to address the low results in math for West Oak Cove Elementary. Integrating curriculum across subjects would lend itself to gain more math instruction. Teaching math during ELA times could be done throughout the year. Science is full of math and should be taken advantage of during science instruction. Science uses many math standards in the measurement and data domains. Art is another instructional time when an opportunity to teach shapes and patterns to satisfy standards like 4.OA.C.5. Exit slips can be used during transitions throughout the day as well. Flashcards while lining up for specials could help strengthen math fluency. Social studies lends itself well to integrate math. The use of story problems that relate to the subject to help the students solve multistep word problems can be put into the social studies curriculum. This would create more time for math to be taught without discouraging the school's master schedule. Technology could help with this as well. When students come into the classroom in the morning, there could be a daily math question on the board. Students would use Chromebooks to answer the question. This would provide a quick formative for teachers. Teachers could provide review of previous learning, too. Prodigy gives particularly good data about the students' progress as they move along. It did not matter when or what period. Integrating math into the daily instruction would allow students to be exposed to math throughout the day.