Changes in Math Assessments Coming

Every now and again it's fun sharing information which, while germane to our school, emerges from the broader landscape of schooling in Oregon, nationally, and even world-wide. In this case we are preparing to experience some changes in the way math is assessed in Oregon, and then the way curriculum decisions are made nationally, first with mathematics and then with other subjects in subsequent years. The first changes will affect us this year; the second, more sweeping change, will take effect in the 2011-2012 school year.

1. Changes for 2010-2011

Three years ago Oregon adopted new content standards in math, elevating expectations for students. This is to say that what we were teaching changed, to include more content at earlier grade levels. This year, for the first time, those new content standards will be reflected in the State assessment (OAKS) itself. The result of this is that the tests will be significantly more difficult to pass, and to “exceed.”

Below is a table illustrating the “cut score” shifts:

2. Changes for 2011-2012 & beyond

For the next school year, Oregon’s State Board of Ed. has recently adopted “Common Core” content standards. 44 states have adopted the Common Core in a move toward Federalized standards. A common problem in analyzing student achievement data is that, until now, meaningful comparisons across state lines have been very difficult to achieve. In other words, once students are taught the same curriculum (and, eventually, assessed using the same tool) apples-to-apples comparisons will be far more relevant.

These new content standards (adopted for the next year -- 2011-2012) will reflect yet another “bump up” in terms of level of expectation. They will also simplify and streamline the content standards, in a positive way. Our initial analysis of the change, and the support materials provided, has been very positive. In a few years, the mathematics assessment children will take will be a national test, similar in nature, but assessing progress toward the Common Core standards.

What does this mean for us?

These changes, for us, hold meaning in that they an impetus for our continued development of program, curriculum choices, and academic expectations. I am personally approaching the changes from a standpoint of wanting to leverage this opportunity to once again examine our practices and promote individualized learning opportunities for students at all levels. In other words, this is a grand challenge, presented in stages.

Nothing is more exciting to me than meeting challenges for the sake of our children. While they may present ostensibly as challenges related to passing standardized tests, that is only partially the case -- only in that our assessments will be better and better measures of what we teach. In reality, the challenges are around elevating our expectations and our aspirations, for ourselves, our teachers, and -- most important -- our students.

In the short term, across Oregon, you will notice math scores (or the percentages of students meeting or exceeding the State test) drop significantly. My personal goal is that, looking at our scores at the end of this year, that will not be the case.

Morning Math Team Opportunity for 6-8 Graders!

Nick and Heather wanted to let you know that the Math Team is back, and we are holding sessions again for strong 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Math students. If your student would like to attend morning practice with the Math Team on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:30, please sign up through the Community School Website. We hope to see your student bright and early on Tuesdays and Thursdays! Here is the calendar of past and future contests.

For more information, please contact Nick Hersman (nhershman@riverdale.k12.or.us).

Math -- Advanced Placement

During the 2008-2009 school year, a committee of teachers and parents partnered with me to examine our math curricula, as well as the structure of our mathematics instructional program. In the end, we adopted some new supplemental materials and reaffirmed the relatively recent curriculum adoption choices. As well, a number of structural changes were implemented as a result of this committee's work. A final aspect of our work was to review, during the 2009-2010 school year, the structural changes. Below is a review of the structural changes we adopted for this year, as well as detailed information about the revisions we are adopting after considering feedback and data gathered over the course of the year.

Advanced Math Placement for Primary Students

• The committee determined that, in cases of exceptionally advanced math students, it was desirable to allow 3rd and 4th grade students to "move up" for math instruction, this to minimize the problem of advanced students being taught "on the side" within the grade-level classroom. We have great confidence in our primary faculty to differentiate instruction sufficiently to meet a wide range of student needs. However, we feel there is a tipping point at which this model is less desirable than offering an advanced option. Thus, for the 2009-2010 school year, we implemented the change, recommending for some students at 3rd and 4th grade a placement in the grade level immediately above. After review, and a great deal of feedback from families at these grade levels, we will revise this model moving forward.
• In the 2010-2011 school year we will continue to offer advanced placement for students in 3rd grade, but only within the context of the 3rd grade classroom. That is to say, advanced 3rd graders will not "travel to math." Rather, 3rd grade teachers will offer advanced instruction in the regular math classroom. At the beginning of each unit, students scoring at 80% or higher on a unit pre-test will have the option of working at a 4th grade level for that unit. There are several reasons for this change, some philosophical, and some practical.
• We have no reliable standardized assessment for grade level math proficiency at the end of 2nd grade. We do give an assessment of cognitive abilities (COGAT) to all end-of-year 2nd graders for the purposes of identifying students with potential to perform in terms of Talented and Gifted (TAG) status. For the 2009-2010 school year, we used COGAT results (two of three sub-tests correlate with problem-solving and mathematical thinking) to identify students who qualified. However, the COGAT is essentially an intelligence test, and we believe using such a test for placement test falls short of our criteria for such a measure. In short, we believe we should be testing for performance in terms of discreet mathematical skills, as opposed to measuring students' intellectual capacity. We believe in a "growth" mindset rather than a "fixed" mindset; students will, given opportunities and encouragement, rise to the occasion.
• We do not believe it is in the best interest of teachers or families to base a decision about advanced placement primarily on anecdotal records or teacher recommendation. One of the hallmarks of a Riverdale education is that our faculty know their students deeply and well. However, another important factor to consider is the balance between a family's advocacy for their child's placement and keeping another critical relationship -- that between family and teacher -- relatively free of unnecessary pressures.
• In order to accommodate moving students between grade levels we must "lock up" the master schedule to a great degree by positioning math periods at a common time across multiple grade levels. Freeing up 3rd grade will go a significant distance toward making the schedule accommodate more diverse needs.
  
• There is significant evidence that the pre-test model of providing selective advanced math instruction works quite well at 3rd grade. (Pre-test before each unit; students who score >80% are presented with 4th grade instruction for the duration of the unit.)
  
• We will continue to offer advanced placement for students in 4th grade. Qualifying students will be placed in a 5th grade class for math (Math 3). We have developed a clearly defined procedure for identifying qualified students.
• Students performing at or above the 97th percentile on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (OAKS) at the 3rd grade level (taken in Spring of 3rd grade) are considered eligible for consideration for advanced placement.
• Students eligible (97th percentile OAKS scores) will take an end-of-year assessment for the grade level they would ostensibly be passing over (in this case, 5th grade -- Math 2); students who achieve a score equal to, or greater than, the median score (of the grade level class) will be recommended for advanced placement. Eligible students who do not qualify will have a second opportunity to qualify for advanced placement in late August.
  
• Finally, we will have a conversation with the family of the student in order to verify that there is consensus regarding the next year's placement.

Advanced Placement Beyond Primary "Grade-Level" Math. *Beyond 4th grade, we offer a series of courses (Math 1, Math 2, Math 3, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, & Geometry) rather than grade-level-specific courses.

• We will continue to offer advanced placement for students in 5th grade. Qualifying students will be placed in a Pre-Algebra section. We have developed a clearly defined procedure for identifying qualified students.
• Students performing at or above the 97th percentile on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (OAKS) at the 4th grade level (taken in the Spring of 4th grade year) are considered eligible for consideration for advanced placement.
• Students eligible (97th percentile OAKS scores) will take an end-of-year assessment for the course they would ostensibly be passing over (in this case, Math 3); students who achieve a score equal to, or greater than, the median score (of the current Math 3 class) will be recommended for advanced placement. Eligible students who do not qualify will have a second opportunity to qualify for advanced placement in late August.
  
• Finally, we will have a conversation with the family of the student in order to verify that there is consensus regarding the next year's placement.
• We will continue to offer advanced placement (into Pre-Algebra) for students in 6th grade. Qualifying students not yet already identified will be placed in a Pre-Algebra section. We have developed a clearly defined procedure for identifying qualified students. Placement will be based on a two-out-of three model, in which we utilize three distinct Spring-time assessments taken during the end of the 5th grade year. Students must meet two of three metrics in order to qualify.
  
• Students performing at or above the 97th percentile on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (OAKS) at the 5th grade level (taken in the Spring of 5th grade year) are considered eligible for consideration for advanced placement. (1 of 3).
  
• Students performing at or above 85 % on the Stanford 10 are considered eligible for consideration for advanced placement. (2 of 3).
  
• Students who achieve a score equal to, or greater than, the median score (of the current Math 3 class) will be recommended for advanced placement. (3 of 3). Eligible students who do not qualify will have a second opportunity to qualify for advanced placement in late August.
  
• Finally, we will have a conversation with the family of the student in order to verify that there is consensus regarding the next year's placement.
• Qualification for entry into Algebra will be wholly dependent upon a placement test designed to assess readiness.
• This is a departure from relying on OAKS scores as one part of the placement decision because the Oregon benchmark test for 8th grade tests skills up through Pre-Algebra. Thus, while success on the OAKS math assessments is a solid indicator of academic achievement, it does not assess (until 8th grade) readiness for Algebra.
• Qualification for entry into Geometry will be wholly dependent upon a placement test designed to assess readiness.

Series of Math Courses after K-2:

The table illustrates the series of courses offered at Riverdale Grade School, the corresponding Oregon State benchmark year (illustrating "grade-level" benchmarks), and the corresponding eligibility.

Math Course:	Oregon Benchmark Year	Riverdale Students eligible
Grade 3	Grade 3	Grade 3
Grade 4	Grade 4	Grade 3* (w/in regular class), 4
Math 1	Grade 5	Grade 5
Math 2	Grade 6	Grade 5
Math 3	Grade 7	Grade 4, 5, 6
Pre-Algebra	Grade 8	Grade 5, 6, 7, 8
Algebra		Grade 5, 6, 7, 8
Geometry	Grade 10	Grade 6, 7, 8
RHS		by arrangement

Multiple Options for Students at Grades 5-8

Another change we adopted this last year is that, rather than limiting placement in the upper school to one of two main "tracks," we have committed to widening the possibilities for students at 5-8 such that they may be placed wherever appropriate. For instance, previously, 8th graders have been forced into one of two sections -- Algebra or Geometry (referring to the table above, note that this is either one or two years more advanced than Oregon's benchmark standards.) This year, we had 8th graders placed in five different courses, allowing the students to access more appropriate content and teachers to deliver content more fluidly.
This has major ramifications for our master schedule, and some spillover effect on class size. Specifically, in regards to class size, the effect of allowing appropriate placement is that some sections of math are very light, while others are heavy -- in some cases exceeding School Board recommended maximums. We made this decision intentionally, understanding the class size ramifications. We reaffirm it now, and simultaneously commit to minimizing, as much as is possible, the inherent downside.

Principal's Newsletter May 2, 2010

This is, outside of the first weeks of school, unquestionably the most exciting time of year. It is a time when cross-curricular studies come to a head, when field studies trips embark, and when the principal runs all over Western Oregon trying desperately to be a part of the activity. To boot, this year, we are engaged in a superintendent search and finalizing plans for the opening of the new school.

I've written before that, in my opinion, field studies are the best thing we do do here. And I will repeat it once more now. Seeing children learning outside of the classroom is so enjoyable, perhaps because we know just how much of our own learning has happened outside of the four walls. I am going to try to document the filed study experience this Spring by asking students to use digital cameras -- live and still -- to illustrate the power of the experience.

Elsewhere, so as not to bore those of you not interested in reading a treatise on mathematical instruction and placement options, I've posted a lengthy update on our practice in this regard. Our whole focus these last two years has been to make math placement options more transparent and intentional. We're getting there. A condensed version will land on our website shortly.

We have another incredible student to honor. Isabel Klein is one of five middle school students in the Portland area to receive a prestigious youth award from the Multnomah Athletic Club. The honor is called the Al Tauscher Award. It recognizes Junior MAC members who are good students, leaders, and participate in a wide range of activities at the club, their schools and the community.

On Wednesday we are renaming a popular pseudo-holiday for this year's Principal for the Day. Please help me in celebrating CINCO DE ISABEL (Pereira) on 5/5/2010!

Upcoming events:

Monday

6:00 PM Budget Committee Meeting, HS Library

Tuesday
All day event Progress Reports Mailed Today

Wednesday
9:00 AM GS PTC Executive Mtg, GS Principal's Office
10:20 AM - 12:40 PM GS - 3rd & 4th FT - Newmark Theatre

Thursday
All day event Regular Day for K-8
9:30 AM GS - 4th Gr. FT - Nate Creek Camp

Friday

All day event GS - 4th Gr. FT - Nate Creek Camp
All day event Regular Day for K-8
All day event Superintendent Finalists in-district today
9:30 AM - 2:00 PM GS - 8th Gr FT - Multnomah County Courthouse
8:50 AM - 9:50 AM GS - Evans 2nd Gr.- Amazing Whales Presentation - Gym
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM GS - Sternberg 2nd Gr - Amazing Whales Presentation - Gym
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Executive Board Meetings, Superintendent's Conference Rm
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM GS Zimbabwean Art Opening at Olympic Mills, 107 SE Washington St

Riverdale Mathletes

The Riverdale Mathletics team, led by Mr. Hershman, participated in a local MathCounts competition this Saturday. In a competitive field they won a fourth place trophy as a team. Ben Hutchings won the final open individual competition!