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Getting Math Scores to Add Up and Up Batavia Students Score Well, but Not Well Enough; District Evaluates Middle-School Curriculum

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By Gala M. Pierce Daily Herald Staff Writer

Sixth-grader Trevor Schmalzer eagerly volunteered in class to illustrate a math problem.

Teacher Lynn Swider directed him to stand on the taped timeline, which went from negative 7 to positive 7, on the floor of her Rotolo Middle School classroom in Batavia.

The integer problem: 7 + (-2).

He first stood on the positive 7. Because it was an addition problem, he faced forward on the timeline. Since he was adding a negative number, Trevor surmised that taking 2 steps backward was the way to go.

He was right.

After other students stepped out problems in front of the class, Swider asked the students to think beyond the timeline.

"We're not always going to have a timeline," Swider said. "We're going to have to start thinking about other strategies in how to do this."

The repetition of math skills by using devices such as a timeline is an example of Everyday Mathematics, Swider said. Previously the curriculum, which was developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Projected in 1983, was reserved for just elementary students in Batavia.

This year, the Batavia district is piloting Everyday Mathematics in sixth-grade classes because students' performance on standardized tests have remained stagnant in the past few years.

It will complement the existing curriculum of the problem- centered approach of Connected Mathematics employed in the middle school classes. The Arlington, Va., based-National Science Foundation funded the research for the curriculum from 1991 through 1997.

"I'm very impressed with the combination because Connected Math is very much self-discovery where students are discovering the concept," Swider said. "Whereas, Everyday Math gives the practice and reinforcement they need. So far, we've seen some very good results."

The St. Charles school district, too, uses Everyday Mathematics in its elementary schools and Connected Mathematics in its middle schools, Wright said.

In coming up with other strategies to the integer problems - an example of Connected Mathematics' approach - students used red chips for negative numbers and blue chips for positive numbers.

At the projector in front of the classroom, Ariana Milligan instantly knew the answer to the problem, 5 + (-11) - negative 6. However, she relied on her peers to help her illustrate the problem.

With prodding from her classmates, she counted out 5 blue chips and 11 red chips. After canceling each other out, she was left with 6 red chips. Hence, the answer was negative 6.

Afterward, students computed some more complicated integer addition problems such as -72 + (-21); -70 + 29; and -58 + 20. Sixth- grader Joe Knight, among other students, calculated those answers: - 93; -41 and -38, respectively.

During the 2004-2005 school year, Batavia Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Jan Wright and a team of middle school teachers evaluated Connected Mathematics, which was adopted at Rotolo in 2001.

For the past three years, about 75 percent of students scores have met or exceeded state standards, Wright said during a presentation to the school board recently. She described the students as "stuck" since achievement wasn't improving.

"In the elementary grades in math, we've seen considerable increases to the point where we now have 95 percent of our third- and fifth-graders meeting or exceeding state standards," Wright said. "We would love to see those numbers at the middle school."

The scores are derived from the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, administered every spring to eighth-grade students, and the Measures of Academic Progress, administered every fall and spring to sixth- and seventh-graders and in December to eighth-graders.

The evaluation team thought piloting Everyday Mathematics in the sixth grade, since the district already has seen great results with the program, was one wise move.

In researching other districts that score higher than Batavia, the educators discovered that Naperville Unit District 203, Barrington Unit District 220 and Wheaton Unit District 200 use an eclectic approach to math instruction. While they use Connected Mathematics at the middle school level, they also use a more traditional textbook.

Hence, the evaluation team also seeks a textbook that will integrate Connected Mathematics with more traditional math teaching styles, Wright said. The University of Chicago has developed "Impact Mathematics," one of several textbooks the committee will consider.

The team also analyzed the "extended response" problems, which are more complex math problems on the ISAT where students write out how they came up with the solution.

While improvement rose from 1999 through 2003, scores dipped slightly in 2004.

"I think this is something we need to refocus our efforts on," Wright said.

Rotolo Principal Don McKinney is for the changes.

"In terms of ISAT scores if you look at all the subject scores, math is the lowest," he said.

Before Connected Mathematics, the district employed a similar program. Wright said that program was more teacher-directed, whereas Connected Mathematics is more student-centered and investigatory.

She expects that the team may officially adopt Everyday Mathematics in the sixth-grade curriculum and will pick out a new textbook for next year.

"This year, students are learning the strategies to allow them to solve problems and the skills to do the math correctly," Swider said. "I think the program is stronger, and that's what we are truly looking for."

GRAPHIC: Measuring up

Batavia ranks a close third compared to other Kane County districts in meeting and exceeding state averages in eighth-grade math. However that rank drops in contrast to districts with similar demographics in the region.

Kane County districts

Central Unit Dist. 301 74.7

Geneva Unit Dist. 304 74.7

Batavia Unit Dist. 101 74.2

St. Charles Unit Dist. 303 73.9

Kaneland Unit Dist. 302 72.8

Dundee Unit Dist. 300 53.9

East Aurora Dist. 131 52.5

Elgin Area Unit Dist. 46 48.9

West Aurora Dist. 129 35.4

Similar districts

Naperville Unit Dist. 203 84.3

Barrington Unit Dist. 220 82.1

Wheaton Unit Dist. 200 80.6

Indian Prairie Unit Dist. 204 76.7

Elmhurst Unit Dist. 205 69.6

Source: Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.

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