A New Year’s Resolution: Greater Focus

The beginning of a New Year is a time for goal setting. We reflect on the past. We consider things we would like to do better. With so many things vying for our attention, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. For 2012, therefore, my goal is to embrace FOCUS in mathematical practice.

FOCUS ON GRADE LEVEL INTRODUCTIONS:

The first step in providing focus in mathematical practice is to understand what exactly it is that we should be focusing on in our math classrooms. In the Frameworks, each set of grade level standards begins with an introduction outlining two to four critical ideas to focus instruction. Grade level teams of educators can be actively engaged in unpacking each critical idea. These pages can serve as a lens through which we consider instruction and assessment. 

FOCUS ON DOMAINS ACROSS GRADE LEVELS:

The Frameworks also provide us with progressions for domains. Each domain is presented as a learning progression that spans a number of years. By focusing on domains, we can consider critical concepts, noticing when they begin and when they end. Educators from a range of grades can work collaboratively, focusing on a domain to design tasks and assessments that promote the acquisition of knowledge across several years of learning.

*The K-8 domains are summarized in the table below taken from the Frameworks (page 21):

A FOCUS ON STUDENTS AND LEARNING PROGRESSIONS:

Learning progressions are defined in a paper presented to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSO) as, “a development of progressive sophistication in understanding and skills with a domain. There is a sequence along which students can move incrementally from novice to more expert performance. Implicit in progression is the notion of continuity and coherence. Learning is not viewed as a series of discrete events, but rather as a trajectory of development that connects knowledge, concepts and skills with a domain. With clear connections between what comes before and after a particular point in the progression teachers can calibrate their teaching to any missing precursor understanding of skills revealed by assessment, and determine what the next steps are to move student forward from that point.” Heritage, 2008 – full paper http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/ClassroomAssessmentIntegration/pubdocs/FASTLearningProgressions.pdf

When teaching with a focus on learning progressions, educators consider where along the progression a student’s knowledge lies. The Frameworks suggest a timeline by which our students should progress, but not all students progress at the same rate. Students come to our classrooms with strengths as well as gaps and weaknesses. When students do not complete a learning progression for a specified domain at the specified grade level, we take action. We plan and adjust instruction. We focus our efforts.

Detailed descriptions of learning progressions by domain can be found at the following website: http://commoncoretools.me/category/progressions/ .

With the new Frameworks and supporting Common Core for State Standards resources, we have the tools needed to focus our mathematical practice. We can work together to provide a learning environment that is focused on progressing all students forwards.

Happy New Year!

Sue Looney, Ed.D.

Note: A wonderful resource with comprehensive lessons connected to standards: http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/LPview.cgi?core=2