Curriculum and Instruction - SAS-WASC

Next Steps:• Set Atlas goals for 2008-2009 in 6-12 mathematics• Communicate essential teaching agreements to teachers, students andadministrators.• Ensure that all 6-12 mathematics teachers fully understand the essentialagreements so that they can ensure their students have the experiences describedthere-in.• Establish individual and department teaching goals for 2008-2009 aroundessential teaching agreements• Work with building administrators and team leaders for support in ensuringessential teaching agreements are kept consistently across the departments andteams and across campuses• Integrate EAGLES and essential questions for mathematics in unit plans postedon Atlas.HOW CURRICULUM IS TAUGHT1. Instructional Strategies and DifferentiationIn a survey of teachers during the data-gathering phase of the self study, teachersreported that some 67% of class time in high school is spent in teacher talk and inmiddle school that ratio is 45 %. (see Mathematics Subject Area Evidence Binder).The task force has not yet studied this data to determine if it is significant in terms ofbest practices and subject area. This is an area to look at in the work next year.Differentiation is the norm at both middle school campuses, though it may be defineddifferently on each campus. More work is needed to come to common understandingof the scope and nature of differentiation and the task force has recommendedprofessional development in mathematics differentiation to refine definitions,strategies and expectations.2. Grade 8 Mathematics (which follows the Algebra I standards and benchmarks)A further important issue for the task force has been how to best address the needsof two differing student and faculty populations on the two middle school campuses.On Puxi, both populations are relatively stable; on Pudong, there is much growth.Transfers often occur and the trend is for Pudong students to transfer to Puxi. ThePudong campus has a much higher rate of students transferring in from outsidethe school and a wide range of students in terms of skills and mathematics coursescompleted. Teachers report a strong need for leveled coursework in mathematics atPudong. While there was no longitudinal performance data to inform the discussions,the sense of urgency and the data that shows the differences in student and facultypopulations is significant and merits urgent attention. On the Puxi campus, grade 8student performance data gathered longitudinally through grade 12 in mathematicsshows that differentiated instruction without leveled coursework in grade 8mathematics has resulted in higher performance on that campus since the inceptionof the program four years ago. For data, see data the Mathematics Subject AreaEvidence Binder.After much debate the task force determined that leveled coursework was needed atleast on Pudong, but asked administration to carefully consider the decision so as notto compromise what was already working well at Puxi. Please see the administrationposition paper on the decision in the Mathematics Subject Area Evidence Binder. Insum it allows for the Algebra 1 benchmarks to be covered in one year or two years –at either grade eight or grade nine. Principals will determine whether numbers meritscheduled leveled coursework or for the benchmarks to be covered in differentiatedmulti-leveled classrooms.96Shanghai American School Self Study Report