District 11 Curriculum & Instruction Department
Mathematics


Welcome
Welcome to the District 11 Mathematics Department. This year continues a new structure with two coordinators serving the elementary and secondary schools in District 11. We pledge to continue to work together in leadership, support, and professional development to assist teachers in providing the highest quality of mathematical thinking and process. We have a common goal of increased achievement and mathematical understanding for all students in District 11. We look forward to our shared work and vision and our contact with you during the 2009 - 2010 school year. Call or leave a message at (719) 520-2037.



Dave Sawtelle,
Secondary Mathematics
 sawteda@d11.org

 



Julie Shaw,
Elementary Mathematics
 shawj@d11.org  

October 7, 2009, Math In-service Lecture by Dr. Karen Fuson, the author of Math Expressions elementary math program.
 



October 14, 2009, Math Presentation to the CSSD11 Board of Education, by CSSD11 Math Coordinators, Dave Sawtelle and Julie Shaw.

Revised Colorado Math Standards as presented to the State Board of Education, November 11, 2009. Final approval is scheduled for December 10, 2009.

Latest drafts of the revised Colorado Math Standards documents

"
"Natural numbers are better for your health."
"Decimals have a point."
"Calculus has its limits."
"Geometry is just plane fun." 



"The mathematical rules of the universe
are visible to men in the
form of beauty."
~ John Michel



"In the past, simply advancing in computation was good enough. In the world today, colleges and employers are looking for thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills, not just arithmetic skills. Assessing students throughout the year using a variety of methods and adjusting instruction accordingly can help each student reach his or her potential in mathematics."
~ Carol Ann Tomlinson
& Susan Demirsky Allan



 "Number is a rich, many-sided domain whose simplest forms are comprehended by very young children and whose far reaches are still being explored by mathematicians. Proficiency with numbers and numerical operations is an important foundation for further education in mathematics and in fields that use mathematics."
~ National Research Council, 2001

News

Elementary Math Curriculum Leaders (click link for schedule chart) meet from 4:15 – 6:15 PM on the third Tuesday of each month (avoiding holidays), during the 2009-10 school year on the dates listed. All meetings will be held in rooms 110-111 at Tesla Educational Opportunity Center.

Middle School Math Curriculum Leaders  (click link for schedule chart) meet from 4:15 – 6:15 PM on the second Tuesday of each month (with the exceptions of October & April), during the 2009-10 school year on the dates listed. All meetings will be in the D11 Board of Education Meeting Room at the Administration Building.

High School Math Curriculum Leaders  (click link for schedule chart) meet from 4:15 – 6:15 PM on the first Thursday of each month, during the 2009-10 school year. The September meeting will be in the D11 Board of Education Meeting Room at the Administration Building. All other meetings will be in the Garden Level Conference Room at the D11 Administration Building.

 


 

What We Believe

Vision & Mission: The mission of the Colorado Springs District 11 mathematics community is to ensure all students have the opportunity and the support necessary to learn meaningful mathematics with depth and understanding using methods of mathematical inquiry and applying concepts and skills in a variety of contexts where mathematics is a tool used to understand and interpret our world for the global economy of the twenty-first century. We support the shared vision and mission of Colorado Springs School District 11 by:

  • collaborating with members of professional learning communities to develop, implement, and evaluate standards-based coherent aligned mathematics curriculum to increase student achievement;
  • using research-based and evidence-based best practices in the teaching of mathematics, K-12.
About Mathematics in District 11: Mathematics educators teach students the content knowledge, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and technology skills necessary to understand and interpret our world in the twenty-first century. The need to understand and be able to use mathematics in everyday life and in the workplace has never been greater and will continue to increase in these times of extraordinary and accelerating change. At all levels, mathematics courses are focused on core indicators of learning based on the Colorado Model Content Standards and articulated in the curriculum alignment guides.

The Elementary Curriculum, grades K – 2 focus on building number sense skills developing the understanding of ten. Grades 3 – 5 continue developing number sense through 1,000,000 and computation skills focusing on computational fluency. Students focus not only on computation and number sense, but also, algebraic concepts of patterns, probability/statistics, geometry and measurement.

Middle School Curriculum, grades 6 – 8 prepares students for the high school mathematics courses by addressing all six state standards. High school students focus on developing algebraic understanding which is the prerequisite for higher level thinking and understanding of mathematics. High school courses include Advanced Placement courses of Calculus and Statistics.

Mathematics educators are dedicated to the improvement of classroom instruction in mathematics at all levels. They also realize new knowledge, tools, and ways of doing and communicating mathematics continue to emerge and evolve. They are also aware that in this changing world, those who understand and can do mathematics will have significantly enhanced opportunities and options for shaping their futures.

  • Algebraic Thinking was piloted for 6th and 7th grades during the 2007-2008 school year at Mann, Russell, and Irving Middle Schools. This innovative, research-based program has proven results in other districts, and includes the use of technology to help students conceptualize algebraic formulas. See the Algebraic Thinking Parents Page for more information.

  • The Use of Calculators in Elementary Math - describes how often and for what purpose calculators are used at the elementary level.

  • Facts Behind the Video - provides relevant information about a web-based video criticizing instructional approaches used in Everyday Mathematics. Learn the true facts behind the misrepresentation.

Standards-Based Instruction

The Colorado Model Content Standards for Mathematics were developed by Colorado math teachers and adopted by the Colorado State Board of Education on June 8, 1995. Three questions guided the development of these standards:

  • What is mathematics?
  • What does it mean to know, use, and do mathematics?
  • What mathematics should every Colorado student learn?
The Colorado Model Content Standards for Mathematics were reviewed by the Colorado Department of Education during the 2004-2005 school year concluding with the report titled The State’s Prime Numbers. No changes to the Colorado Model Content Standards for Mathematics were recommended. For additional information visit the Colorado Department of Education Math Standards and Assessment website. 

The Colorado Model Content Standards were based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards. For additional information visit: http://www.nctm.org/

 

Curriculum

K-5 Math Curriculum - An overview of the suggested curriculum and emphasized standards, resources, and teaching strategies are provided for each month within each grade level on the chart below. Details for each monthly unit will be posted prior to the beginning of each month.

Yearly
Overviews

Curriculum Standards, Resources, and Instructional Supports

Middle School Courses - Highlighted courses include online curriculum. For more information on course requirements and Frequently Asked Questions, visit the Middle School Math Virtual Counselor.

Click here for 2009-2010 Middle School Pacing Guides

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
Math 6 Math 7 Math 8
Pre AP Math 6 Pre AP Math 7 Pre AP Algebra 8
Math 6 SAIL
Irving & West Middle School		 Math 7 Sail
Irving & West Middle School 		Math 8 SAIL
Irving & West Middle School
IBMYP Math 6
North Middle School		 IBMYP Math 7
North Middle School		 IBMYP Math 8
North Middle School
Math 6 Accelerated Math 7 Accelerated Math 8 Accelerated Algebra 1/2
  Math 7 Double Accelerated Algebra 1/2 Math 8 Double Accelerated
Geometry 1 Honors
  Pre AP Algebra 7
 		 Pre AP Geometry 1
Pre AP Trans Algebra/Geometry 1

High School Courses - For more information on course requirements and Frequently Asked Questions, visit the High School Math Virtual Counselor.

Mastery Math 1  2
(Interventions)
(No NCAA Credit)		 Math Tutorial 1  2  3  4
 (Interventions)
(No NCAA Credit)		 Math Essentials 1  2
(No NCAA Credit)
Consumer Math 1  2
(No NCAA Credit)		 Integrated Algebra
& Geometry 1  2  3  4  5  6		 Integrated Algebra
& Geometry 3H  4 H 
Foundations in Algebra 1  2  Algebra 1  2  3  4
 Algebra Honors 1  2  3  4 		IBMYP Algebra 1 H
2 H  3 H  4 H  4 H
Algebra Investigations 1   2 Geometry Honors 1  2 IBMYP Geometry 1 H  2 H  3 H
Geometry Investigations 1  2
Geometry in Construction		 IB Math Methods
 5 SL  6 SL  7 SL  8 SL  		IB Math 7 HL  8 HL
Mathematical Problem Solving Math Analysis/Trig1  2

Calculus AB 1 AP   2 AP

Calculus 3
Statistics 1 AP  2 AP Functions/Trig 1  2 Pre Calculus 1 H  2H

Assessment

D11 Quarterly Assessments - also called benchmark tests, these district-created assessments measure student achievement against a norm. The assessments are designed to have a high correlation with the State CSAP and are used to measure student preparedness for CSAP in quarterly stages.

Short-Cycle Assessments - These tests are created at the school or district level and are designed to give quick feedback on students' mastery of skills over a one to two week period.

CSAP - The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) is a standards-based assessment designed to provide a picture of student performance on state academic content standards and to provide a context for improving public education. Every student in grades 3-10 will be evaluated in reading and writing. Additional testing will be given in math for grades 5-10 and in science for the 8th grade.

End of Course Exams - High school subjects not tested by the CSAP are tested via end of course exams.

Parent Resources

Elementary Math Resources K-5

Elementary Math Problem-Solving Resources K-5

The following resources were developed by Donnie Thomassen from Scott Elementary in District 11. We encourage conceptual understanding in all practice of basic facts rather than simply rote memorization. For example, if you choose to use the following flash card-like PowerPoint fact practice documents with your child or students, you might expand them into fact families or turn-around facts. (see below for specific examples.) This generates the understanding of addition and subtraction being inverse operations. The same is true for multiplication and division. It also sets up understanding of the commutative property of mathematics as well as composing and decomposing of numbers.

Our goal is to build the three F's in mathematics; fluency, flexibility, and fluidity in number. These three F's will encourage strength in number sense; an invaluable building block that leads to facility with higher level mathematics.

  • Addition Fact Practice (Fact Family example: 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 3 = 8, 8 - 5 = 3, 8 - 3 = 5)
Addition 1-12  #1 Auto
 Addition 1-12  #2 Auto		 Addition 1-12 #2 Horizontal
 Addition 1-12  Vertical		 Addition 1-18 #1 Auto
 Addition 1-18 #1 Vertical		 Addition 1-18 #2 Horizontal
 Addition 1-18 #2 Auto
  • Multiplication Fact Practice (Fact Family example: 2 * 3 = 6, 3 * 2 = 6, 6 / 3 = 2, 6 / 2 = 3)
    Note: * indicates multiplication; / indicates division
1s 2s 3s 4s 5s 6s 7s 8s 9s 10s 11s 12s
  • www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com - This site provides an "animated, interactive dictionary for students which explain over 500 common mathematical terms in simple language."
  • www.linkslearning.org - This site provides illustrated lessons and interactive games that will assist in bolstering your child's math skills (this site also includes assistance in reading).
  • www.math.com - This site provides several excellent math activities to perform at home.
  • http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/math_tutorial_websites.html - This site provides online tutorials, articles, games, homework help, and more to supplement your child's math instruction.
  • www.allmath.com - This site provides countless math supplementary resources.
  • www.aplusmath.com - This site provides interactive skill and drill sessions to bolster basic math facts, money skills, and much more.
  • www.coolmath4kids.com - This site provides an "amusement park of math and more."
  • www.funbrain.com - This site provides numerous math games to bolster basic and advanced math skills.  Students can set the difficulty levels.
  • www.playkidsgames.com - This site provides wonderful math games (and even alphabet, memory, vocabulary, geography and puzzle games).
  • www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/index.shtml - This site provides a fun game show forum for learning higher level math concepts such as averaging, decimals, multiples, data collection and interpretation, probability, and more.

Secondary Math Resources  8-12

Teacher Resources

Password Protected For Teacher pages - type cssd11\ before your computer login.  The password is your computer password.

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