 Our highly competitive and technical economy demands a deeper level of mathematical understanding. New standards have come along to raise mathematical problem solving expectations. Materials and curriculum demand that teachers have considerable mathematical content knowledge.
The problem is, most
teachers, principals and parents did not grow up learning mathematical content
in ways that our current and future workforce demands.
We learned mainly by rote memorization. When we were expected to apply our mathematical knowledge to problem solving, there was most often one way to solve the problem. That has all changed and we need a new kind of support to educate the next generation to be flexible and articulate mathematical thinkers.
Unfortunately, much of the math professional development only touches the surface of these very
complex ideas in a very rapid and condensed timeframe. That is no longer sufficient. Learning
about the standards isn't enough. Teachers and leaders need both the
opportunity to see the big picture, the time to dig deep, and the ability to see the details at work, all when they are ready to learn.
 Big Picture: Show Them What It Looks Like
 Sometimes all a teacher needs is to see what it looks like. Teachers teaching what they teach-- with students like they have. They just need to take a look inside another teacher's classroom and develop a vision for what great instruction looks like. That's what the MCESA Video Bank is for.
MCESA has spent the last several years building a video bank featuring Maricopa County teachers. It is filled with local teachers teaching Arizona College and Career Ready Standards.
The bank has video clips aligned to MCESA's Learning Observation Instrument at levels Proficient and above. Videos are organized by instructional elements and proficiency levels. (Although the videos are labeled to reflect the language of MCESA's Observation Instrument, they can all be cross-walked to support any evaluation instrument that is aligned to InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards.
All videos are being made available to the public until April 1, 2015. Check out the video bank and share the link with your teachers and leaders.
To learn more about long-term access to the MCESA video bank contact Lori.Shough@mcesa.maricopa.gov.
Tightening The Focus: Digging Deep Into Content
 Most teachers have had the opportunity to become familiar with the new math standards. But there is a lot about the standards that isn't straightforward. A deeper level understanding of math is now required.
Enter Math 20/20, a program jointly administered by MCESA and the Rodel Foundation, that transforms teachers' understanding of the standards and provides them with the math comprehension they need to help their students succeed.
This district-wide program not only provides teachers and administrators with what they need to excel in this new math environment, but provides parents with a "Math Power" book. The book is a reference guide in both Spanish and English that gives parents the power to understand and help their children master a particular math concept.
Visit our webpage to learn more about Math 20/20.
Provide Diverse, Integrated Experiences For Students
 Math doesn't just happen in math class. Diverse mathematical experiences support students understanding of concepts and develop their understanding of its relevance.
The Phoenix Symphony has partnered with ASU Prep Academy to teach integrated STEAM* units to elementary students. These units provide students the diverse mathematical experiences they need.
And it's working!
This program has increased math and science achievement in 24.7% of students.
In 2012, The Phoenix Symphony launched a three-year pilot program called "Mind Over Music." The program pairs Symphony musicians with teachers to collaboratively create integrated math, science and music lessons.
Read a classroom example here.
The Symphony is currently developing plans to scale the program and offer its benefits to more schools in the Phoenix Metro Area. The Symphony and MCESA will partner to identify and support interested schools.
Sign up to stay informed about this opportunity.
*STEAM = Science Technology Engineering Arts & Math
Provide At Home Support For Students & Parents
Homework is a necessary part of developing life-long learners. But we all know how difficult it can be for many working families to make it happen.
Phone Friend is a free call-in service available for ALL school aged students. The service is available Monday through Friday from 1:00 to 6:30pm.
Phone Friend offers resources for children that may need extra support or guidance because they are home alone, in sibling care, or in multi-sibling homes. When students call, trained volunteers provide homework help, play games, read stories, and give them an opportunity to talk to an empathetic adult.
Phone Friend also offers FREE in-classroom safety trainings for students in grades K-6th. Some of the topics covered in the presentation include: trusted adults vs. strangers, abduction prevention techniques, home alone safety, and older students receive internet safety. Phone Friend also provide a bullying portion upon request.
View this video to learn more or visit their website at http://www.phonefriend.org/.
Feb. 11-12: Response to Intervention in Mathematics, AZCCRS Mathematics Phase 3
Participants will learn about what Response to Intervention (RTI) is and is not. Participants will learn successful components of mathematics focused Response to Intervention models. Topics include
strategies to assist intervention and enrichment for students based on data will be discussed. Time will
be provided to begin planning a Mathematics RTI model specific to the participant’s site’s needs.
Feb. 12: Anchoring Reading Practices in AZCCRS, AZCCRS ELA Phase 2
Participants will learn how to plan and implement strong reading instruction to meet the demands of AZCCRS. Topics include a deeper understanding of instruction for reading to learn and resources to engage and empower students as independent readers. Additionally, An Integrated Model
of Instruction will be introduced.
Feb. 17: Using Mentor Texts to Improve Student Writing, AZCCRS ELA Phase 2
Participants will read and analyze rich, complex texts, and then use them as models to enrich their own writing. Also, participants will create plans to implement mentor texts in their classrooms. Topics include the qualities of rich text, connecting Close Reading to improved student writing, and finding mentor texts for your classroom.
Feb. 26: An Integrated Model of Literacy: An AZCCRS Expectation, AZCCRS ELA Phase 2
Participants will explore the concepts of the integrated model of literacy, its impact on lessons and units, and how to implement in the classroom. Topics include meeting AZ College and Career Ready Standards expectations, lesson and unit design, and experiencing an integrated model of literacy as a student.
Other Opportunities To Engage Students
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Devision has announced the 2015 Law Day Art Contest.
This year's theme is “Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law."
This annual contest provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about our legal system, justice, get creative and win prizes. The contest can be incorporated into a curriculum, offered as extra credit, or just done for fun. Individual and groups submissions are welcomed.
Students are allowed to submit an art piece which may be represented in two-dimensions to be entered in the Law Day Art Contest. Students are encouraged to use their creativity and create art pieces in any medium desired (including, but not limited to, drawings, paintings, films, photographs, graphic novels, comics, etc.).
Entry deadline: March 31
Read more here.
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