Welcome to the January Math Educator Update! Each January we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, a holiday that honors the life and legacy of Dr. King. As a prominent civil rights leader and champion of nonviolence in the United States, it is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on his tireless work toward racial equality.
This month we would like to highlight the work of Bob Moses, whose legacy can be found at the intersection of civil rights and mathematics education. In 1982 Bob Moses founded The Algebra Project, a non-profit organization that aims to help students from marginalized communities develop math literacy. Moses’ work in the civil rights movement helped transform Mississippi from a segregationist stronghold into a focal point of the civil rights revolution (Jeffries, 2021). Moses’ daughter’s inability to take algebra in school motivated him to take action in a very creative and powerful way. If you're not familiar with The Algebra Project, take two minutes to watch a video overview of their work. As you watch, consider how the work of The Algebra Project aligns with the work of the Oregon Math Project.
The Algebra Project emphasizes teaching algebra skills to students of color based on broad-based community organizing and collaboration with parents, teachers, and students, to improve college and job readiness. Moses believed that math literacy was a key component of civil rights and that it could be used to empower students and communities. The Algebra Project’s success in helping students from marginalized communities develop math literacy has inspired similar programs across the country and they offer a variety of resources on their site:
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Assessment of Essential Skills Suspension Extended Through 2027 – 2028
The Assessment of Essential Skills policy remains suspended through 2027-2028 per an Oregon State Board of Education decision in October, 2023. Oregon’s nine essential skills remain in place and are being assessed in the classroom. However, through 2027-28, a specific test score is not required for high school graduation. All remaining Oregon graduation requirements are still in effect, including challenging course credit requirements and personalized learning requirements (e.g. career-related learning experiences, education plan and profile, and extended application graduation requirements). OSAS statewide summative tests are still required for students enrolled in grades 3 - 8 and high school as described in ORS 329.485, and OAR 581-022-2100. Oregon also requires the administration of local performance assessments (LPA) for students in grades 3 - 8 and at least once in high school as described in OAR 581-022-2100 (Division 22). For more information, review the 2023-24 Essential Skills and Local Performance Assessment Manual.
Engaging Equity Professional Learning Series - New Modules Now Available!
Engaging Equity: Equitable Mindsets, Practices, and Systems is an openly licensed professional learning series developed in partnership by the Oregon Department of Education’s Office of Education Innovation and Improvement and WestEd. The series is designed for participation in teams, PLCs, or other groups, and also available to individuals. Learners can access the content through a public Canvas course, or the modules can be imported into your organization's Canvas LMS.
Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practice, the second cluster of four modules within this professional learning series, focuses on strategies for creating culturally responsive and sustaining learning environments and experiences for students. Examine how adults’ social and emotional learning and well-being are fundamental to creating culturally responsive and sustaining learning environments. The first four modules of the series focused on Racial Equity Foundations. All of the modules are available on the Oregon Open Learning Hub in the PK-12 Professional Learning Group. For more details, view the full scope and sequence for the professional learning series.
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K-5 Quarterly Newsletter
ODE’s Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is launching a new quarterly newsletter for K-5 educators. This newsletter will provide resources, opportunities, guidance, and ODE updates tailored specifically to support the integrated and well-rounded instruction that elementary education entails. It aims to streamline information related to K-5 academic standards and instruction into one convenient communication.
The Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is launching a new quarterly newsletter for K-5 educators. This newsletter aims to streamline communication on resources, opportunities, and guidance, tailored specifically to support integrated and well-rounded instruction.
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2024 Oregon Math Leader Conference | Aug 7-9, 2024
Save the date for the 2024 OCTM Oregon Math Leader (OML) conference, which will be held from August 7-9, 2024 in Corvallis, OR. This conference is an opportunity for math educators to come together and share ideas, resources, and best practices. The conference features a variety of sessions, workshops, and keynote speakers, focused on improving math education in Oregon.
If you are interested in presenting at the 2024 OML conference, you can submit a session proposal using the recently opened speaker seeker form. This is a great opportunity to share your expertise and contribute to the math education community in Oregon. We hope to see you there!
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Oregon Open Learning Featured Resource
The Oregon Open Learning Hub is a digital resource repository and collaboration space for educators, administrators, and other educational partners to curate, create, and remix open educational resources (OER). The Hub is a portal to over 50,000 openly licensed resources available on OER Commons, searchable by grade level, subject, and standard.
In the Oregon Mathematics Group, there are lessons, tasks, and guidance documents that can be found for grades K-12. Subfolders for resources in Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and High School are organized by content domains found within the 2021 Oregon Math Standards. Look for new resources to be added throughout the school year.
New resources added this winter include publishing of two OER course blueprints from the 2021-23 Mathway grants, which include Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning (MMR) and Financial Algebra. Both blueprints can be found within the Curriculum Blueprint Folder. Look for additional blueprints to be published in the coming months from additional Mathway grant projects.
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New Tools for Teachers Instructional Resources
In 2023, educators from 12 states – including Oregon – developed over 60 new ELA and Math instructional resources for the Tools for Teachers platform. These resources go through a rigorous quality control process that verifies a tight alignment to a claim, target, and standard; integrates feedback by content specialists; uses “leaner,” more concise language; ensures students are engaged with tasks across a range of cognitive complexity (DOK); and better supports students with English Learner status. All Oregon educators have free access to Tools for Teachers (check with your District Test Coordinator if you don’t yet have a login). This month we’re highlighting a Grade 5 Deeper Learning resource that leads perfectly into students engaging with a performance task. This is a perfect way to engage students in the math practices!
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The Mathematics of Opportunity: Closing the Divide
The Mathematics of Opportunity: Closing the Divide is a free virtual conference that will be held from April 16-18, 2024. The conference is organized by Just Equations, a non-profit organization that aims to promote equity in mathematics education. The conference will feature three to four hours of programming each day, beginning at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.
The conference will explore the future of equity in mathematics education and showcase the voices of education leaders, policymakers, and equity experts working to elevate math opportunities for the next generation. The keynote speaker for the conference is Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. Other presenters include Andre Perry, Linda Darling-Hammond, Karen Saxe, Julia Angwin, Yeshimabeit Milner, Angel B. Pérez, Maya Garcia, Federico Ardila, Ashley Pallie, and Calvin Wise.
Dear Data Professional Development
The Southern Oregon Education Service District is offering a training session for the Dear Data project that aims to promote data literacy and visual communication. The project involves collecting and hand-drawing personal data and sending it to a pen pal in the form of postcards. The training session will provide an overview of the project and its goals, as well as tips and strategies for implementing the project in the classroom.
PSU: Deepening Understanding of Mathematics Teaching, Learning, and Leading Series
Registration is now open* for this winter's course designed for preK-12 teachers and teacher leaders in mathematics: CI 514 Enhancing Algebraic Thinking: Patterns and Functions. See this flier for details on this course (i.e., course reference number, description, location, instructors) and others planned for the 2023-2024 school year.
The class meets on Mondays from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. You can choose your modality for attendance (i.e., face-to-face or online synchronous (Zoom) or a combination of the two). Your instructor will be in touch with details once you enroll.
Simulated Instruction in Mathematics Professional Development (SIM PD)
The American Institutes for Research is conducting a study of the Simulated Instruction in Mathematics Professional Development (SIM PD) program. This innovative professional learning opportunity for 4th and 5th grade math teachers leverages a simulated classroom, where teachers work in small groups with the support of a coach to practice math questioning and discussion strategies. What makes this program especially unique is that teachers have the opportunity to collaborate and try out instructional approaches with avatar students prior to implementing these strategies with their own students. The AIR team is currently seeking districts to participate in SIM PD during the 2024-25 school year.
Join the Oregon Math Leaders Network
The Oregon Math Leaders Network is a community of math practitioners who work together to implement and support math teaching and learning in Oregon. Participants include teacher leaders, TOSAs, program administrators, college faculty, and math community partners. If you identify as a math leader, you are invited!
The 2023-24 virtual meetings will continue to take place on the third Thursday of each month on Zoom. Register now for either the morning sessions (8:30 - 9:30 am PT) or the afternoon sessions (4:00 - 5:00 pm PT).
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Stay Connected!
If you have an opportunity or announcement to share statewide, please contact the ODE Math Team.
The materials contained in the Department of Education’s Oregon Math Educator Update are drawn from both internal and external sources and inclusion of external materials does not necessarily indicate Oregon Department of Education endorsement.
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