Modeling Our World With Mathematics
The full course of MOWWM is ready for the 2019-2020 school year. It includes rich performance tasks and assessments modeled after the approaches taken by Bridge to College. Where possible, connections to SBA Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs) and Digital Library resources are highlighted. The assessments provide objective criteria to make determinations of student mastery of content and curriculum... Click here to read more.
Teaching the course this year? Sign up for the Virtual training. To learn more, see MOWWM Virtual Training under Course Offerings.
To learn more about this course, visit the MOWWM website or contact OSPI Math Director, Arlene Crum at arlene.crum@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6233.
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Summer Institute Highlights
We had a great time in Wenatchee learning about and exploring Modeling our World With Mathematics (MOWWM) and Bridge to College.
More than 200 teachers attended the Summer Institute in Wenatchee on August 6-7, 2019. Hosted by OSPI and SBCTC, educators from across Washington prepared to teach Bridge to College Mathematics or Modeling Our World With Mathematics and formed Communities of Practice to support each other throughout the year.
Be sure to sign up for the MOWWM virtual training on PDenroller.
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2019 Menu of Best Practices
The updated Menu of Best Practices has been released!
Designing Math Interventions
Districts and schools look to the State for information on best practices to design interventions for students and to inform school improvement plans. The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Menu of Best Practices and Strategies was compiled using the advice and recommendations of practitioners. All districts and schools implementing Learning Assistance Programs (LAP) to support students not at grade level in mathematics are required to use a best practice from the Math Menu of Best Practices and Strategies or an approved alternative strategy.
Learning Assistance Program Statistics:
- 299 participating school districts
- 1701 participating schools
- 34,000+ students receiving math interventions grades K–7
As you complete school level planning for the coming school year, the Math Menu is an important resource for planning interventions.
Click here to access the new Math Menu and other useful resources on the OSPI website.
Questions? Contact the LAP Team LAP@k12.wa.us
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Website Redesign
We are excited to share that the new OSPI website launched July 1!
Over the past year, OSPI completely redesigned our website to make it more user-friendly and accessible for individuals with disabilities as well as for users on mobile phones and tablets.
The Math content is located within the Student Success category underneath Resources by Subject Area.
If you are currently linking to our content, please check to be sure the link still works.
To provide feedback on the new site or ask a question about something you can’t find, please fill out the Ask OSPI form.
To read more about our new website and learn about it's evolution click here.
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1st Week Activities
In honor of the start of the school year, we are sharing some of Sara VanDerWerf's tried and true start of the year activities.
Sara VanDerWerf has taught for 25-year as a mathematics teacher for Minneapolis Public Schools. She taught math in grades 7-12 and spent several years as the K-12 math lead for her district. She loves speaking and leading professional development. Her current passions include engaging all students in a math classroom, working with ELL students, helping students see and utilize mathematical structure, and starting the school year for success.
If you are interested in learning from Sara, she will be running a workshop at ESD189 (Anacortes) on November 6. Click here to learn more and sign up.
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Name Tents with Feedback
"Using name tents in a high school math classroom for the first week of school matches the best practices about teaching urban students, students in poverty or students of color (and frankly it is good for all students). We must build relationships with students. We must work hard to know our students. Students grow more through feedback vs. a number/letter grade. We must create a community of learners in our classroom. We must make our classrooms safe spaces for everyone..." Click here to read more.
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What is Math? What do Mathematicians do?
"Despite all the resources created recently, I think there is something that most math teachers miss in their early messages to students about math. In my experience many students – even those in HS – have a misconception of what mathematics is and what mathematicians do. Once I clear up this misconception and give consistent messaging around our work in mathematics class, I’ve found that more students engage in the work of becoming mathematicians. This messaging to students has ultimately changed me as a teacher and what I choose to put in front of them as they learn mathematics..." Click here to read more.
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100 Numbers to Get Students Talking
"If I am going to get students to talk every day of class, then I need to teach them how to work in groups and teach them how to talk to one another. This is my goal week one of school. Lots of years ago, Beth Esposito gave me this task (I think it is an AVID task) that I’ve adapted. It is magic...I’ve used this activity in both middle and high school and it works great at both levels. Here is the task. I call it the 100# task..." Click here to read more.
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Modeling Our World With Mathematics Virtual Training
The Modeling Our World With Mathematics Summer Institute Virtual Training is a free training designed to provide teachers who will be teaching this course during the 2019-20 school year with the curriculum, tools and networks needed for full course implementation.
The virtual training is a Moodle course that includes the MOWWM Summer Institute video and associated tasks. This course will be available from September
6 - October 6, 2019 and offers 5 clock hours.
Completion of this training provides access to additional course resources developed for assessing your students and will enroll you in a community of practice to provide support throughout the school year.
Who: Any teacher who will be an instructor for the Modeling Our World With Mathematics course
When: September 6 - October 6, 2019
Where: Virtual training on Moodle
Register: Click here to register through pdEnroller
For more information contact OSPI Math Director, Arlene Crum at arlene.crum@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6233 .
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58th NW Math Conference 2019
Save The Date!:
October 10-12th
Tacoma Convention Center
Why to attend this event:
- K-16 - Something for everyone! Almost 200 sessions over three days!
- Opening and Closing Keynotes with Dan Meyer and Julia Aguirre
- Delve deeper into topics with 3 hour Mini-courses on Thursday
- Workshops and Sessions both Friday and Saturday
- Ignite Talks Friday night!
- Saturday Breakfast with TI - Robotics
- Check out great resources at our exhibits - open all three days!
To learn more about the event and featured speakers click here.
You can also visit the conference page to register and learn more: https://www.nwmathconf.org/2019
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New Focused Interim Assessment Blocks
Forty-two Focused Interim Assessment Blocks (IAB) have been released by Smarter Balanced for the coming school year; twenty-one of those are for math, equating to three focused interim assessments available per grade. These Focused IAB's will evaluate student understanding of content more specifically, covering only one to three targets.
Interim Assessment Blocks from previous years that already evaluated one to three targets are still available, but are now found under the Focused Interim Assessments Blocks.
Be sure to check out the Digital Library this fall as well. There will be new Connections Playlists that were created this summer by teachers locally and around the country to compliment the new Focused Interims. These Connections Playlists can be used at any time during an instructional sequence to build student understanding of the concepts. They are also differentiated to support all learners.
Details about interim assessments can be found in the Smarter Balanced Interim Overview document available on both the Math Assessment page and within the Smarter Balanced Development and Design page.
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New 9th and 10th Grade Interim Comprehensive Assessments
There are now 9th and 10th grade Interim Comprehensive Assessments (ICA) with grade level appropriate cut scores and content. This means if a student scores a 3 on the 9th or 10th grade ICA they would be considered “on track” toward college and career readiness by the end of high school.
In these grade level ICAs, third year math content has been removed to reflect the 2016 changes to the Smarter Balanced Assessments, therefore logarithms, end behavior of polynomials, imaginary numbers, etc. are not included.
For more information or questions about mathematics assessments, contact OSPI Mathematics Assessment Specialist, Serena O’Neill at serena.oneill@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6437.
 September is the Month of the Kindergartner
On April 28th, Governor Inslee emphasized the importance of kindergarten by signing Substitute Senate Bill 5028 into law. This bill declared September to be the Month of the Kindergartner and encourages schools to celebrate kindergartners “as they begin their life in K-12 education”. Click here to read more.
Ideas for celebrating the Month of the Kindergartner:
- Make signs and banners acknowledging September as the Month of the Kindergartner. Use drawings and quotes from older students with words of welcome and advice. Decorate a bulletin board with the kindergarten photos of school staff and a welcoming quote from each.
- “Yaaaaaaay K!” Develop a special kindergarten chant or song to sing all year long. Don’t forget the dance moves that go along with it allowing for kids to move their bodies and exude their energy!
- Set up a kindergarten photo booth for teachers and families to use.
- Conduct a materials drive for kindergarten classrooms. Ask for donations of gently used or new items such as blocks, toy cash registers, and dolls, as well as things for creating like paper, yarn, shoe boxes and other materials that often get worn or depleted throughout the year.
- Envision the welcoming first impression of school you want to create for kindergartners and their families. Get all the school staff involved!
- Focus “school-readiness” on the school and not just the child. Kindergarten is a place for children of all skills and abilities.
- Review and refresh classroom environments, schedules and routines. Are they engaging? Are children encouraged to explore and interact?
- Encourage teachers to focus on building positive relationships with their students in the first month of school. Help them integrate WaKIDS assessment in playful, joyful ways – not as pull out skill and drill.
- Recognize kindergarten teachers for the hard work that they put into WaKIDS. Is WaKIDS treated as a big deal like the Smarter Balanced Assessment is?
- Encourage older children to get involved – decorating the kindergarten wing of the school, acting as ambassadors or “buddies” for younger students and sharing their memories of starting school.
For more information or questions about Early Learning, contact OSPI Director of Early Learning, Karma Hugo at karma.hugo@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6153.
Shining a Light
We’re always looking to shine a light on the best of mathematics education in Washington. What’s happening in your school or district that is making mathematics enjoyable and attainable? In this issue, we’re particularly interested in knowing:
- How will you start the year off to encourage a growth mindset?
- What is your best strategy to get students talking about mathematics?
Want to share? Send an email to Shine a Light!
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