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Breaking Down The Recent BOE Mathematics Department Presentation
2024-07-07
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Recent BOE Mathematics Department presentation Details BHPS on Right Track in Math
Recent BOE Mathematics Department presentation Details BHPS on Right Track in MathPhoto bynj21st
-Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community
There is no question that math instruction has been an area of discussion and even controversy at Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPS) over the past two school years.
At the Monday, June 10th Board of Education (BOE meeting), Supervisor of Special Services Alyssa Rush (began in BHPS in November 2023) and Director of STEAM Dr. Kelly Curtiss (began in BHPS in December 2023) delivered a presentation providing math curriculum updates currently and moving forward focused at Columbia Middle School (CMS) and Governor Livingston High School (GLHS). Their employment start dates must be noted as these two administrators were not employed at BHPS at the forefront of the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) debacle that continued throughout the 2022-23 school year.
Dr. Curtiss stated, “The first item is to prepare mathematical relationships within the community. A lot of the feedback from everyone has had an expression of a loss of faith in the instructional program in Mathematics, post-COVID, with the implementation of Building Thinking Classrooms. Specifically with teachers expressing the need for training and stakeholders, students, and parents expressing a need for consistency in implementation and also training.”
Three current BOE members, Mrs. Akiri, Mrs. Khanna, and Mrs. Joly, wrote about the failures of the BTC parent information session hosted by BHPS in fall 2022. Deficits of the BTC program included that students were teaching students, high school students had negative impacts on grades (looking towards college admissions), a lack of training for teachers, and students having no access to textbooks.
Technology
Dr. Curtiss stated that since COVID, “there is a specific amount of dependence on digital technology.” One benefit of students working on paper would be to show all work attached to a problem. Digitally, this can be completed with turning in work with the assignment or digitally. Moving towards a blend of paper-based and digital programs may benefit students.
Direct instruction
BOE member Sai Akiri asked, “Can we, as a district, prescribe and say in a math class from [Grades] 6-12, there will be 75 percent traditional instruction?” Dr. Curtiss responded, “One thing I will address right away is the idea of traditional direct instruction being 75 percent. That is not a recommendation that I would make…If you have a teacher standing in front of the classroom for 75 percent of the time, you are getting into that lecture structure.” She continued, “Traditional lecture-style instruction actually negatively impacts student achievement. The person that is learning is doing the thinking and doing the work. So if the teacher in front of the classroom is the sole person or 75 percent of the time doing the work in doing the thinking, that is not going to improve student achievement.”
A return to direct instruction is an approach to guide students, especially academically challenged students, where the BTC classroom model offered little to no direct instruction. A resident asked in the public comment section of the meeting if BHPS can compare other districts to see their ratio of direct instruction to collaborative instruction.
Direct instruction minutes can and will vary depending on the level of class (from Advanced Placement, honors/enriched, regular, conceptual, and resource room). In most situations, Advanced Placement classes will require less direct instruction where a resource room will require more direct instruction.
Consistency
Consistency, mentioned in this presentation, also includes grading and that both CMS and GL are using total points versus weighted grading (50% tests, 25% quizzes, 25% homework) to ensure that students are evaluated equally from one teacher to the next within the math department.
Professional development
Dr. Curtiss stated, “Finding time with PD in the calendar is a challenge.” There is an agreement that workshops are needed for consistency throughout the school year. One of the ways that this can be done is providing professional development delayed opening or early dismissal days to provide workshops that will be discussed in a later article.
Community involvement
Moving forward includes goals to engage parents and address their concerns. The presenter notes that feedback is taken through BOE curriculum meetings and PTO meetings. However, this does not include all parents. The hope for the parent information sessions is that all parents can ask questions.
A professional development plan for the upcoming school year includes working with First Educational Resources consulting firm which Dr. Curtiss had a good relationship with in her prior district. Specific and intensive training will take place at the August professional development days and throughout the school year. A revised plan will be created for the 2025-26 school year based on the teachers’ needs.
A consultant will be employed for a cost of $15,000 for a series of professional development sessions for faculty and parent information sessions. A consultant is common practice to come into the schools (preferably in person) and to work with teachers individually.
The main question is how can a consulting firm with occasional pop-ins be beneficial when we already have a Director of STEAM position? How can this professional development be sustained? Is there additional staffing needed other than the Director, such as a Math Interventionist/Specialist at the secondary level that instructs students, for on the ground support? Our best hope for now is the professional development that Dr. Curtiss proposed.
Overall, this BOE and administration are on the pathway to correcting the mistakes and rebuilding trust in the mathematical processes at Berkeley Heights Public Schools.
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