April 27, 2010
| Contact: |
|
Kathryn Reith, Communications Director |
| |
|
(425) 702-3342
kreith@lwsd.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Redmond, Wash. – The Lake Washington School District Elementary Math Adoption Committee unanimously selected enVision Math (Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley) as its recommendation. The committee made its decision after a process of piloting two final curricula, envision Math and Math Connects (McMillan-McGraw Hill), in almost every elementary school in the district this spring.
“Both curricula do an excellent job of helping students understand math concepts and compute accurately,” said Matt Manobianco, Director of Teaching and Learning and Adoption Committee chair, “but when it came down to the final decision, enVision Math was a better fit in helping students also learn the kind of problem-solving and thinking skills called for in our district’s student profile.”
Manobianco noted that the committee rated enVision Math higher on its balance of computational, conceptual and problem-solving skills. They felt the organization and design of the materials was clear and easy to use for teachers, students and parents. EnVision Math also offers online activities and resources available to students from home.
This recommendation now goes to the district’s Instructional Materials Committee (IMC). The IMC will then make its recommendation to the district’s Board of Directors for final approval. The goal is to implement the new curriculum at the start of the 2010-11 school year.
The committee also considered but did not select Bridges in Mathematics (The Math Learning Center) and Math Expressions (Houghton Mifflin-Harcourt) among the four finalists.
The district asked parents to weigh in with their opinions of these four options. During the month of January, parents were able to attend four public meetings or review the curricula online or in person at the district offices. Parents filled out a survey providing their view of each of the four curricula.
The committee used an evidence-based approach to form a professional judgment about the two finalist programs to pilot. The evidence included several filters that were applied to the four programs, including:
- Strands of Mathematical Proficiency scoring protocol for program balance
- Organization and Design scoring protocol
- Math Standards Alignment score
- Digital Resources scoring protocol
- Parent Survey Input
- Results of State Reports and Recommendations
The 43-member Committee includes representatives from all elementary schools and district programs. Programs represented include Preschool, English Language Learner, General Education, Special Education, Safety Net and Gifted. Three district-level administrators and seven elementary principals also serve on the committee. Math Content and Technology Integration Specialists are also included.
For more information about the Elementary Mathematics Adoption process, check our district Web site at: http://www.lwsd.org/News/Elementary-Math-Adoption/Pages/default.aspx.
# # #
About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 24,000 students in 50 schools.