Math is Math, Change Is Inevitable

Last spring the New Salem-Almont school district purchased and this fall implemented a new math curriculum.  The K-8 program is called “Go Math!” and is vertically aligned with the high school curriculum.  A vertically aligned curriculum is written so the information students learn in a lower grade or during previous course prepares them for more advanced grades and more challenging work.  Vertical alignment is meant to ensure students are ready and able to move forward with no gaps in their learning.

Any time a new curriculum is introduced, whether it is math, science, or reading, there is a period of adjustment.  The new curriculum, as with all new available math curriculums, is written in a way that is different to what many parents are used to.  Many parents may remember their high school math classes as “drill and kill,” where the teacher stood in front of the classroom and worked math problems on the board for an hour and then assigned 20-30 more problems for homework day in and day out.  Those days are behind us.  Today, math is commonly taught through the lens of critical thinking. This means that students are not expected to just “do the work,” but rather find and extract the information necessary to solve the problem before them.

Please keep in mind that the basic math that students are asked to do has not changed.  What has changed is the way is the way students are expected to gather and organize information needed to perform the mathematical functions necessary to find their answers.  Yes, these are new skills that parents and students are not used to practicing.  However, these are skills that are beneficial and necessary to succeed in the world today.  To help parents and students, the new curriculum comes with a wealth of resources that are accessible online.  These resources can be accessed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and include videos, games, practice problems, and quizzes.

The instructional model has also changed.  Students are now expected to work collaboratively with other students and work through the learning process together.  Yes, there is still teacher-centered delivery of material; however, students are expected to take responsibility for their learning.  Learning is hard work and can be frustrating, that is normal anytime we learning something new. 

Change can be uncomfortable, but change in everything is inevitable.  Whether our students are staying on the farm or heading to the far corners of the world, we need to prepare them for the future and that can not be done by using methods of the past.

It is my hope that over time our students will become great thinkers and doers.  That starts by having high expectations and encouraging them to take chances and fail from time to time.  It is through those failures that we learn and realize our capabilities.

Testing, Testing, Testing............

A great deal of time and effort is put into testing our students each year.  Students are given a variety of tests across all grade levels.  School testing is often a topic of discussion when it comes to education. As the parent of a second grader, I too, feel the burden of seemingly endless testing on my own child.  However, I understand the purpose of these tests is to measure his academic progress.  I find it helpful to know where my son is academically in relation to his peers, in relation to where he was last year and how he is progressing throughout the year.

Here at NSAHS we utilize several different tests to measure the academic progress of our students. The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) are the two testing programs that we receive data from.   Students in the junior class also take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) during the spring semester.  Beginning in the 2016-17 school year students in the senior class will have to take a state mandated citizenship test as part of their graduation requirements.

To help clear up any confusion or questions regarding these tests I offer the following information:

MAP Testing

The information gained from this test is used by the school to measure student growth, identify learning needs, and make accurate informed decisions as to what classes students should register to take.

 MAP testing is done twice each school year at NSAHS.  One test is given in the fall, usually September or October, and the other is given mid winter, usually January or February. 

The fall test serves as both an indicator of what was retained over the summer break and as a benchmark for the year ahead.  The winter test serves as an indicator of academic progress.

Across the world more than 7,400 schools with more than 10 million students use MAP Tests to help deliver the best educational opportunities possible.

MAP Test Scores, for juniors, are also tied to test exemption.  Students in the junior class must score at or above grade level to be exempt from their second semester English, Science, and Math tests.  Therefore, if no test scores exist exemptions cannot be granted.

click here for information on the MAP test

North Dakota State Assessment

This test is given to 8^th and 11^th grade students at NSAHS.  This is the only test that is mandated by the state of North Dakota. 

This test is given in two parts.  The science portion is taken in the fall and the English and math portions are taken in the spring.

The scores students receive are attached to their permanent student file and serve as only one indicator of your child’s academic success.

As a state, North Dakota is part of the Smarter Balanced Consortium.  The Smarter Balanced Consortium is a group of 15 states. Smarter Balanced is an on-line assessment system aligned to the Common Core Standards.

The scores are used as a measure of student achievement and also help the school fine tune our educational approach.

click here for information on the North Dakota State Assessment

As always, I am happy to visit with parents about the testing we do at NSAHS.

Mr. Gilbertson