Running head: FINAL PROJECT 1

High-Quality Mathematics Instruction

Julie Weems

EDAD 638

Chadron State College

FINAL PROJECT 2

Saint Agnes Academy needs a staff development plan in place. Other than once-a-month

staff meetings and an occasional guest speaker, we rarely have any professional development

opportunities offered. My hopes were to develop a semester long plan, following the public

school’s schedule closely. Because of Covid-19, many organizations, like ESU out of

Scottsbluff, have decided not to plan many workshops or in-services, nor are they sending

speakers to schools this year. Other than webinars, planning too much into the future is difficult,

if not impossible for the 2020-2021 school year. After speaking with Jadie Beam, director of

professional learning at ESU, I decided tackling a project like that would not be beneficial with

the pandemic in full-swing. Instead, I spoke to my colleagues and decided, based on MAPS

scores, mathematics is the subject many students at Saint Agnes struggle with the most, so an in-

service on mathematics instruction would be useful.

The training will take place Friday, September 18th from 12:30 to 4:00 pm. This will be

after Saint Agnes’s lunch time, so everyone will have adequate time to eat prior to the in-service.

The students will have an early dismissal.

For the in-service on high-quality mathematics instruction, teachers and staff will need

paper and writing utensils. Hand-outs will be distributed, so teachers will have the information

with them during the presentation.

The in-service will take place in the parish center chapel. This is located in the newer

addition of Saint Agnes. There are six large tables set up, with more than enough seating space

for all teachers and staff. There are fourteen chairs lining the tables. They are set up so teachers

can communicate and work together easily. The room is used regularly both during the school
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year and in the summer months. Saint Agnes uses it for staff meetings. The church uses it once a

week, or more, for bible studies and for Mass. The school principal, Mr. Wilhelm, will make sure

the tables and chairs are set up, wiped down, if needed, and the projector and screen are ready

and working for our presenter –he will do this during part of his lunch hour. All chairs will be

facing the screen. No one will have their back to the presenter. Those extra chairs will be

removed by Mr. Wilhelm. The janitor, Ron, will have the room vacuumed the evening before.

He will also move the partition between the chapel and the meeting room to give us more space

the morning of the training. Ms. Schmeits, the presenter, will be using a table, rather than a

podium, as she always has a lot of materials with her. It will give her more space to spread out.

Mrs. Weems will have fruit, pastries, coffee, and water on the back table prior to the training.

There will also be Diet Pepsi for the presenter, as she is known well by staff, and it is all she

drinks! There will be small paper plates, cups, plastic forks, and napkins easily accessible. Mrs.

Weems will set that up during her lunch hour, prior to the in-service. There will be one twenty

minute break during the presentation, so attendees can use the restroom, stretch, and get more

snacks and drinks.

The presenter, Sheila Schmeits, will already feel at-home at Saint Agnes, as she was the

junior high mathematics teacher there for nearly forty years. She lives only a few block away

from the school. She will drive to the school early, as Mr. Wilhelm will request she gets there by

12:00, so they can do a quick test to make sure the Power Point presentation is ready to go.

Sheila Schmeits will use a projector, screen, and Power Point as a visual aid. She will

also have a number of math manipulatives with her to show as examples. She will set up at the

table between the chapel and meeting room. The screen and projector will be in that space too.

Because our presenter is not very technologically savvy, Mr. Wilhelm will be assisting her with
FINAL PROJECT 4

her laptop and with the slideshow. He will stand near the table she will be using, and will run the

Power Point presentation as she speaks. Mrs. Weems will pass out a hard-copy of the Power

Point Presentation, so staff can follow along and take notes. (Mrs. Weems printed these copies

off as soon as Ms. Schmeits emailed the presentation to her—one week before the presentation.

She had her cadet student teacher put the packets together.) There is no need for a microphone,

as it is a small space and everyone will be close enough to hear.

Prior to this in-service, an email was sent out to the principal and to all the teachers,

grades Kindergarten through eighth grade, asking about potential professional growth

opportunities. Opinions varied, but every teacher stated he/she thought the school would benefit

from training in mathematics, especially after much time and learning was lost due to Covid-19.

At the end of the in-service, a survey for immediate feedback will be handed out to all

staff to critique the workshop. Ms. Schmeits and Mr. Wilhelm will review it at the end of the

day. It will look like this:

Post-Training Evaluation Survey

1 = POOR 3 = AVERAGE 5 = EXCELLENT

*Did the training content meet your expectations?

YES NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
FINAL PROJECT 5

*How would you rate the quality of the training?

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*Do you feel this training will be useful in YOUR classroom?

YES NO

*Was the venue appropriate and comfortable?

YES NO

*How would you rate the quality of the instructor?

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*How would you rate the organization and preparation of the presenter and the material?

1 2 3 4 5

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*Did you learn anything new?

FINAL PROJECT 6

YES NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*Was the training relevant to your needs?

YES NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*Do you have any suggestions to improve this presentation?

YES NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*After this presentation, what can you see yourself implementing in the classroom?

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

*Would you like more information on High-Quality Mathematics Instruction?

YES NO
FINAL PROJECT 7

If yes, please add your email address: _______________________________________________

The data collected will be short-term. How much did the teachers already know, or how

much did they learn? Will they use any of the new information? Long-term, MAPS test scores,

which we take two to three times a year, will be telling. If the teacher did use this training, are

class scores going up? Individual scores? Whole-school scores? Mr. Wilhelm will set up times to

observe teachers using parts of this training in their classrooms. He will make notes about what

he observes, and he will discuss it with the teachers at a later time. Before Christmas break, at a

scheduled staff meeting, he will ask we openly discuss how the training has impacted teaching

and student scores. It will be determined whether teachers are happy with it, or if they would like

to make changes.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Define high-quality mathematics instruction and its importance.

2. Identify the components of high-quality mathematics instruction

3. Utilize standards-based practices in teaching mathematics

4. Utilize evidence-based practices in teaching mathematics

In-service Itinerary Outline for September 18th, 2020

12:30-12:35
 Welcome
 Snacks
 Pass out hand-out on high-quality mathematics
12:35-12:40
 Watch introduction video called, High Quality Mathematics Instruction: What Teachers
Should Know at https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/challenge/#content.
12:40-12:45
FINAL PROJECT 8

 Ask teachers to write down what high-quality math instruction means to them. (We will
come back to share later.)
12:45-1:15
 INTRODUCTION--With Power Point, begin going through slides.
 Define high-quality mathematics instruction
o To dig more deeply into the instructional design and mathematical tasks
o Ignites student learning
o Engages student in investigation
o Complex thinking
 Discuss the importance of high-quality math instruction
o Student grows in own understanding of content, strategies, and practices
 Breakdown research
o Out of sixty-nine countries, the United States is ranked 36th
o Eighth grade students are outperformed in math proficiency by students in
Singapore, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Russian
Federation, Canada and Ireland
o (Show NAEP Mathematics Achievement Test Results Chart) It shows the
majority of students perform at “below basic” or “basic” levels
 Describe why some students struggle more than others
o Difficulty processing information
o Has a hard time seeing the relevant information in mathematics problems,
especially in word problems
o Difficulty translating information into a mathematical expression or
equation
o Problem maintaining attention
o Difficulty selecting an effective problem-solving strategy
o Poor reasoning and problem-solving skills
o Working through a problem without making sure all steps are completed
or that the answer makes sense
o Deficits in the areas of mathematics facts and computational skills
o Memory and vocabulary difficulties
o Difficulty solving multi-step problems
o Weak visual/spatial representational skills
o Difficulty reading about mathematics
o Difficulty understanding the language of mathematics
o Difficulty understanding mathematics concepts and how concepts relate to
procedures
o Mathematics anxiety
o Learned helplessness
 Define a standards-based curriculum (more information later)
 Define evidence-based practices (more information later)
FINAL PROJECT 9

 Small group activity--answer these statements as true or false in groups and

discuss:
o Some students are born with the ability to do math, whereas others are not.
o High mathematics ability is defined as the ability to perform calculations
with accuracy.
o Mathematics requires logical versus creative thinking.
o Reading skills are important for success in mathematics.
o The main objective in mathematics is to obtain the correct answer.
o In addition to knowing mathematics facts, students need to understand the
underlying concepts of the skill they are learning.
o Mathematics teachers not only need to have knowledge of the math they
are teaching but they should also be able to employ effective teaching
practices.
o Males are better at mathematics.
1:15-2:00
 STANDARDS-BASED MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM
 Define a standards-based mathematics curriculum
 Set list of content and skills important for students to learn Outline skills and
concepts students should know:
o Build upon the strengths of current state standards
o Are informed by instructional practices used in other top-performing
countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global
economy and society
o Are evidence-based
o Are aligned with college and work expectations
o Are clear, comprehensible, and consistent
o Embrace rigorous content and require the application of knowledge
through higher-order skills
o Encourage the use of real-world problems
 Curricular materials
o Textbooks
o Enrichment activities
o Resources
o Items
o Tools

2:00-2:20
BREAK!
2:20-2:50
 EVIDENCE-BASED MATHEMATICS PRACTICES (EBP)
 Define an evidence-based mathematics curriculum
FINAL PROJECT 10

o Teaching strategies that have been researched and proven effective

o Practices and strategies that have been tested and researched
 Discuss why teachers should use evidence-based curriculum
o More positive student mathematics outcomes
o More accountability because there is data to back it up
o Less wasted time and fewer wasted resources because educators start off
with an effective practice or program rather than attempting to select one
through trial-and-error
o Increased likelihood of being responsive to learners’ needs
o Students more likely to try it because it is proven to work
 Discuss how to select evidence-based curriculum
o What Works Clearinghouse
o Best Evidence Encyclopedia
 How to implement evidence-based curriculum
o Training and support
o Follow correct procedure
o Follow the recommended calendar
o Follow the recommended amount of time needed

2:50-4:00

 USING EVIDENCE-BASED MATHEMATICS IN THE CLASSROOM

 Student discussion
o Show video on student discussion at:
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/cresource/q2/p08/#conten
t (3:07)
 Presenting and comparing multiple strategies
o Show video on presenting and comparing multiple strategies at
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/cresource/q2/p08/
#content (4:31)
 Explicit Instruction
o Share a clear learning goal with students
o Activate prior knowledge
o Model the skill with a clear explanation
o Use multiple examples
o Verbalize your thinking
o Allow opportunities for guided and independent practice
o Ask for student responses in various ways-choral, stop and jot, thumbs up,
etc.
o Always include previously learned skills
o Give immediate feedback
 Visual Representation
o To visually represent math
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 Number lines
 Bar models
 Graphs
 Pictures
 Base 10 blocks
o Use concrete manipulatives
o Representational stage-use drawings or pictures to show the math concept
 Tally marks
 Dots
o Encourage use of a hundreds chart to practice skip counting
 Schema-based Instruction
o Word problem help
o Teach students to recognize patterns in word problems
o Teach the math vocabulary needed for each problem
o Represent information using a concrete representation first, then a visual
one
o Show many ways to solve the same problem
 Peer Interaction or Cooperative Learning
o Pair up students to discuss math
o Flexible grouping-pairing students with similar math abilities or by
varying strengths
o Pre-teach how to have peer-to-peer interactions
o Ask students to compare ways they worked through problems
 ASSESSMENT
 Formative Assessment
o Constant feedback about performance
o Informal examples: quizzes, daily work
o Formal examples: standardized tests such as MAPS, Terra Nova
 TRY IT OUT!
o Hand out base 10 blocks to help show how help a student with place value issues.
Provide base 10 blocks to show how two 100 bocks, three tens blocks, and four
ones blocks makes 234 (concrete). Then, have the teachers draw it
(representational). Then move to the number sentence: 200 + 30 + 4 = 234
(abstract).
Next:
o Ask teachers to get into four groups
o Assign each group explicit, visual, schema, and peer interaction
o Ask them to come up with a lesson using each strategy
o Share with other groups
 Ask teachers to share what they wrote down when asked, at the beginning of the training,
what high-quality mathematics meant to them.
FINAL PROJECT 12

Greene, K. (n.d.) Evidence-Based Math Instruction: What You Need to Know. Retrieved July

24, 2020 from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/teaching-strategies/

evidence-based-math-instruction-for-struggling-students

Killian, S. (2019, November 22). Evidence Based Teaching Strategies – The Core List.

Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/evidence-

based-teaching-strategies/

The IRIS Center. (2017). High-quality mathematics instruction: What teachers should know.

Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/