Published January 31, 2023
In mathematics, the County Office of Education has been helping school districts improve the math pathways available to all students by providing research, facilitating collaboration, bringing subject area expertise, and supporting leadership. Historically, Mathematics courses have been significant gatekeepers for students, ultimately determining a student’s opportunity to continue with education and/or training to meet their goals.
The County Office of Education's work with the San Mateo Union High School District, Sequoia Union High School District, and their respective partner elementary districts has uncovered some of the practices that inadvertently deny students access to the coursework they need to succeed. The work includes collaboration and articulation between districts to ensure a consistent and appropriate sequence of course offerings, course options that improve students' options between pathways, and the overall quality of instructional practices in all math classrooms.
Hillsdale High School is an example of a school community that implemented changes to improve student options and outcomes. School leaders examined research showing that students thrive in diverse math classrooms with many different ideas represented. The team considered the options in middle school through high school available for students and the district chose to place all ninth graders into Geometry, whether they previously had eighth-grade math or Algebra 1. This practice allows for rich classroom discussion and learning and opens up options for students to take the classes they want and need later in high school.
In addition, some school districts are shifting their assessment tools to gather student data in an asset-based approach that elevates student agency and voice. The Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) partnered with a consultant to develop MIRA (Mathematics Initiative Readiness Assessment), which analyzes student work to identify what students know and can do in math. Previously, SUHSD used a placement test that was very limited in telling teachers about their incoming students. The MIRA is not for placement but for teacher understanding of what assets their students are bringing. It is based on the idea that “an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” – meaning that a blank answer does not necessarily mean the student does not know, but that they did not provide an answer.
This is a fundamental change from other types of systemic testing programs and moves towards highlighting what students are capable of and away from just counting deficiencies. Many of SUHSD's partner districts, particularly the Menlo Park City School District, have modified the MIRA to better understand their students' skills and give teachers better information about what students can do.