January 20, 2011
The Math Council discussed the recent meeting of Mrs. Riffle & Dr. Steinbach with Kishwaukee College staff. During the meeting an analysis was presented on the success of students from GK High School at the community college. Mrs. Riffle and Dr. Steinbach provided the committee with an understanding of the current sequences used at the high school. The committee will continue to discuss the math requirements for courses the senior year as Kishwaukee indicated that this was the lynch-pin for success at the college. Quality coursework the senior year reduced students taking remedial non-credit courses. The next meeting of the committee will be at Davenport at 3:30 pm on Thursday, March 17th.
NOVEMBER 18, 2010
The committee discussed the new Core Standards that have been issued by the State Board. The standards will be the focus of the April, 2011 early release. The committee requested that copies be distributed to the elementary teachers, including those before & after the individual teacher’s grade.
The teachers will be requested to review the Core Standards prior to the April early release. The State Board of Education will be completing a comparison chart of the current standards and the new Core Standards. The current timetable will allow the committee to have that data prior to the April, 2011 early release.
Dr. Steinbach provided an analysis of the changes in the new ISAT test for the committee.
The next meeting of the council will be Thursday, January 20, 2011 at Davenport Elementary at 3:30 pm.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2010
The committee discussed the new enVisions math target games component of the program. Dr. Steinbach obtained free copies at each grade level for the committee. The committee will take the copies and have their grade levels evaluate the materials for our next meeting.
The possibility of a 1 hour staff development will be assessed for new staff to the enVisions program. Topics would include the electronic systems associated with the program including the use of the smart boards in math lessons.
The new College Prep Math teachers at the middle school and high school are attending training sessions offered in Wisconsin this year. Their next session is second semester. Continued training for Algebra 2 and Geometry at the high school will be sought this next semester or during June,2011 for high school teachers that may teach the programs in the future.
The high school math department will be attending two sessions by the Illinois Principals Association on improving PSAE scores in October and November. It is hoped that new ideas will be gleaned for use in the classrooms.
The next meeting of the council will be Thursday, November 18, 2010 at Davenport Elementary at 3:30 pm.