School Board Shines Spotlight On Math
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The focus was on the mathematics department on Monday evening as the Garden City Board of Education and public listened to a presentation led by Stuart Dods, district coordinator of mathematics.

A mathematics review committee comprised of teachers and administrators from every school participated in drafting a 50-plus page report on the curriculum. The Board was impressed with their efforts and said they hoped it would serve as an example for other departments.

Dods and other committee members presented a summary of their findings. The state education department made extensive changes to the math curriculum from pre-K through twelfth grade after serious problems were discovered with the 2005 math Regents exam. Dods said he believes the curriculum is now stronger and moving in the right direction.

The district has selected a new mathematics textbook for grades K through five. Many staff members were involved in the selection process, and thoroughly evaluated all of the choices. The group whittled the choices down to two, McMillan/McGraw Hill and Scott Foresman, and compared how each handled topics which teachers found to be a challenge for students. Scott Foresman was selected and will be used next year.

With a cost of $70 to $85 per textbook, the district is cautiously waiting for publishers to catch up with New York State curriculum standards at the middle school and high school level before making their textbook decisions.

Three new mathematics courses will be introduced at the high school level: integrated algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Since very little information has been offered from the state education department, the district has decided to wait until 2008 to begin offering algebra. Those students will then take the new integrated geometry class in 2009 and trigonometry in 2010.

Students in grades three through eight now take assessment examinations. The district will analyze the results by utilizing a data warehouse. All students who took the January Math A Regents exam passed and 90 percent had scores above or at 85. The district also had a 100 percent passing rate on January and June 2006 Math A Regents exams. These results allow Garden City to place in the top 10 in New York State.

The math department has several goals for the future: to continue honing new curriculum content and reviewing textbooks, support materials and online resources; to revise summer packets; to streamline course offerings; and to continue professional communication and development of curriculum maps.

Since starting as superintendent in 2005, one of Dr. Feirsen's goals has been to find a systematized way of looking at curriculum to ensure that it is aligned with what is learned in the classroom. Several things influence curriculum, including budget, state mandates, developmental needs, what we know about learning, college/work requirements, community expectations and standards.

Dr. Feirsen has been integrating five phases of the curriculum cycle into the school district. The first phase, which is known as the "spotlight year," is a time to collect and organize information. In phase II, the data is reviewed and analyzed and a strategic plan is established. The third phase involves actual implementation. In phase IV, implementation continues, but is closely monitored and adjustments are made. Phase V is a time to evaluate and reflect.

The science department will give a presentation on its curriculum review at next month's work session on June 11th.