Mathematics Update
www.esc11.net/math
PAEMST 2017 State Finalist
Don't Want To Miss Class? Join Us After School!
TI-84 Calculating Success Day 1 09/12/2017 5:00pm - 8:00pm
TI-84 Calculating Success Day 2 09/28/2017 5:00pm - 8:00pm
TI-Nspire Calculating Success Day 1 09/21/2017 5:00pm - 8:00pm
TI-Nspire Calculating Success Day 2 10/05/2017 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Algebra I Workstations and Guided Learning Day 2 10/26/2017 5:00pm - 8:00pm - Registration Coming Soon!
DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES!
Recharge - Empowering Learners. Expanding Worlds: Teacher's Edition
Join us for one full day of energizing conference-style professional development on
09/13/2017 08:30am - 03:30pm! Register now!
Recharge events are focused on your choice, your learning and your experience! Featured sessions include: * Answering the Call to Quest - Game-based learning * Academically Productive Talk: Do you Speak the Same "Language" as your Students? * Dynamic Conversations with VoiceThread * Behavior Management * Special Topics in Special Ed * Federal Programs * Connecting Science & Technology with the Maker Movement * Empowering Learners with Canvas * Take a load off: Facilitate, Don't Teach * Dialing the Math Up Slowly - Elementary and Secondary * Distance Learning: It's NEVER Been Easier! * Expanding Student Experiences through Digital Media with Discovery Education Streaming and others.17-18 FREE TRC Mathematics Sessions
TRC Math: Understanding Students' Thinking About Fractions Gr 3-5 (2 day training)
TRC Math Developing Strategies and Concepts for Proportional Reasoning
Gr 5-7 Part 1 (2 day training)
November 1, 2017 & December 12, 2017
TRC Math: Understanding Students' Thinking About Measurement
January 9, 2018 & February 15, 2018
TRC Math Developing Strategies and Concepts for Proportional Reasoning
Gr 5-7 The Sequel (2 day training)
January 30, 2018 & March 1, 2018
Math & Science Leaders Fall Meeting
During this half-day session, current issues concerning the curriculum and assessment of mathematics and science will be discussed. Math and science coordinators, specialists, and campus leaders will have the opportunity to network with each other and will receive the most current information from TEA.
Join us on November 2, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Register now!
New Process for Review and Revision of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
In June 2017, the State Board of Education (SBOE) approved a new process to be used for the review and revision of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The new TEKS review process calls for up to five separate work group meetings and provides multiple opportunities for the public to provide feedback on the recommendations of the work groups. For information regarding the new process, please visit the TEKS Review and Revision webpage.
The SBOE also approved a new TEKS and Instructional Materials Working Document, which establishes the TEKS review schedule and instructional materials adoption cycle for the next several years. The working document is also available on the TEKS Review and Revision webpage.
Questions regarding the new TEKS review and revision process or schedule may be sent to the Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division at TEKS@tea.texas.gov.
Contracts Related to the Texas SUCCESS Program for School Year 2017-2018
Contracts related to TEA’s administration of the Texas SUCCESS Program for the 2016-2017 school year will end August 31, 2017. These contracts include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Apex Learning—for statewide licensing of an online reading program for English I and English II
- Imagine Math (formerly Think Through Math)—for statewide licensing an online math program for grades 3–5, 6–8, and Algebra I
If your district wishes to retain its student data, please work directly with the appropriate vendor or vendors to ensure a timely and secure transfer of that data. Districts should consider contacting the appropriate vendors as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements.
If you have further questions, please contact TEA Digital Learning staff at (512) 463-9601 or the Texas SUCCESS help center at TexasSuccess@esc20.info.
Texas CTE Launches New Website
The Texas Education Agency, Career and Technical Education team launched the Texas CTE Resource Center (www.txcte.org). The CTE resource center is the central repository for free CTE instructional and supplemental materials and professional development content.
CTE teachers, counselors, and administrators now have a one-stop-shop for digital CTE resources to prepare Texas students for a career pathway that may include college, career, and opportunities in the military. The CTE resource center provides a wealth of helpful, refreshed instructional materials and professional development content, aligned with the new 2017-2018 CTE Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).The Texas Education Agency has developed 19 professional development modules to support the revised Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that will be implemented beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.For the new TEKS training modules in Texas Gateway, click here.
For more information about the CTE Resource Center or professional development courses, contact cte@tea.texas.gov.
High School Mathematics Course Sequence
The required course sequence in Texas Education Code §28.025(b-2) for advanced English and mathematics courses was eliminated by Senate Bill 826. The change applies beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. This change does not impact the prerequisites listed for high school mathematics courses. Prerequisites listed for courses are part of the TEKS, which are located in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC).
Please note that there is a distinction between prerequisites and course sequencing requirements. A sequencing requirement is a requirement that a student cannot enroll in a course until the student has successfully completed the previous course(s). Prerequisites identify the knowledge and skills that a student must have in order to be successful in a particular course. The State Board of Education has adopted rules that clarify prerequisites in TAC §74.11(j) and (k). Those rules establish circumstances under which a student can meet prerequisites. These rules are available online at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074b.html#74.11.
Elementary School Students in Texas: Algebra Ready (ESTAR) and Middle School Students in Texas: Algebra Ready (MSTAR) Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments
The purpose of the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners is to determine if a student is at-risk for algebra readiness. The content in these screeners does not cover all the TEKS for the grade levels. The results should be used to guide instruction for whole class and interventions where appropriate. The Diagnostic Assessments can then be used to find specific areas of needs for the students who are identified as “at-risk” for algebra readiness by the Universal Screener. These tools can be accessed on the Texas Gateway at http://www.texasgateway.org/. The ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners, Diagnostic Assessments, and professional development courses are available at no cost to all Texas public school districts. For account creation assistance, contact mathTX@esc13.net.
Universal Screener
Fall August 21, 2017 – October 13, 2017
Winter January 8, 2018 – February 9, 2018
Spring April 23, 2018 – May 18, 2018
Diagnostic Assessments
Fall August 28, 2017 – October 20, 2017
Winter January 15, 2018 – February 16, 2018
Spring April 30, 2018 – May 25, 2018
ESTAR/MSTAR Professional Development
Teachers are encouraged to complete the appropriate online professional development courses when using the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments. The following online courses are available on the Texas Math Support Center (http://texasmathsupportcenter.org/):
· TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners
· TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Learning Progressions
· TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Diagnostic Assessments
As the new school year begins, please note the availability of ESTAR (grades 2–4) and MSTAR (grades 5–8) Universal Screeners (US) and Diagnostic Assessments (DA) and plan to use these valuable tools to support math planning and instruction.
Over the summer, the ESTAR/MSTAR system underwent a number of enhancements designed to improve user experience.
District admins can now
- add new schools;
- modify existing campuses and classrooms;
- add new classrooms;
- modify existing admin, teacher, and student accounts; and
- temporarily reset student, teacher, and campus admin passwords.
Campus admins can now
- add new classrooms;
- modify existing class rosters;
- modify existing teacher, and student accounts; and
- temporarily reset student and teacher passwords.
While the fall administration window for the ESTAR/MSTAR US opened August 21st, it is recommended that campuses wait until rosters are set before administering the fall US. Campuses administering the US prior to September 1, 2017, will be considered part of a soft launch and may be asked to provide feedback regarding the enhancements. If your district wishes to complete screening prior to September 1, please contact the Texas Math Support Center helpdesk at mathTX@esc13.net.
The ESTAR/MSTAR system can be accessed through the Texas Gateway at https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/estarmstar or directly at www.estarmstar.org (note the new URL). Users will be able to access resources such as a user’s manual, upload templates, FAQ documents, etc. For questions and assistance, contact the helpdesk at mathTX@esc13.net.
Teacher2Teacher Videos
Seventeen Teacher2Teacher videos are now available on the Texas Gateway. The topics range in grades from kindergarten to Algebra I and include fraction division, integer operations, addition and subtraction of a variety of numbers, percent increase/decrease (growth and decay), solving equations, and multiple representations of equations. These videos demonstrate a transition from various strategies to the standard algorithm and include vertical alignment discussions. You can access the videos at https://www.texasgateway.org/node/227936.
OpenStax Open-Source Instructional Materials
OpenStax (Rice University) open-source instructional materials are available at http://tea.texas.gov/Academics/Instructional_Materials/Open-Source_Instructional_Materials/. The products are organized into units and chapters and can be used like traditional textbooks as the entire syllabus for a course.
OpenStax open-source instructional materials will be fully available in September. For assistance in locating sample materials, contact the Instructional Materials Division at (512) 463-9601 or instructionalmaterials@tea.texas.gov.
Study Edge Open-Source Instructional Materials
Study Edge open-source instructional materials are available on the Texas Gateway. Materials are available for Precalculus and Statistics as well as Chemistry and Physics. The products created by Study Edge are delivered in short videos with master teachers presenting the material. The videos can be used to teach an entire course or as supplemental material to help students be more successful in these challenging courses.
For more information about Study Edge open-source materials available through TEA, visit https://www.texasgateway.org/node/227231. For additional assistance, contact the Instructional Materials Division at (512) 463-9601 or instructionalmaterials@tea.texas.gov.
Grade 6 OnTRACK Lessons
Two OnTRACK lessons for grade 6 have been added to the Texas Gateway. Each is filled with instruction and interactives designed to assist students is sixth grade mathematics. Additional lessons are in development.
Applying the Order of Operations: https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/applying-order-operations
Generating Equivalent Forms of Rational Numbers: https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/generating-equivalent-forms-rational-numbers
MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS is a national middle school coaching and competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging “bee” style contests.
In the 2017 competition, a team of four students from Euless, Missouri City and Austin took first prize including the top two individual scores. Congratulations to the whole team, their coach, parents/guardians, and teachers. For more information, please visit https://www.mathcounts.org/national-competition.
Pam Harris: Video Series on Building Powerful Teachers
Check out MathIsFigureOutAble.com and Pam's video series on Building Powerful Teachers! See the newly posted video of Telling vs. Constructing. What's the difference? How do you define teaching?
Part 3 Formative Assessment with Mathematical Models
Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by
Dr. Julie McNamara
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at California State University East Bay
This session will focus on the strategic use of models to both teach and assess student mathematical comprehension. Read more.
Announcing a NEW STEM Behind series from TI and John Urschel
These activities explore three cool careers that students may not realize involve math and science. For both TI-84 Plus CE and TI-Nspire™ CX technology, each activity includes a downloadable lesson and a fun, behind-the-scenes video featuring John and some of the real people who’ve taken on these cool careers.
Enhance your math curriculum with free activities
Enter the #GenSTEMcontest. 🏆 Win great prizes.
Two ways to play, two ways to win.
Discover the STEM in you - take the #GenSTEM quiz for a chance to win your choice of TI graphing calculator. Post a STEM-spirational photo for a chance to win an awesome grand prize package, which includes a $500 gift card and expense-paid trip to Dallas, Texas to star in the next STEM Behind Cool Careers activity.
You can enter the contest through taking a quiz or uploading a photo (or by doing both!) between now and September 25, 2017.
The 5 Features of a Motivated Classroom
Participating in math class feels socially risky to students. Staying silent often feels safer. In Motivated, author Ilana Seidel Horn shows why certain teaching strategies create classroom climates where students want to join in.
Read a recent blog post from Motivated introducing five key features of motivational math classrooms:
Back to School with NCTM
Engaging Resources for Your Students
Pre-K Grade 2
This lesson encourages students to explore another model of subtraction: the balance. Students will use real and virtual balances and record the modeled subtraction facts in equation form.
Grades 3–5
Students are encouraged to discover all the possible combinations for outfits consisting of shirts and shorts.
Grades 6–8
In this lesson, the student can manipulate the scale factor that links two three-dimensional rectangular prisms and learn about the relationships between edge lengths and volumes.
Grades 9–12
In this lesson, students interpret the meaning of the slope and y-intercept of the graph of real-life data. They also interpret the correlation coefficient of the resulting least squares regression line.
Webinar: Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom
September 13 | 7:00 p.m. EDT
Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom synthesizes research on the essential elements of mathematics learning environments that invite and empower all students to see themselves as mathematical thinkers and sense makers. During this webinar, the authors will provide an overview of each element: the classroom's physical space, mathematical discourse, mathematical tasks, assessments that inform learning, and engagement with families and communities. The authors will also describe some of the resources available for classroom teachers, teacher educators, instructional coaches, and administrators that can be explored individually or as part of a study group.Noetic Learning: Video Library
If your are looking for resources to help your students learn, practice and master problem-solving skills, please check out the free resources developed for teachers and students:
"Creative Math for Creative Minds" video series: Each video focuses on one problem solving strategy. The lessons are short, engaging and entertaining.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPXl56qfvmO7XHIzxfc9whA/featured