Steven+Birnbaum

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== =Welcome to my wiki=

My school improvement plan will focus on the examination of the students entering the ninth grade being placed in the wrong high school math course and improving the process of their math course selection. All too frequently students enter the high school from eighth grade with weak math skills which hinders their progress in Algebra 1 and the subsequent math courses they take throughout high school. This results in students being placed in the wrong course and having to change classes halfway through the school year, or worse yet struggling through the year and barely passing or failing. On the other side of the coin students may be placed in a lower level class then they are capable of because they may of been lazy. This results in the student not learning to the fullest of their ability and becoming bored in class possibly resulting in becoming disruptive as well.

The plan will address these issues and develop a system which will result in the students being placed appropriately in the ninth grade, better address their math weaknesses, and strengthening the high school math curriculum.

This site is organized into the following three sections:
 * The first section contains sites that gives the demographics of the school and town
 * The second section shares articles focusing on the math curriculum which is a large consideration in the school improvement plan
 * The third section shares articles on the importance and considerations of the transition of the students from middle school to high school

=Demographic Data = = = The district is a upper middle-class k-12 district with grades nine through twelve in the high school. There are approximately 210 ninth grade students with 120 students taking Algebra 1, 40 students taking a low-level integrated math course, and the others in honor courses. Following are links to demographics:

[|New Jersey School Report Card] This site displays the high school report card and all pertinent school data

[|Demographic Data] This site gives all the demographic data of the town =Math Curriculum= == To effectively develop and implement a school improvement plan to effectively select the best math course for each student entering the high school it is important to understand the issues surrounding the math curriculum. Follow-up plans may be necessary to improve the high school math curriculum in the future. Following are two articles that cover two different important areas of developing an effective math curriculum:

[|Critical Issue: Aligning and Articulating Standards Across the Mathematics Curriculum; by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory] This article discusses how the learning process should guide schools as they move toward a more coherent math curriculum and its associated goals.

[|Improving Mathematics in Middle School; by Edward A. Silver] This is the results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) which indicates that there is a pervasive and intolerable mediocrity in mathematics teaching and learning in the middle grades and beyond. The article also discusses recommendations for enhancing mathematics teaching and learning in the middle grades.

=Transitioning from Middle School to High School= ==

The following articles discuss the importance of an effective transitioning from middle school to the high school and the concerns to be aware of.

[|Connected Mathematics Project Transition to High School] Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) developed a complete mathematics curriculum for middle school teachers and students. CMP helps students and teachers develop understanding of important mathematical concepts, skills, procedures, and ways of thinking and reasoning, in number, geometry, measurement, algebra, probability and statistics. Besides the interesting concepts that CMP address this article discusses effectively transitioning the eighth grade student into high school.

[|Ensuring a Smooth Transition Into High School; by the National High School Center] This article discusses the importance of a smooth transition into high school for the student as well as the concerns to be aware of. The article also recommends ways of ensuring a smooth transition at the state, district and school levels.

[|Building Bridges Between Middle Schools and High Schools] In preparation for a conversation among middle school and high school teachers and principals, the following question was posted on the Middle-L middle grades listserv: "When high school people criticize middle schools for failing to adequately prepare students to succeed academically in 9th grade, how do you react? Is this legitimate criticism? What should principals and teachers from both sides be doing to better insure a successful transition?" This article posts some answers received by public and private mail.

[|High School Reform Strategies] A summary of research done on middle school to high school transition. The article shares the thoughts and experiences of various teachers and organizations on this topic and then discusses the components of an effective transition system.