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Standards Based Curriculum for Mathematics

Jeanette Rausch
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs
Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standard 1 and 4
EDUW 699 Independent Study
Stephanie Belter
April 14, 2018
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Selected Wisconsin Teacher Standard Descriptors

Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 1 Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.

Knowledge. The teacher understands how students’ conceptual frameworks and their

misconceptions for an area of knowledge can influence their learning.

Dispositions. The teacher is committed to continuous learning and engages in

professional discourse about subject matter knowledge and children's learning of the

discipline.
Performances. The teacher develops and uses curricula that encourage students to see,

question, and interpret ideas from diverse perspectives.

Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 4 Teacher know how to manage a classroom

Knowledge. The teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various

kinds of learning and how these processes can be stimulated.

Dispositions. The teacher values the development of students’ critical thinking,

independent problem solving, and performance capabilities.

Performances. The teacher carefully evaluates how to achieve learning goals, choosing

alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different instructional purposes

and to meet student needs.

Pre-assessments
Self-assessment of Instruction Related to WTS and Targeted Student Learning Objective
For Wisconsin Teaching Standards (WTS) 1 and 4, I want to work on editing the

curriculum in both courses I teach. I teach Algebra 1 and Geometry at Baraboo High School. Our

students are required to take three credits of mathematics in order to graduate. Some students are

able to enter straight into Geometry or Algebra 2 when they become freshmen. Otherwise, these

students must take and pass Algebra 1 to earn their first math credit at the high school. Because
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the majority of our students are required to take these courses, it is incredibly important that

students are drawing connections and retaining the material taught in both Algebra 1 and

Geometry.
Both of the WTS helped me in rearranging the curriculum in these courses. The

performance descriptor in WTS 1 emphasizes the importance of curriculum and encourages

students to be able to understand material from multiple perspectives. When students are able to

do this, they gain a deeper understanding of the material and remember it for a much longer time.

The performance descriptor for WTS 4 also emphasizes the importance of achieving learning

goals and meeting students’ needs. By rearranging the curricula, I believe that I will be able to

better achieve these goals and retain their knowledge for their future coursework.
Assessment of Student Performance Related to Targeted Student Learning Objective
During my three years teaching at Baraboo High School, there has been a trend of

students struggling in Algebra 2. The failure rate in this course has been as high as 50%. My goal

as a teacher of the courses that preceded is to do a better job at setting my students up for

success. I believe that drawing deeper connections to the content I am teaching by rearranging it,

will assist in that goal.

Assessment of Learning Environment While Learning Targeted Objective
Currently, the way that the courses are divided up makes the material seem very

disjointed. This is exactly the opposite. Mathematics can be similar to a language in the way that

there are rules that govern it and those rules can be applied a multitude of ways to create vastly

different concepts. Everything in mathematics is connected and my goal is to make those

connections stronger for students.

Assessment Conclusion
The self-assessment, assessment of student performance, and learning environment

assessment show a need for a reshuffling of material. I believe that rearranging some of the

material will allow students to draw deeper connections with the content and, in turn, understand

and remember the information much better.

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Action Plan
Action Plan Summary Outline
1. My first step was to evaluate the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). My goal was

to identify what was most important in my courses as well as what my students will need

in their future courses.

2. The next step was to match up the important concepts I had identified from the CCSS

with the standards that we had already been teaching. I was able to align the material and

standards that we had written to match the CCSS.

3. The next step is to align the assessments and the lessons to better fit with the CCSS and

to draw stronger connections between the concepts.

Targeted Student Learning Objective

1. Standardized goal: Use and connect mathematical representations. Effective teaching

of mathematics engages students in making connections among mathematical

representations to deepen understanding of mathematics concepts and procedures and as

tools for problem solving. (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014).

2. Targeted learning objective: Same.

Task and Essential Proficiency Criteria for Targeted Learning Objective(s)

1. Task: I will reorganize the material covered in Algebra 1 and Geometry.

2. Criteria that Prove Proficiency in Meeting Targeted Learning Objective

a. I will compare data from this year to next year to track student

improvement in my own classes.

b. I will compare data as the years progress to analyze how these students

are improving through their mathematics career.

Methods to Assess Progress of Proficiency for Targeted Learning Objective

1. I will compare data between this year and next year to see if students are

developing connections like I anticipate.

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2. I will also compare data of student grades as they progress through their high

school mathematics career (including failure rates and ACT data).

Reflection of Entire Learning Process

This process has been very challenging for me. I have been forced to evaluate my content

knowledge on a much deeper level than I have previously. I have learned a lot about the subjects

by analyzing the content and determining how I am going to make connections between the

material. I have learned a lot about my values as an educator and increased my depth of

knowledge in the process.

What Worked and Why
1. I anticipate that bringing linear equations and linear inequalities together will help

students draw much stronger connections between the two. I also anticipate that this will

encourage students to see how all mathematics is connected.

2. I also anticipate that teaching about equations and their corresponding graphs will

assist students in understanding that these aspects are not disconnected, but actually

different representations of the same concept. This will deepen their understanding and

improve their connections of the different models.

What Did Not Work and Why
1. I anticipate that one of the difficulties will be developing students’ tolerance to

spiraling material. I think that students will struggle with this different take on the courses and

have a difficult time with constantly being asked to draw connections.

My Next Steps
1. I will continue to rework my lessons to better align to the new standards and the

assessments.
2. I will continue to track the data in terms of failure rates as students progress through

their mathematics career at Baraboo High School.

3. I will continue to reassess my instruction to continue to improve.

Artifact A: Unit 1 Outline

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Artifact B: Algebra 1 Course Outline