Mathematics

What is the fundamental purpose of our department?
Our mission is to develop every student’s ability and confidence in learning and independent thinking through mathematical inquiry and problem solving.

How do we achieve our desired end results?
Our vision is that. . .
• Every student has and takes advantage of the opportunity to succeed with academic integrity.
• Teachers create and use meaningful assessments not only to evaluate student work, but also to prepare students for future tests such as the ACT, AP Tests, college placement exams, etc.
• Teachers align the curriculum horizontally so that a student will be taught the same curriculum regardless of teacher.
• Teachers align the curriculum vertically so that students can experience smooth transitions from one year to the next.

How must we behave to support our mission and vision?
As teachers we value. . .
• Sharing best practices within our department and applying them individually in the classroom.
• Teaching students the skills they need to succeed.
• Using class time in a meaningful and productive way.
• Developing relationships of mutual respect between teacher and student that build a safe and positive learning environment.

What are our fundamental beliefs?
We believe. . .
• Students can become responsible citizens, critical thinkers, and effective communicators through the process of learning mathematics.
• Teachers can be more effective by working together than working individually.
• Technology is a critical component of an effective classroom.
• Data from assessments can be used to improve instruction.

Focusing our MVVB on the Four Questions
Question #1– What do we expect students to learn?
• We focus on common assessments that force us to discuss and define what we expect students to learn.
• For each class we work as a department to outline which sections from the book are from the core curriculum and which are not.
• We discuss which concepts in addition to the core we feel are important to the future success of our students.

Question #2–How will we know if they have learned it?
• We work on developing common assessments to determine which concepts our students have and have not learned.
• We discuss and develop other assessment strategies such as quizzes, verbal assessments, homework, students teaching other students, etc.

Question #3–What will we do if they don’t learn?
• We notify parents when a student struggles.
• We discuss specific study skills that students can develop to improve learning.
• We encourage students to get help after school either with their own teacher or at the school math lab.
• We have three enrichment classes that students can take to give them extra face-to-face time with a teacher to learn what they are missing.

Question #4–What will we do for those who have learned it?
• We have a successful honors and AP program for students who excel in math.
• We participate in national and state math contests for high achieving students.
• Students can tutor other students through the National Honor Society in the Math Lab.