Birmingham Public Schools test out new math curriculum resources

BIRMINGHAM — Students in kindergarten through eighth grade at Birmingham Public Schools are taking part in a pilot program to test new math curriculum resources.

The district is testing out two different textbook curriculums: iReady Classroom Mathematics and Illustrative Mathematics. Each program has a suite of online resources.

April Imperio, the district’s assistant superintendent for student learning and inclusion, has been working with Amber Davis, the district’s curriculum coordinator for secondary mathematics and science, and Sara Cibor, the district’s curriculum coordinator for elementary mathematics and science, through the curriculum review process.

When the district reviewed the previous curriculum materials they found that they were not as aligned with the standards as some of the newer instructional materials from the last 8-10 years.

“We want to make sure our kids have the best instructional materials available in the nation, and our previous curriculum was not nearly as highly rated by independent reviewers as the two that we are piloting,” Imperio said.

Imperio said the district is high-performing in Oakland County when it comes to test scores.

One thing Imperio said they noticed in standardized test scores was a dip in student performance between fifth and sixth grades. So when they looked at new materials, they looked for a K-8 set of instructional materials to make the transition from fifth and sixth grades stronger.

By having materials that are more aligned with the standards, Imperio said, they hope to meet the needs of advanced learners, on-grade-level learners and learners who are aspiring for grade level.

Davis said this project started with students at the center, and that the district endeavors to ensure that students have a high-quality, engaging, exciting and relevant math curriculum in their classrooms and get opportunities to engage with it across the K-12 spectrum.

When the process began last school year, the first phase was to gather information needed to set a vision for mathematics and the district.

Through  surveys, listening circles, panel discussions and other feedback, they gathered information from over 2,350 points of contact with students, staff, families and community members, they said.

As the next phase of the process, the pilots were chosen by the curriculum design team after a five-day evaluation of instructional materials.

“We are fortunate to have a very involved community, and they are excited about what’s happening in the classroom, so we wanted to make sure the resources that we were considering in the math program that we currently have was meeting the needs of our community members as well,” Davis said.

Imperio said the team, composed of over 40 district educators, looked at about 12 resources available for public schools. Once they narrowed it down to six, they took all of the resources on the road, allowing students, parents and community members to look at the resources and provide feedback.

Davis said Illustrative Mathematics is more of a bare-bones resource that hones in on the learning and the mathematics that’s happening in the classroom. She said they have seen some positive results and thoughts about Illustrative Mathematics.

The other program,  iReady Classroom Mathematics,  has more online resources available.

“Both of these resources stress mathematical fluency, like they want kids to be able to solve problems efficiently, but they also teach the why behind why the math works, which is uniquely different,’’ Imperio said.

Davis said one of the pieces of the district’s math vision is to prepare students for life after Birmingham. She said these resources support students by giving them problem-solving skills that they can use after they leave.

This pilot was officially launched at the beginning of the school year, and they will begin looking at how the resources performed in the district in February. Students will be using the resource for the entirety of the school year for the sake of continuity.

“We have lots of our teachers who are engaged, and I think that’s a testament to the amount of love our teachers have for our students and for the success of them in our math classes,” Davis said. “I’m excited about it and proud.”

Once the best course of action is determined, the new curriculum will be implemented districtwide in the fall of 2023.