An ISP-led collaboration with three St. Louis area school districts aimed at improving math outcomes for all students is featured in Success Stories from Catalyzing Change, a new book published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Available now on pre-order, the book, edited by Karen J. Graham, Robert Q. Berry III, Sarah […]
Mistakes are easy to make, and often hard to accept, but sixth grader Valeria Rodriguez is getting more comfortable knowing she’s not always going to have the right answer. “When I was younger, making mistakes made me a little anxious because I thought I did something wrong,” says Valeria. “But now I know that if […]
There are no worksheets in Rachel Thomas’ sixth grade math class at Ritenour Middle School. They don’t memorize formulas, either. Even more impressive is the way students rally around one another as they tackle the latest high-level math problem that Thomas has thrown their way. They’re in this together. “The focus on high-level tasks has […]
For some reason, the 40 fourth graders that Kristen Buescher co-teaches this year at Parkwood Elementary School are finding cows hilarious. “Their collective obsession with cows has bonded the group, so we’re going with it,” Buescher muses. “We really try to build opportunities that bond students to one another and to us. Laughing while you’re […]
What is there to say about the number 7? It’s odd, it’s prime. It can be reached by adding 3 + 4, 5 + 2 and 6 + 1. That may be how a teacher has a “math conversation” with young students under a new approach to math education piloted by Washington University’s Institute for […]
Stagnant scores, frustrated students, daunted educators — such is the state of math education across the nation and in the region. That’s why the Institute for School Partnership (ISP) at Washington University in St. Louis is introducing Math314, an innovative professional development program that will improve math instruction and boost student enthusiasm and scores. The program already […]