"I Only Care About Two Things, That You Learn Math and That You Are OK": Pandemic as Portal Toward Student-Centered Instruction in High School Mathematics

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Evaluation in Schools Poster Session (San Diego)

Abstract

During the pandemic, a Northern California high school math department recommitted to providing their students with learning environments that focused on building relationships and trust with students, and students’ productive mindsets. It was in this context that an evaluation of the implementation of the Illustrative Mathematics (IM) curriculum was completed. The study would rely on partnership-based, continuous improvement approaches to examine how IM supported teachers in meeting their goals. Findings reveal that alignment of teachers’ goals to those of the school system and to curriculum resources empowered teachers to implement more student-centered instruction and classroom culture shifts than ever before, changes that resulted in students perceiving their math experiences as better than in prior years.

Authors

• Britte Haugan Cheng, Menlo Education Research

• Katie Van Horne, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Corinne Singleton, Menlo Education Research

• Phillip Gedeon, Oakland School of the Arts

• Rebecca Vester, Leadership Public Schools