This book presents a framework for decision making, provides an overview of the curriculum decision-making process, and contains detailed information on a variety of mathematics curricula and curriculum resources.

This book presents a framework for decision making, provides an overview of the curriculum decision-making process, and contains detailed information on a variety of science curricula and curriculum resources.

Associate Editors Fran Arbaugh, University of Missouri–Columbia, David C. Webb, University of Colorado at Boulder and Murrel Brewer Hoover, WVSTEM Center @ Marshall University The purpose of this book is to document the work of the Show-Me Project (1997–2007) and to highlight lessons learned about curriculum implementation. Although the Show-Me Project was charged with promoting the dissemination and implementation of four distinct comprehensive curriculum programs (Connected Mathematics, Mathematics in Context, MathScape, and MathThematics), most of the lessons learned from this work are not curriculum specific. Rather, they cut across the four programs and share commonalities with standards-based curriculum reform at any level. We believe that documenting these lessons learned will be one of the legacies of the Show-Me Project. We anticipate that the comprehensive nature of this work will attract readers from multiple audiences that include state and district mathematics supervisors, middle grades mathematics teachers and administrators involved in curriculum reform, as well as mathematics teacher educators. Those about to embark on the review of curriculum materials will appreciate reading about the processes employed by other districts. Readers with interests in a particular curriculum program will be able to trace the curriculum-specific chapters to gain insights into how the design of the curricula relate to professional development, adoption and implementation issues, and teachers’ personal experience using the curriculum materials. Individuals who provide professional development at the middle grades level will find chapters that they can use for both general and focused discussions. Teachers at all stages of implementation will recognize their own experiences in reading and reflecting on the stories of teacher change. Mathematics educators will find ideas on how these curricula can be used in the preparation of preservice middle grades teachers.

With the publication of the National Science Education Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, a clear set of goals and guidelines for achieving literacy in mathematics and science was established. Designing Mathematics or Science Curriculum Programs has been developed to help state- and district-level education leaders create coherent, multi-year curriculum programs that provide students with opportunities to learn both mathematics and science in a connected and cumulative way throughout their schooling. Researchers have confirmed that as U.S. students move through the grade levels, they slip further and further behind students of other nations in mathematics and science achievement. Experts now believe that U.S. student performance is hindered by the lack of coherence in the mathematics and science curricula in many American schools. By structuring curriculum programs that capitalize on what students have already learned, the new concepts and processes that they can learn will be richer, more complex, and at a higher level. Designing Mathematics or Science Curriculum Programs outlines: Components of effective mathematics and science programs. Criteria by which these components can be judged. A process for developing curriculum that is structured, focused, and coherent. Perhaps most important, this book emphasizes the need for designing curricula across the entire 13-year span that our children spend in elementary and secondary school as a way to improve the quality of education. Ultimately, it will help state and district educators use national and state standards to design or re-build mathematics and science curriculum programs that develop new ideas and skills based on earlier onesâ€"from lesson to lesson, unit to unit, year to year. Anyone responsible for designing or influencing mathematics or science curriculum programs will find this guide valuable.

This book presents a framework for decision making, provides an overview of the curriculum decision-making process, and contains detailed information on a variety of language arts curricula and curriculum resources.

Using national and state standards to guide your math program is just a start. You still have to decide how to apply the standards in your curriculum, determine when students should learn different content, and decide which programs and textbooks will help you make math come alive in the classroom. That's where this new ASCD resource comes in. Priorities in Practice: The Essentials of Mathematics Grades 7-12 explores how educators--from classroom teachers to central office administrators--are tackling these major challenges in math education: * Emphasizing algebraic thinking, problem solving, and communication * Relying on research to guide the implementation of new teaching practices * Connecting math activities to larger purposes and everyday experiences * Differentiating instruction based on students' learning styles, interests, and readiness levels * Helping teachers use classroom assessment to guide instruction * Improving math teaching practices through teacher professional development and analysis of student work. Whether you're working with an established math curriculum or rethinking your whole approach, here's an opportunity to see where your program stands in the context of current trends. This is the second volume in a new series from ASCD that explores tested methods of teaching and administrating curriculum in the major content areas.