Elementary Math Program Selection

Based upon teacher and student feedback, we have made the decision to continue on with an extended elementary math pilot for the 2023-2024 school year.  We believe that in order to make the best decision about which math curriculum to potentially adopt in the future, we need to see the full scope and sequence in action rather than only pilot one isolated unit.  While our pilot last year was very successful in getting teachers to reflect upon their current math curriculum, we realized that there are thinking routines and skills embedded in each math program that we need to establish and then observe for a full year.  As a result, this year we will have two teachers in each grade (between both elementary schools), piloting a full year of Illustrative Math and Reveal Math. 

After evaluating Eureka Squared using this rubric, talking to teachers, as well as interviewing math coordinators/directors in other districts in MA, we decided that Eureka Squared would require a substantial amount of supplementing in order to make it effective in Dover-Sherborn (this is one of the reasons why we wanted to shift away from Everyday Math).  Eureka Squared did not offer students enough mixed practice review, engaging games and activities, extensions, real world connections or opportunities for collaboration. These missing components would require use to supplement the program significantly to meet our learners’ needs. 

Teachers felt like Illustrative Math was worth pursuing but also expressed that they wanted to see if there were other options available.  Using edreports and MA DESE CURATE, we researched other math curriculum and vetted samples.  We ended up deciding that Reveal Math could be a good fit for Dover-Sherborn and was worth piloting this year.  The top components of Reveal that interested us were the amount of practice problems, strategies available for differentiating instruction for all learners, having less of a language-based approach, and including math games/projects that teachers would not have to create on their own.  Like Eureka Squared and Illustrative Math, Reveal is a research-based program that is used in many other districts throughout MA.  You can read the edreport about Reveal here. 

For the 2022-2023 school year, our pilot teachers only piloted one unit from the potential new math curriculum.  In debriefing the year, we realized how limiting this short pilot was as the new math curriculum involves helping teachers and students reconceptualize how math is taught and build upon strategies and routines over the course of the year.  Because of this, we have decided to pilot Reval and Illustrative in two classes in each grade for an entire year to get better data.  We will support the pilot teachers this year through PD, work with our math coach, and planning time.  We will be using the same rubric that we used for the 2022-2023 pilot.  Additionally, we will be having both pilot and non-pilot teachers visiting other districts who are using Reveal and Illustrative Math so they can observe lessons and ask teachers questions. 

As we have previously mentioned, both programs are research-based, have been reviewed, and are correlated to the MA Math Frameworks and mathematical practice skills.  Students who are in pilot classes will still be covering the same mathematical concepts and principles but utilizing different strategies and activities that are specific to our two pilot programs.  As always, we will also make sure that students are prepared to move to next year’s math skills curriculum and be well prepared for assessments like the MCAS. 

Once the District’s curriculum leaders have done ample research and selected a program, a recommendation will be made to the school committees for possible adoption per DS Policy (page 21).  This would likely be in the spring of 2024.   If we are ready to adopt a new math curriculum by the end of the upcoming school year, we will do so in a thoughtful way, based on teacher input, making sure there is adequate PD, planning time, training for special education teachers and EAs, as well as communication with parents/caregivers to help them understand the changes. 

We anticipate that we will be presenting an update to the Dover and Sherborn School Committees in the fall.  Our new Dover-Sherborn website will also have a math pilot page which will feature up to date information on the math pilot as it progresses.