BY HANNAH NORTON & BEN THOMPSON
Zooming in
The approach
AISD’s focus on math
Finan highlighted a new state law requiring that fifth graders in the top 40% of math STAAR scores are fast-tracked to advanced coursework in sixth grade to help more students graduate high school with advanced math. Teachers have the option to enroll in three- day math academies, which train them to improve student outcomes, said Shannon Trejo, the TEA’s deputy commissioner of school pro- grams. Reading academies, on the other hand, are mandatory. Over 141,000 administrators and teachers have completed reading academies, according to the TEA, while about 28,000 early childhood teachers have participated in math academies. According to Texas 2036, just 36% of Texas principals said their teachers “demonstrate a deep understanding” of math teaching methods. Grantham said math can be “exceptionally difficult” to teach. “You have to understand the actual
Revising curriculum with a focus on learning loss, add new “in points” for students at varying levels Selecting new sustainable and “high- quality” learning materials, rather than rotating through options Using multitiered system of support, or MTSS, model to track and intervene with low-performing students Investing in instructional coaches to support more teacher training
Texas students take early reading “screeners” at the start of kindergarten, but there’s no similar requirement for math. Grantham said deficiencies may not be seen until third grade STAAR testing begins. AISD educators said they also aim to take a “holistic” view of student achievement beyond STAAR, which Finan said can serve more to categorize students than assess their best performance. The district monitors year-to-year exam scores, separate math screeners, in-class performance, and attendance and behavior patterns. Diaz also said the district is reviewing its grading policies, in part to identify any “discrepancies” between coursework and standardized testing.
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
mathematical concepts you’re teaching and also know how to teach math well,” he said. Training AISD’s hundreds of educators can prove challenging, district leaders said, espe- cially while also contending with a large budget shortfall. AISD offers supports such as interven- tion resources for all educators.
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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