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Katy Payne she/her
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Three friends decide to meet up and spend time together. They live hundreds of miles apart. They pick a spot that requires each to travel at least a little, but no one person has to go more than a few hours.
The friends all leave at the same time on the same day. One friend takes a winding route through the mountains while another chooses a four-lane freeway. The third doesn’t own a vehicle and instead takes the train.
Who gets there first?
That’s the wrong question.
Student Voice, Student Choice
“The core concepts of algebra do not change,” said Clover Park School District Superintendent Ron Banner. “Those are the proofs.”
Banner’s quote is in reference to the district’s embrace of applied algebra. In a more traditional math teaching style, students in a class are all given the same problem to solve. Getting the correct answer means following a very specific set of steps and processes.
“It’s [applied algebra] more problem-based and project-based learning,” said Banner. “Students are presented with a problem or a project that’s more hands-on or more realistic to a life experience they’ve encountered.”
An example of this concept could involve asking students to develop a budget. In this scenario, the amount of cash on hand can be changed, as well as the overall expenses. Inflation can also be made to go up and down, all of which would alter equations and produce different answers.
“We want to build a space where all kids can engage and feel relevancy in their engagement,” said Banner. “In this model, you’re applying not just the voice of the student, but the choice of the student, and that equals equity.”
Expanding Access
At its core, applied algebra aims to get students excited about math by connecting abstract concepts and theories to day-to-day life. Clover Park isn’t waiting until high school to establish that relationship.
“So, what we’ve been doing is preparing this next year’s eighth graders for this opportunity to advance their learning by taking algebra and affording that access to all of our eighth graders,” said Clover Park School District Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Kevin Rupprecht. “What we’ve learned about our students is that when they are exposed to algebra in the middle school years, they are succeeding not just in that course, but in their future math courses.”
The district utilizes different instructional strategies to support middle school students, including visible thinking. Harvard’s Project Zero developed the concept, which works to understand how students think and develop strategies that encourage engagement and growth.
“What we want is our students up and about, not sitting in their desks listening to a lecture,” said Rupprecht. “We want them to be engaging with their classmates up on the wall, in a group table setting, whatever that geography of the classroom might be, working as a team.
Building Capacity
Clover Park’s commitment to building a strong math foundation starts with teachers. The district provides teachers with training and classes about how to successfully incorporate visible thinking into the classroom.
The district also developed a math studio program where participating teachers observe other classrooms.
“This gives teachers an opportunity to step into another person’s classroom and look at the instructional strategies in use and think about what strategies are transportable to their classroom,” said Banner.
Building teacher capacity is about developing skills, but it’s also about supporting students.
“We’re not going to be satisfied until 100% of our kids are meeting proficiency, but you don’t get proficiency by bonking people over the head,” said Banner. “You get it through good professional development for our teachers.”
Pillars of Success
Washington state uses the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) to measure a student’s progress. Most students in grades 3–8 and 10 take the SBA every spring.
“That’s [SBA] a measure of success, but we do regular assessments throughout the year,” said Banner.
Assessments can take different forms, including quizzes, tests, projects, and online tools like Star Assessments, which Clover Park uses.
“One data point isn’t enough,” said Rupprecht. “We also have to monitor and evaluate the success of our students by looking at their course completion rates, their performance in a class, and the Star data.”
Continuous growth is a key metric for Clover Park leadership, as is how well students connect what they learn in the classroom to their lives outside of school.
“We have four pillars of success at Clover Park,” said Banner. “We’re looking to build lifelong learners, leaders, collaborators, and people of high character.”
Returning to those three friends.
Each made it safely to their destination. The friend who took the four-lane highway arrived first, followed shortly by the friend who took the mountainous route and the friend who traveled via train.
It was not a race, so it didn’t matter who got there first. Each made it to where they wanted to go. They found success by going their own way, by using their resources and problem-solving how best to navigate the journey.