Saxson math lost out because it scored poorly on the rubric they used to evaluate the different programs.
Here is the "Student Lens" part of the rubric:
Is it just me, or does anyone else get the feeling the evaluation was rigged?I. Student Lens
The materials provides the following for the needs/rights
of students:a. The purpose of learning, including objectives, standards,
goals, criteria and evaluation rubrics are clear for studentsb. Students can choose from a variety of strategies to
explore, solve, and communicate math conceptsc. Students are engaged through a variety of activities
which may include independent projects, cooperative
learning, manipulatives, technology, collaborative work, etc.d. Students have opportunities for self-monitoring and
self-reflectione. Materials make connections to real life applications
f. There is support for individual learning levels
I am so glad my kids are going to get "opportunities for ... self-reflection" in math class. I was afraid I was going to have to sign them up for yoga class.
Should I be worried?
p.s. Anchorage and Alaska are awesome. I am taking the summer off of school so I will be blogging again.
(crossposted at parentalcation)
These sorts of text evaluations come straight out of ed schools...
ReplyDeleteThey know not what they do.
(but it'll show up in their ACT and SAT scores)
You know what you never see in these things is any set of base assumptons that the publishers built their marketing claims upon.
ReplyDeleteThings like these (keyed to the selection criteria)…
a) What are the prerequisite skills required to meet the objectives of the grade xxx text?
b) Which of the multiple strategies put forth is the one that is driven to mastery in the text?
c) What are the assumptions made about ability levels to be considered for collaboration...
1. Is there a minimum competancy consideration for inclusion in a group?
2. What are the infrastructure ( desks, tables, class size, etc.) requirements for collaboration?
3. What are the technology requirements for collaboration?
4. What is the lexile level of the self learning portions of the text?
d) What writing level is assumed to be required for self reflection?
e) Who will be supplying the materials to make connections to real life and what is the SES of the life you've targeted?
f) Are there books on tape for kids who can't read, large print for kids visually impaired, braille for the blind, remedial materials for kids who don't come with appropriate skills, and are the books indestructible for kids with motor skills issues?
Or these (that were never mentioned)…
g) What is the mathematical content knowledge required for all teachers that will be in the room?
h) What are the assumptions made for providing access to kids on ed plans?
i) Which of the concepts in the materials are assumed to be prerequisite to subsequent concepts (in other years/grades)?
j) Are there any hierarchical anomolies (concepts introduced out of sequence to a natural mathematical hierarchy)?
They could just boil the whole thing down to, "Math will be random" and save their breath.
ReplyDelete