IUSD does away with traditional math path

irvinemama

New member
This is crazy. IUSD has again changed the math placement process and the math pathway for middle school and high school. There will be no more algebra, no more geometry, no more algebra 2. They are switching to integrated math. I find this change on top of the one last year for middle schoolers (and this is completely different again) to be concerning. I also worry about lack of textbooks and proper teacher training. https://www.iusd.org/education_services/math-pathways/Documents/FinalPathwayIntegratedWebpage.pdf
 
Probably should provide more info so people understand what Integrated Math is.  THere's a video explaining it at this link:
http://www.iusd.org/education_services/math-pathways/index.html

"After months of careful consideration, research, and discussion, IUSD has determined an Integrated Mathematics Pathway will best serve our students and support their success in college, career, and life.  Please join us at one of our parent outreach evenings to learn more about the new pathway and placement criteria, to ask questions and present considerations to our staff. 
Tuesday, March 24 from 6:30-8:30 PM at Vista Verde K-8
Tuesday, March 31 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Irvine Unified School District Office
Thursday, April 2 from 6:30-8:30 PM at Jeffrey Trail Middle School"
 
Isn't this the way math is taught in other countries?

Wasn't this the complaint of people on the Common Core thread saying that the way the US was teaching math was inferior?

At first glance, I think this is an improvement.
 
keep changing, keep spending,  the results ? let's wait and see.
i am wondering when this insanity will be stopped.

when i was young we have highly qualified math professionals to teach us math starting in the elementary level. here, people with random major & background will teach math. and in fact they will teach everything. that's the difference.

 
I don't get why people are vehemently opposed to this change.

In my opinion, it's actually a better way to learn math because you apply all the various methods to solve problems.

It's not just geometry or algebra or trig or calc, but all these things and how you apply them. To me, it makes kids better thinkers.
 
it's better if they know what they are doing. the reality is they don't.

A stupid man's interpretation of what a clever man does can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears & sees into something he can understand.
 
Being an expert in Math or in any subject, is not enough, one should be able to teach in a way the other side (aka Student ) will understand, this is a special skill not everyone holds, of course this has to be their major to begin with it but it does not imply that once they have it they can teach.
 
ri said:
Being an expert in Math or in any subject, is not enough, one should be able to teach in a way the other side (aka Student ) will understand, this is a special skill not everyone holds, of course this has to be their major to begin with it but it does not imply that once they have it they can teach.

Or make them prepared for college and hire a teacher that can barely talk English. Just kidding
 
ri said:
Being an expert in Math or in any subject, is not enough, one should be able to teach in a way the other side (aka Student ) will understand, this is a special skill not everyone holds, of course this has to be their major to begin with it but it does not imply that once they have it they can teach.

I agree with half of this.  I don't think you need to be a math major to teach math - esp at the elementary/junior high and early HS level.  But I do agree that regardless of your background/major, you need to KNOW how to teach the material and communicate it in a way that gets thru to the kids.  Definitely not a skill a lot of people have. 
 
irvinehomeowner said:
I agree that being able to teach is key... but that should translate whether it's the old style of Math or Integrated Math.

Depends. Since majoring in math isn't a prerequisite to being a math teacher, there are some current math teachers that will have a hard time transitioning between all the various levels of math with ease in an integrated setting. Nothing some training/studying won't fix....
 
I did.  I have very mixed feelings about the whole thing.  I guess time will tell.
IUSD changed the criteria on 6th graders advancement into "enhanced" math path.  Instead of placement test there will be 4 categories. Student would have to meet the threshold for 3 of them in order to advance.
 
I also attended the Vista Verde session and attended the break-out session for the high school group.  At one point it was a very heated discussion with one parent extremely upset that in his daughter's Northwood High School Honors Geometry class there apparently are no books and that the kids are basically teaching each other (don't know if that's true, but that's what he said).  A couple of other parents chimed in and also complained about the book situation.  The point the parents were making was that because of the lack of good book materials, the parents are limited in their ability to help, and many of the children are struggling. 

Some math teacher at Woodbridge was doing our break out session and she said that they are going to get material from all different places, online, create PowerPoints, even mentioning Khan Academy.  They said they are going to look at possible book material for next year starting next week.  Of course this caused many parents to ask- why are we rushing into this if we don't even have the book situation/course content squared away. 

I am ok with the integrated math and am surprised that only 7% of OC districts (compared to >70% in LA area and 100% at Ventura) are going on this Integrated Math Path.  Apparently Newport Beach is already doing this.  Tustin is not doing this and I don't think Capistrano will either. 

I guess IUSD realized they really screwed up with last year's 6th grader's tests, saying that they are going to look at multiple criteria for getting bright kids onto the accelerated math pathway, instead of just relying on 1 test score.  I support that new decision- they probably got inundated last year with irate parents complaining about that exam.

I guess current Middle Schoolers who are in 7th grade taking MSM 8 will be the guinea pigs of Math 1- we'll see how that goes. 

 
looks like IUSD really has their shit together :)

Gasman - you are just going from one crappy school district to another :)
 
Thanks for sharing this information, two points of concern that I see here:

1. Moving from one scope of curriculum (current state) to a new curriculum will potentially create gaps /pockets of missed fundamental building blocks which are so important in Math.
2. Very disturbing that they don?t have the books yet, this screams a trial & error experiment, if others already did it , can?t they just use it instead of inventing the wheel?
 
so what happen to all the money thrown for developing the common core books ? now they need more new books ?
that's where our tax money is going to. this is no difference from robbery.

now the new math path teaches exponent & pattens like this:

year 1 ----------- screw-up
year 2 ----------- screw-up ^ 2
year 3 ----------- screw-up ^ 3

question: what's the screw-up in 2020 ?
 
abcd1234 said:
I also attended the Vista Verde session and attended the break-out session for the high school group.  At one point it was a very heated discussion with one parent extremely upset that in his daughter's Northwood High School Honors Geometry class there apparently are no books and that the kids are basically teaching each other (don't know if that's true, but that's what he said).  A couple of other parents chimed in and also complained about the book situation.  The point the parents were making was that because of the lack of good book materials, the parents are limited in their ability to help, and many of the children are struggling. 

Some math teacher at Woodbridge was doing our break out session and she said that they are going to get material from all different places, online, create PowerPoints, even mentioning Khan Academy.  They said they are going to look at possible book material for next year starting next week.  Of course this caused many parents to ask- why are we rushing into this if we don't even have the book situation/course content squared away. 

I am ok with the integrated math and am surprised that only 7% of OC districts (compared to >70% in LA area and 100% at Ventura) are going on this Integrated Math Path.  Apparently Newport Beach is already doing this.  Tustin is not doing this and I don't think Capistrano will either. 

I guess IUSD realized they really screwed up with last year's 6th grader's tests, saying that they are going to look at multiple criteria for getting bright kids onto the accelerated math pathway, instead of just relying on 1 test score.  I support that new decision- they probably got inundated last year with irate parents complaining about that exam.

I guess current Middle Schoolers who are in 7th grade taking MSM 8 will be the guinea pigs of Math 1- we'll see how that goes.

That is exactly one of the questions I am going to ask later. If google about downside of common core math, a lot of school districts complained about no textbooks and no practice problems. Not to mention  integrated math. Integrated math and traditional math are two learning paths allowed under CC math guideline. But far less districts use integrated math (that is what google told me).

Do you have more information about the 4 categories of placement?
 
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