Michigan Focal Points

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Michigan Focal Points

• Detroit Area Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• 2008 Annual Conference

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What does a good mathematics curriculum look like?

• According to NCTM, a curriculum is more than
  collections of activities or a checklist of
  expectations. A curriculum must be
• Coherent
• Well articulated across the grades
• Focused on important mathematics

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What does a good mathematics curriculum look like?

• A coherent curriculum effectively organizes and
  integrates important mathematical ideas.
• mathematical ideas are linked to and build on
  one another so that students understanding and
  knowledge deepens and their ability to apply
  mathematics expands.
• NCTM

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What does a good mathematics curriculum look like?

• A curriculum well articulated across the grades
  gives teachers guidance regarding important
  ideas or major themes, which receive special
  attention at different points in time.

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What does a good mathematics curriculum look like?

• A curriculum must be focused on important
  mathematics.
• When instruction focuses on a small number of
  key areas of emphasis, students gain extended
  experience with core concepts and skills. Such
  experience can facilitate deep understanding,
  mathematical fluency, and an ability to
  generalize.

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What is a Focal Point?

• NCTM developed Curriculum Focal Points which are
  recommended content emphases for each grade
  level.

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What is a Focal Point?

• A focal point had to pass three rigorous tests
• Is it mathematically important, both for further
  study in mathematics and for use in applications
  in and outside of school?
• (Focused on important mathematics)
• Does it fit with what is known about learning
  mathematics?
• (Coherent)
• Does it connect logically with the mathematics in
  earlier and later grade levels?
• (Well articulated across the grades)

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Focal Points vs. GLCE

• Our GLCEs are the endpoints for learning whereas
  curriculum focal points are areas of
  instructional focus that help students learn
  content that gives them a foundation for
  increasing their understanding as they encounter
  richer and more challenging mathematics.

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Focal Points vs. GLCE
Focal Points
Curriculum
Expectations
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Focal Points vs. GLCE

• In Michigan we aligned our GLCEs under the NCTM
  Focal Points to come up with Michigan Focal
  Points

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The Michigan Focal Points and the MEAP

• The MEAP needs to reflect the curricular emphasis
  implied by the GLCE.
• Current factors necessitating changes in MEAP
  design
• Subject tests given on the same day instead of
  over a 2-week window for test security reasons
  means a shortened test
• Future core scheduled to be incorporated

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The Michigan Focal Points and the MEAP

• The solution is to change core and extended
  designations
• Each test needs to have no more than 20 core
  expectations which are tested with 2 items each
• NASL stay NASL
• All others are considered extended which will be
  tested with one item and sampled

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The Michigan Focal Points and the MEAP

• To be considered core an expectation must be
  linked to a focal point so both the assessment
  and the curriculum will emphasize the same
  mathematical concepts.

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Instructional Implications

• Help to design instruction around the question,
  What are the most important ideas at my grade
  level?
• Prioritize uses of activities, assessments and
  other published materials
• Support rich, deep appropriate mathematics for
  every student

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Instructional Implications

• It is essential that these focal points be
  addressed in contexts that promote problem
  solving, reasoning, communication, making
  connections, and designing and analyzing
  representations.

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• For more information on Michigan Focal points
• Ruth Anne Hodges
• hodgesr3_at_michigan.gov
• For more information on MEAP
• Kyle Ward
• wardk2_at_michigan.gov