A Road MAP to Success: Strategies to Transform Students’ Mathematical Path Jeff Ridlehoover, Associate Principal, Kristen Addonizio, Teacher, Nicole Jockisch, Research & Assessment, Wayzata Public Schools, MN Fusion 2012, the NWEA summer conference in Portland, Oregon This session will describe the use of MAP data to identify struggling 9th grade math learners as well as track their growth after intensive and innovative intervention. We will discuss the process of setting up this intervention class as well as the structure and practices used in our classroom. We will provide examples of practices to incorporate into any existing class as well as make a case to include a more intensive intervention option within your school. Administrators and teachers interested in making significant progress for all learners, as measured by NWEA’s MAP test, should attend. Learning Outcome: - How to use data to measure progress in a high school math classroom - How to positively impact student achievement within an existing school structure - How to use data to identify the right students in need of intervention Audience: -District leadership - Curriculum and Instruction Wayzata School District #284 is a suburban district in Minnesota that has been administering MAP for 10 years at the elementary and middle school level. We first started using the MAP tests at the high school three years ago. We use the philosophy of Madeline Hunter to guide our instructional planning and have recently placed a district-wide emphasis on the creation and implementation of Professional Learning Communities. Our team includes a high school associate principal and two high school math teachers.

1. A Road MAP to Success: Strategies
to Transform Students’
Mathematical Path
Fusion 2012 (NWEA)
Kristen Addonizio, Nicole Jockisch,
and Dr. Jeffery P. Ridlehoover

2. Wayzata Public Schools
• Suburban district serving 10,400 students (K-
12) and 60,000 residents in all or parts of 8
communities
• 7 Elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1
high school

3. Wayzata High School
• Wayzata High School serves 3,250+ students
• 4 X 4 block schedule (86 minutes/block)
• Average Composite ACT: 25.8 (2011)
• Average Math ACT: 26.3 (2011)
• 33 National Merit Finalist (2011)

4. Wayzata High School Math Program
• Integrated mathematics curriculum
• 15 different math courses, including AP Statistics, AP
Calculus AB/BC, and Linear Algebra/ Differential Equations
• Normal progression…
Grade 9-Math 1 or Math 1x
Grade 10-Math 2 or 2x
Grade 11-Math 3 or 3x
Grade 12-Math 4 or 4x

5. Not Good Enough…
• Despite our apparent success, we were
experiencing a high percentage of students
failing mathematics courses, especially in 9th
grade
• Average student rate recommended to repeat
Math 1 around 25%

6. Initial Interventions
• Foundations of Mathematics Course
“Watered-Down” curriculum
1 Teacher/30 Students
• Math Center
Elective/Pull-Out Program
Homework Help Model

7. Evolution of Math 1Y
• To be successful, we believed that we needed
to focus our attention on the following…
– The needs of our students as 21st century learners
– Our current curriculum
– Our model of delivery
– AN OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT!—MAP!!

8. Why MAP?
• Objective measurement tool (better than
grades, which could potentially be subjective)
• Valid and reliable current and historical Data

9. Philosophy
• “If time and resources are constant, then
learning will be the variable.”
~Richard DuFour
• Guiding principle for everyone involved
– 2x the time
– 2x the teachers
 Not a tracked class, just differentiated
 Goal: Have students at grade level by end of class

10. Choosing the correct students
• MAP scores used to qualify for class
– Data obtained from 8th grade scores
– Objective vs. Subjective
• Needed clear guidelines to differentiate
students, especially with program success

11. MAP data
• Used as pre- and post-test for the class
– Measurable results for us and school board
• Immediate feedback
• Allowed students to set measurable goals
– Used NWEA goal setting sheet before post-test
– Goals can be set for strands as well

12. Goal Setting Sheet
• Show example

13. Goal Sheet Close-Up

14. Considerations when Planning
From a teacher perspective:
• Picking good teams of teachers
• Attitudes about math
– Confidence
• Adjustment to high school and curriculum
• Learning to be a good student
– Organization
– Character
• Pacing

15. Perquisite skills
based on strand data
Added to the curriculum to fill previous gaps
• Fractions
• Order of Operations
• Plotting Points
• Adding and Subtracting Integers
• Measurement
• Area and Perimeter

16. Major Components to Class
• High Expectations
• Organization
• Participation/Reflection
• Community Building

17. High Expectations
• Across the board: both academic and
behavioral
• Communicated early and often
• Percentages of grades match other classes
• Same assessments used as other classes

18. Organization
• Required class binder
– Table of contents
– Classroom Example Binder available to students
• Group Folders
– Efficient to collect and return homework
– Part of routine and responsibilities
• Mailboxes

19. Participation/Reflection
• Sheet used daily to reflect on the objective
and classroom participation
– Students write objective at start of class
– Students end class with reflection on progress
made and WHY
– Self grade participation in 5 categories
– Safe place for students to ask additional questions

20. Community Building
• Family-like environment with the expectation
of respect for everyone
– Groupwork mindset is cultivated
– Ropes course
• Journals
– School property – stay in the room
– Opportunities to learn about students
– Additional opportunities for student reflection

21. Results: Math 1 Freshmen Failure
Rates
• Relying heavily on teacher recommendation
for 1Y selection had little or no impact .
(10.01% to 10.68%)
• Using a combination of 8th grade MAP scores
and teacher recommendation did have an
impact (10.68% to 4.17%)
• Using MAP scores almost exclusively provided
the best results (4.17% to 3.47%)

22. Results: MAP Growth
• Typical growth nationally after instruction: 2-3
RIT points
• Our 2oo9-2010 Math 1Y students:
– Average RIT growth of 8.1
– 20% at grade level at start
– 56% at grade level at end
• Our 2010-2011 Math 1Y students:
– Average RIT growth of 10.97
– 21% at grade level at start
– 67% at grade level at end

24. Class Report Close Up

25. Longitudinal Data: Where are they
now?
• First year enrollment was 96 students
• 2 years later 70 of those students are still
enrolled at WHS
– More likely to be part of the transient population
– 6 of these are no longer in mainstream
programing

26. For those left in Mainstream (n=64)
• 14% needed to repeat Math 1
• In Math 2:
– 58% were successful 1st time through
– 27% were successful after repeating
• 39% of students “doubled up” at some point
in the 2 years since our class
• 14% enrolled in Math 4 or higher in 2011-
2012

27. Conclusions: Teacher Perspective
• It is possible for students to overcome
deficiencies and be successful in non-tracked
classes
• Gains in confidence, pride, and relationships
make a long lasting impact
• We are lucky to have a district willing to take
risks and trust teachers to be leaders

28. Conclusions: Administrator Perspective
• Invest in teachers to close the achievement
gap
• Hire the right teachers!

29. Contact Info
• Dr. Jeffery P. Ridlehoover, Associate Principal
jeff.ridlehoover@wayzata.k12.mn.us
• Kristen Addonizio, teacher
kristen.addonizio@wayzata.k12.mn.us
• Nicole Jockisch, teacher
nicole.jockisch@wayzata.k12.mn.us