Kearny Math Teachers Calculate How Literacy Matters

Last week, the math teachers at Kearny High School came together to think about how literacy support in math can be reflected in daily instruction. They unpacked the language demands of the Smarter Balanced math performance task and planned for ways to adjust instruction so that students approach the exam with more confidence. They spent a good part of the day thinking about the English Language Development standards for the state of California and made connections to where students can practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening while learning important math concepts. They considered math procedures, and looked for ways to increase depth of knowledge through critical thinking and problem solving. In the end, the teachers came up with performance tasks for units of study for Integrated Math 1, II, and III, and left with teaching tools and strategies to empower students toward greater success in high school mathematics.