W.H. math department devising new formula for success

In response to a drop in scores on last year’s state math exams, the math department at the West Hempstead school district is working with teachers and school administrators to devise a plan that aims to improve scores by 10 percent this year.

While students in the district perform comparably on state exams to those throughout Nassau County and above average when compared to the state, their scores for 2009-10 — like those of students throughout the state — fell significantly after the New York State Department of Education suddenly raised the bar for proficiency in math and English Language Arts.

This prompted math department Director Anthony Murray to take action. First and foremost, he said, the district must analyze data to gain an understanding of trouble spots and take appropriate corrective measures. Using a program called Data Warehouse of Nassau County, which is used by more than 50 districts in the county, West Hempstead will measure itself against the similar schools and the rest of the county to determine where there may be gaps.

Because West Hempstead performs slightly lower that Nassau County on average at the elementary level, Murray said his focus will be on third, fourth and fifth graders. Using the data program, the math department will identify and evaluate frequently missed questions, identify at-risk students and develop instructional strategies to address needs.

“If we are able to identify areas of weakness and strengths, then we can really target instruction and improve in what we’re doing in these specific areas,” Murray said. The focus of this plan, he added, is to target instruction and learning time to increase students’ computational fluency.

While the math department will also use data analysis to target instruction at the middle school level, the primary plan there is to align curriculum with the New York State Mathematics Core Curriculum, according to Murray, who added that he also plans to utilize cooperative learning, which includes presentations where students teach each other.

Requiring re-dos is another important piece of the plan: the department will create its own exams that reflect the format of state assessments, according to Murray.

“We want to look at the entire curriculum to be sure that it’s aligned properly with the New York state college course standards, and we want to really address those areas where we’re somewhat lagging behind,” Murray said. “[We are] raising awareness first and discussing it within the department, and [developing] strategies in terms of how we can grow in these specific areas.”

Applying this across the board to all district students would help build opportunities for cross-grade-level articulation and curriculum development, Murray noted. The department would establish a set of benchmark criteria to monitor student progress, as well as data to measure the effectiveness of instruction and examine and evaluate materials and strategies being used in the classroom.

“Right now the data is being compiled, we’re in discussion in meetings,” Murray said. “We’re taking a look at our curriculum guides, making sure its aligned properly. If more time is needed on a specific content strand, then we’re pacing guides as to where more time will be spent. I think we’re making strides to really raise the achievement level; I expect the scores to go up from last year’s numbers and, this year, my target number is a 10 percent increase. I expect the regents ... and assessment results to go up each year.”

Schools Superintendent John Hogan said the district administration and school board are highly approving of the math department’s proactive approach to address problem areas.    
    “We’re very pleased that Mr. Murray, in particular, has established goals of increasing the achievement levels by 10 percent this year with the ultimate goal of having all of our students achieving at levels three and four,” Hogan said, “and not just passing regents exams, but increasing the mastery level on the regents exams.”

Visit the West Hempstead school district website, www.whufsd.com, for Murray’s math department presentation and additional information.