Both accuracy and automaticity are vital in mastering mathematics through Algebra 2! This session will help teachers develop fluency across grade levels and content areas by refining instructional strategies that match instructional phase to evidence-based practice and go beyond traditional timed practice. We’ll explore innovative approaches, including tracking completion time for a set problem count instead of fixed-duration timing, to build student confidence and precision. An emphasis will be placed on goal-setting to enhance student motivation while targeting discrete skills for focused improvement. Attendees will leave with practical tools to implement more effective and engaging fluency-building techniques in their classrooms.
Educators have many assessment tools at their disposal, but a comprehensive process for screening and progress monitoring students may need refinement in order to make timely, accurate, and meaningful instructional decisions. In this session, participants will walk away with a better understanding of how to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of math screener data in relation to state assessments; better understand the “gated screening approach” versus a one-time screener model; and determine optimal screening frequency and timing throughout the year. Lastly, attendees will learn how to establish a standardized progress monitoring environment to reduce measurement error, better compare mastery measurement of discrete skills with general outcome measurements, and learn best practices for graphing and interpreting data to make responsive instructional decisions.
You’ve heard that Explicit Instruction (EI) is outdated, boring, ineffective, and mainly reserved for students who are behind; decades of empirical evidence prove otherwise. This session will explore how to leverage the essential elements of EI to create a more engaging, structured, and systematic instructional approach. One key focus will be embedding Opportunities to Respond (OTRs) to increase student interaction, motivation, and learning outcomes while providing timely formative assessments to better understand each student’s learning progress. We will also make connections to common myths that undermine effective math teaching and examine how misconceptions about EI may limit its potential impact.
Launched in 2024 through a joint collaboration with KSDE, Kansas MTSS & Alignment, Dr. Sarah Powell, and Dr. Bradley Witzel, the Kansas Math Project (KMP) has reached 1100+ participants from across Kansas. The project aims to deepen teachers’ understanding of math content and expand their knowledge of evidence-based teaching strategies via both in-person and asynchronously through the Moodle learning platform. Attend this session to receive an overview of the project, receive information about how to get started, learn how districts have scaled the work, and get answers to your questions!
In this session, we’ll discuss strategies for supporting secondary students who haven’t mastered key math skills. We’ll share how we incorporate tutoring, reassessment, and the use of standards-based grading (SBG) to guide data collection and skill reteaching. Additionally, we’ll provide insight into the structure of our MTSS intervention classes for Tier 2 and Tier 3 support.
