Ossining Selects New Math Programs for K-8 Students

Following an extensive review and piloting process, the Ossining School District has selected two rigorous new math instruction programs for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

In March, the Board of Education unanimously approved Math in Focus: Singapore Math for kindergarten through fifth grade and enVisionmath for Anne M. Dorner Middle School. Educators will begin teaching the programs in September, leaving behind the Engage New York curriculum.

Math in Focus and enVisionmath emphasize student exploration, problem-solving activities, critical-thinking skills, and STEAM-related (science, technology, engineering, art and math) experiences, according to Carrieann Sipos, the district’s director of elementary teaching and learning. Both honor constructivism, meaning children are constructing new learning through prior learning and using their background knowledge.

Ms. Sipos was part of a committee of staff members that spent two years studying potential replacements for Engage New York. She and Brian Alm, director of secondary teaching and learning, presented their recommendations to the Board of Education on March 13, along with other committee members. The district is planning professional development sessions for math teachers this school year, and the instructors will receive ongoing support next year.

The committee sought math curriculums that were rigorous, engaged students, were aligned with standards, offered parental support and allowed for differentiated instruction, depending on a child’s needs and abilities, said Claremont School Assistant Principal Ferzeen Shamsi, who was part of the group. Teachers at different grade levels piloted several programs and provided feedback, as did students and parents.

“We felt it was very important to find programs that would meet all students where they are and move them to a deeper understanding of mathematics, and give them the ability to think critically and deeply and apply their learning,” she said.

Math in Focus: Singapore Math combines the Eastern teaching approaches of drill and practice to ensure mastery of facts, computation and problem-solving skills, with the Western approach of learning through peer interaction to stimulate critical and creative thinking. The curriculum adds a pictorial phase between concrete and abstract math concepts to improve learning outcomes.

EnVisionmath blends print and digital instruction and allows for differentiated instruction. Each lesson starts with a project-based learning activity and includes short animated movies called visual learning bridges to help reinforce instruction. EnVision provides ongoing assessment, diagnosis and intervention.

Roosevelt School Principal Michelle Grier, another member of the committee, said Singapore Math draws on best practices in math instruction from across the world. The program focuses on problem-solving and using visuals and hands-on games and activities to develop conceptual understanding.

“We believe that Math in Focus will help our students to build conceptual understanding, to develop critical-thinking skills to improve their problem-solving abilities, and what I think is one of the most important things: to build a positive attitude toward mathematics,” she said.

Both programs have resources available in English and Spanish to support teachers, students and families.

EnVisionmath has engaging components that empower students to apply mathematical skills to real-world problems, and it challenges them to construct and critique mathematical arguments, said Elizabeth Mercado, assistant principal at AMD. The curriculum has a STEM project in every unit.

“There’s a daily challenge with extended thinking questions and the ability to create your own questions to promote deeper thinking about mathematical concepts,” she said.

With EnVisionmath, AMD can link all the resources and assignments to the school’s Google Classroom, Ms. Mercado said.

Overall, teachers, students and families in the pilot program had a positive experience. Students liked that the curriculum showed them different ways to solve problems, was interactive and helped them learn from their mistakes, she said.