Florida Student Success Center's Initiative
Mathematics Re-Design
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Hosted at St. Petersburg College's Seminole Campus Conference Center, more than 80 mathematics faculty, administrators and key stakeholders from Florida's K-12 system, the Florida College System (FCS), and the State University System recently convened to kick off mathematics pathways re-design and content alignment. Removing mathematics barriers to increase student success rates is a primary initiative of the Florida Student Success Center over the next year.
"Mathematics is the foundation for every profession," said Chancellor Madeline Pumariega. "It gives us the critical ability to learn, think logically, problem solve and be creative, which is why we must focus on the importance of re-designing mathematics pathways for students to better prepare them with the skills needed to enter the workforce."
Chancellor Madeline Pumariega, challenged participants to lead with courage in identifying strategies that will move Florida's students - particularly underserved students - further across educational mathematics pathways.
Three inter-connected workgroups are charged with exploring complex issues surrounding mathematics pathways that prepare students for mathematics success across our educational systems. The work officially launched in September 2018 and will continue through milestones of exploration and identification of solutions and recommendations, culminating in June 2019 with a mathematics institute
to share
the intended deliverables: 1) evidence-based practices designed for scale and 2) policy recommendations around mathematics re-design.
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Mathematics Re-Design Workgroups will be led by Northwest Florida State College Professor Cynthia McGinnis, chair of the high school to postsecondary alignment workgroup, Dr. Julie Phelps of Valencia College, chair of the FCS mathematics sequences workgroup, and Dr. Tommy Minton of Seminole State College of Florida, chair of the FCS to university alignment workgroup.
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Identifying Challenges to Mathematics Pathways
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Workgroup chairs shared data and
key takeaways from a pre-meeting survey that identified challenges related to implementing mathematics re-design and pathways.
Survey results found a number of
common challenges across education systems impacting mathematics pathways, including
advising placement, misalignment, no alternatives to algebra, sequencing, prerequisites, and miscommunication
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Workgroup members spent time discussing and re-evaluating the challenges, as well as determining the top challenges related to mathematics pathways re-design to focus on through the year. For each challenge identified, the workgroup created huddles, smaller working groups charged with taking a deeper dive of gathering information about the challenges and identifying potential solutions. Huddle
challenges identified
included advising into math sequences and career paths, foundation preparedness and prerequisites, among others.
As the work continues, each workgroup is charged with gathering information on the factors contributing to the challenges identified, brainstorming and evaluating potential solutions, and making formal recommendations around evidence-based practices designed for scale and policy recommendations around mathematics re-design.
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2020 Visionary Headlines for Mathematics Success in Florida
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Following a lunch presentation from the event sponsor, Pearson, participants engaged in an activity,
Building our 2020 Visionary Headlines for Mathematics Success in Florida, where each workgroup unveiled
magazine covers with vision headlines for 2020. The headlines envisioned a Florida where K20 Math was on Target, Students Find Clear Math Paths to Completion and Florida Teaching the Nation a Math Lesson. Visionary headlines that truly capture Florida's future in mathematics.
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Learn more about Florida's Mathematics Re-Design Workgroups
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Register for the webinar scheduled for November 1 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. (EDT) via
GoToWebinar. On the webinar, we will share
more about the mathematics kick-off meeting, held September 18 at St. Petersburg College, and how you can be a part of Florida's mathematics re-design work.
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