Vision

The Office of Mathematics PreK-12, in alignment with the BCPS Teaching and Learning Framework outlined in The Compass: Our Pathway to Excellence, maintains that excellent mathematics teaching will be situated in culturally responsive spaces where:

All students:

• Examine and solve relevant mathematical problems aligned to the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards and use problem-solving to examine the world around them
• Engage in the habits of mind of proficient mathematical thinkers as outlined in the Standards for Mathematical Practice
• Contribute to shared knowledge construction where early student thinking and rough drafts are seen as valuable contributions to the classroom conversation
• Participate in individual sense-making and discourse communities to articulate authentic mathematical claims using the language of the standards
• Take academic ownership as they persevere through challenging problems

All teachers/teacher teams/PLCs:

• Engage in reflective practice using the 4 essential questions of a PLC (DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010)
• Use the 8 Effective Teaching Practices (NCTM, 2014) to support students in becoming proficient mathematical thinkers
• Employ a reflective pedagogy that scaffolds culturally diverse teaching practices
• See themselves as identity workers who develop students' positive mathematical identities (NCTM, 2018)
• Scaffold rigor as they move students to deeper levels of cognitive demand (Smith & Stein, 1998)
• Deliver instruction that develops procedural skills and fluency from a foundation of conceptual understanding (NCTM)
• Build on students’ cultural capital, content strengths, and prior knowledge and experiences
• Use formative data to make instructional decisions and provide specific and timely feedback

All building leadership:

• Create building cultures that advocate for student access to powerful mathematical experiences in EVERY classroom EVERY DAY (NCTM, 2018)
• Anchor professional learning goals and opportunities in the implementation of mathematics PLCs and monitor for engagement in the Four Critical Questions of an effective PLC (DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010)
• Lead academically by developing the leadership teams’ knowledge of the standards and mathematics curricular resources toward promoting and monitoring instructional practices grounded in rigor and high-quality instruction (Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, 2015).
• Develop mathematics identities as leaders that reflect on the power of beliefs, mindsets, and perseverance as cornerstones in the vison of effective mathematics teaching in their buildings (Boaler, 2015; Dweck, 2016)

Mission

The Office of Mathematics PreK-12 provides leadership and support around the impactful program implementation of our mathematics curriculum. The office is committed to engaging building leaders, teachers, and instructional support staff in ongoing professional learning through an equity pedagogy lens with the intent of supporting the development of all students as innovative problem solvers and global critical thinkers. Our work is situated in the rigor, letter, and spirit of the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (inclusive of both practice and content standards).