Schools Test Inquiry-based Math
A number of middle and high schools in six Kentucky districts are testing a new inquiry-based math teaching method called “formative assessment.” The teaching and testing program was designed by experts to emphasize classroom activities that help teachers gauge the learning needs of individual students, says the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The beta effort is being underwritten by a $600,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation via the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a nonprofit Kentucky education group. The effort may help Kentucky schools comply with new state legislation requiring them to adopt new mathematics standards and approaches to teaching, the paper says.
In eight days of training, teachers learn how to quickly assess any difficulties a student is having, and to pose “follow-up questions that deepen understanding and ensure that all students end up with a strong grasp of the key concepts they need to master,” Ann Shannon, lead trainer, told the Journal. Students are not told the answers to problems, but are instead guided by teachers to find the answers themselves.
One student, Rayanna, 15, says it works for her: “It makes me feel more comfortable about math.”
Filed under: K-12 Education News
Tags: Education Policy, Math, Math teachers, Mathematics
