Understanding the Results: SEC Scenarios
Mountville High School
Aligning Algebra Curriculum Across Multiple Courses
Mr. Togin, principal at Mountville High School, has been examining his state assessment scores to identify areas of focus. He noticed that as students progress through high school, fewer students are at or above proficient in math. He began exploring methods to help improve math instruction. However, he realized that before he could target specific areas of instruction, he needed to know what they were teaching in each of the classes, and where their might be disconnects. He had heard about the SEC from a colleague in another district and decided to give it a try.
At a math department meeting, Mr. Togin introduced the tool. He asked the teachers to each set aside two 45 minute periods within the next two weeks to complete both the instructional content and instructional practice sections of the survey.
When he received the data, Mr. Togin looked for trends. He was particularly interested in the course progression for students, as their performance did not seem to keep up with assessment standards. At a cursory review, he saw some overlap and disconnect between the progression through the algebra courses but he wanted the teachers to examine the data in conjunction with student achievement data to see their reactions and explanations.
