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Math Mission, Vision, Values & Goals

AIM Statement: We envision a University City where all staff and students are engaged in collaborative learning and investigations focused around identifying and solving problems. Students will advocate for their understanding through verbal and written explanations of their thinking. University City students are intrinsically motivated problem solvers who apply their mathematical knowledge to real world situations.

Mission: (transfer goal) Why we exist, what is our core, why engage in math education in University City?

All PreK-12 students will continually make progress towards these (3) transfer goals:

  • Solve a range of complex, well-posed problems in pure and applied mathematics, making productive use of knowledge and problem-solving strategies. 

  • Clearly and precisely construct a viable argument to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.

  • Analyze complex, real-world scenarios and construct and use mathematical models to interpret and solve problems.

Vision: What do we strive to be? What are we becoming? The purpose of crafting a vision is to develop and maintain creative tension, to acknowledge the difference between our current state and our desired state and provide the direction and energy for continuous improvement.

We will provide an environment where students are engaged and challenged appropriately through: 

  • Grounded research-based math instructional models 

  • Conceptual learning progressions

  • Collaborative learning structures

  • Relevant learning experiences based on student interests, cultures, backgrounds, and current events

  • Respectful and constructive mathematical language and discourse among students 

  • Rigorous content to solve problems, create and design solutions, and advocate for their causes (verbal and written explanations of their thinking and their answers). 

  • Mental math, looking for patterns, and generate data to develop generalizations

Values: What are our collective commitments? What behaviors do we agree to?

Learning Reimagined (within Mathematics): We agree and commit to: 

  • Humanize: Students are engaged in discourse to build shared understanding of mathematical ideas by analyzing and comparing student approaches and arguments.

  • Personalize: Students are learning with a clear goal that is advancing a specific and appropriate mathematical learning progression.

  • Problematize: Students are engaged in solving and discussing tasks that promote mathematical reasoning and problem solving,  allow for multiple entry points and varied solution strategies. Students are making connections among mathematical representations to deepen understanding of mathematics concepts and procedures and as tools for problem solving.

Goals: How will we measure our progress in student achievement?

  • Common assessment results that establish growth during the course of the year, and year over year in the areas of: 

  • Formative and Summative Performance Tasks for Units

  • Galileo Benchmark Assessments

  • MAP/ EOC/ACT 

  • FASTBridge/SuccessMaker/ALEKS