Enhancing Open Up Resources Middle School Math Curricula
Client: Open Up Resources
Challenge:
Open Up Resources (OUR) was seeking assistance from UL/SCALE for piloting of mathematics curriculum that addresses English language development. This curriculum builds core disciplinary practices in math, while also improving access to concepts for students learning academic English by attending to language development in the lessons. Specifically, OUR was interested in UL/SCALE creating protocols and tools to gather data, organize a data collection schedule, gather data, and provide written feedback on the English language development components of the mathematics curriculum.
Process:
Understanding Language collaborated with mathematics curriculum writers to illustrate the heterogeneity of the EL population as well as how to differentiate instruction. Working collaboratively with OUR, UL provided various types of scaffolds teachers could use to support the simultaneous development of language and mathematics. The team also included pedagogical practices that allowed teachers to gather information on student progress during the course of classroom instruction. The work was fluid and grounded because the team had both classroom experience and research knowledge that informed curricular decisions.
Result:
Hundreds of students across the U.S., many of them English learners, now have access to materials that afford them opportunities to interact with challenging mathematics by removing language barriers. This is a giant step for mathematics education.
All members of the UL/SCALE team were very knowledgeable and worked with a true sense of collaboration. The end product speaks to both. The work was fluid and grounded because the team had both classroom experience and research knowledge that informed curricular decisions.
