Memo

Miami Elementary School

To: School Improvement Committee

From: Danielle Jacobs, Principal
CC: Don Brosky, Executive Director of Elementary Education
Date: 3/27/17
Re: Curriculum Audit Findings/Plan of Action

As a result of the recent mathematic curriculum audit of our 2nd grade students, we
have identified some focused areas for improvement. The NWEA data analyzed shows
increased performance in mathematics subsequent to the implementation of our
Bridges Math program. We have made significant progress in our Tier 3 student
achievement category, however, upon further review, some of our 2nd grade boys
continue to struggle having success with this area of instruction.

The task of our committee is to take the results of this curriculum audit and determine
the most effective way to overcome these obstacles. A number of our committee
members have met and discussed these issues, while others have begun researching
various instructional strategies. A summarization of “boy” characteristics that can
impede the ability to focus when integrating math concepts, consist of the following:
 Boys are often interested in physical movement and even physical destruction;
boys tend to get in trouble for impulsiveness, signs of boredom, and fidgeting
while displaying a generalized inability to listen and fulfill assignments.
 Boys have a contagious amount of energy; we need help understand them in
order to teach them effectively, without losing the “boy energy” they bring to
the classroom.
 Experts agree that boys achieve poorer grades than girls achieve; and are
disproportionately numbered among special education students, diagnosed with
attention deficit disorders, and involved in disciplinary cases.
 The ability of a young boy to sit down and be quiet for standardized testing is a
tough obstacle to overcome. Studies show cognitive efficiencies in males and
 females vary during these ages and result in developmental differences and a
potential lack of focus for boys.

Many of us recognize the observations above and handle with various classroom tactics.
A number of you have researched and submitted various methods of increasing the
level of engagement for our young male math students. Below is a summarization of
some key components for success:
 Young boys are able to retain the most math learning when they can connect the
new learning to natural curiosities about the world in which they live.
 Instructors' physical movement increases boys' engagement, and includes the
teacher leading students in physical "brain breaks"—quick, one-minute brain-
awakening activities—that keep boys' minds engaged.
 Physical movement of the students’ needs to be incorporated into the math
curriculum delivery to stimulate and increase student performance.
 Best practices for classroom setup would suggest having a variety of seating
options—some desks, some tables, an easy chair, and a rug area for sitting or
lying on the floor. Such a classroom would allow for more movement and noise
than a traditional classroom would. Even small amounts of movement can help
some boys stay focused.
 Use recreational mathematics to motivate in the form of puzzles, games and
paradoxes. An effective execution of such technique will allow students to
complete the “recreation” without much effort or realization that they are doing
“work.”
 Grouping students into teams can help with the loneliness of “feeling behind.”
Instead of an individual student slacking off in a group setting, a different kind of
learning is facilitated when boys rely on each other to help themselves learn.
 Play. Play does not only need to be in the form of physical movement, it is also a
matter of humor. When developing math problems for your boys to solve, you
might try to make them “playful.” If the boys are chuckling while they are
solving problems, they might just retain more.

I am thrilled at the growth our building continues to show and the strides our students
continue to make. The success of our students is a direct reflection of our outstanding
teaching staff and our desire for excellence. Our team is dedicated to moving forward in
a direction that steers our building toward solutions for identified problems. We invest
ourselves in doing all we can to close even the slightest achievement gap identified
through the NWEA assessment testing.

I will schedule a meeting in the upcoming weeks to discuss the next steps in our process
as a group. Ultimately, we will walk away with a well-developed, high-quality plan for

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professional development that will be applicable to all grades levels within our building.
I feel the product of our focused efforts for improvement will not only be engaging for
our Tier 3 boys, but also engaging for our Tier 2 and Tier 1, boys and girls. Who
knows…it just might engage all of us!

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References
Gurian, M. (2005). The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Posamentier, A. (2003). 9 Strategies for Motivating Students in Mathematics. edutopia.

Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/9-strategies-motivating-students-
mathematics-alfred-posamentier

Stevens, M. G. (2004). Closing Achievement Gaps. ASCD Learn. Teach. Lead., 62(3), 21 - 26.
Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/nov04/vol62/num03/With-Boys-and-Girls-in-Mind.aspx

Stevens, M. G. (2010). 10 Essential Strategies for Teaching Boys Effectively. ASCD Express, 6(4).
Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/604-gurian.aspx

Viadero, D. (2006). Concern Over Gender Gaps Shifting to Boys. Education Week, 25(27), 16-17.
Rertieved from
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/03/15/27boys.h25.html?qs=math+elementa
ry+boys