Spotlight on the High School Math Journey: Yelm Community Schools

Yelm-Math

OUTCOME

All high school math students across the whole of the Yelm school district students have the mathematical thinking skills that prepare them for their next steps including college, military, and various technical and industry career training programs.

WHY?

All 13 high school math teachers and two principals engaged with ISB Education facilitators in over 60 hours of professional development experiences focused on changing how students experience their high school math journey. Throughout their work together, the math teachers developed a comfort with watching students learn in each other’s classroom. They listened to how students talk about math and discussed how to identify student learning outside of traditional measures. As a team, they considered the journey students take through their various math classes.

WHY?

A STEM professional with expertise in math pedagogy from Western Washington University worked with the teachers on multiple occasions and helped teachers see what skills students need to acquire on their math journey. She focused the teachers on mathematical thinking and the big picture.

WHY?

Principals restructured the math department so that all math teachers are responsible for teaching more than one level of mathematics to allow the teachers to have experience with students’ complete high school math journey.

WHY?

ISB Education worked with district leaders to create a vision for math education that focuses on students’ journey through multiple math courses.

WHY?

District leaders had success working with ISB Education to focus on quality science education and asked ISB Education to use the same model to focus on math education.