Curriculum Development
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    Sequence Adjustment for Three Years of Math

    Science Sequence

    Algebra 2 Textbook Adoption

    Geometry Textbook Adoption

    Non-AP Statistics Textbook Adoption

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State law requires students to take two years of mathematics. However, STAR's "gift of 200" for students not taking a standards math class in grades 9-11 changes the law de facto to Mathematics being required during the first three years of high school.

The California State University system's requirement for Algebra 2 & Geometry reinforces the need for students to take moderately advanced math courses. For students balking at taking Pre-Calculus as their third year class, a Statistics class with a substantial CAHSEE/STAR review which satisfies the blueprint for the STAR High School Summative Math Test has been introduced. In addition, the University of California system's strong request for a Senior year math course suggests that 4 years of math must remain the goal of a high school college-prep program.

It may be wise to model a math arc of Grade 7 Math (Pre-Algebra), Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 followed by an arc of Geometry, Trigonomety, Calculus.  The first pushes "perseverance" and the secondth pushes "analysis."

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The State of California chose Biology as its tenth grade NCLB science test. While Biology usually doesn't include a substantial math aspect, a course that works as a great precursor for Biology is Chemistry. Chemistry's emphasis on proportions, conversion factors, and balancing equations reinforces the math skills needed for Algebra 1 and the CAHSEE. While many districts have selected Integrated Science or Earth Science as their ninth grade science class; it would behoove them to develop a ninth grade Chemistry class. A ninth grade Chemistry class would augment AP Chemistry later.

Several exceptional texts are available for ninth grade science such as World of Chemistry, which has been approved by the district.

While it isn't the best support for Biology, Physics may be the better ninth grade class overall.  Its strong emphasis on functions, conversion factors, and graphing makes Physics the best complement of an Algebra 1/CAHSEE/STAR focus.  The texts Physics: A First Course, which is great for students who are taking Algebra 1 in grade nine and Foundations of Physics, for students who completed Algebra 1 easily in eighth grade use many of the same experiments and are extremely cost effective.

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With the increased emphasis on Algebra 2, it would be reasonable for  district to adopt a standard textbook. Obviously, for districts that have standardized on Prentice-Hall for Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, Prentice-Hall would be the default choice for Algebra 2. Still, from a due dilligence perspective, a review of the satisfactoriness of the current Prentice-Hall texts should be made and an alternative series be identified as a competitor. Finally and most importantly, the impact of UCI's Math Curriculum Development Program with Title One school's such as TeWinkle, must be considered. A good decision can be made afterwards.

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Geometry has a different flow than the Algebra curriculum. Also, it supports Mathematical Analysis in Pre-Calculus extremely well. As such, it could be considered as the first part of a Geometry, Pre-Calculus/Trig, & Calculus sequence. Standardizing on a Geometry text may not be as important from meeting STAR and CAHSEE needs as the choice of an Algebra 2 text.

If new Geometry texts are being sought, Jacob's Geometry: Seeing, Doing, Understanding should be examined. It appears exceptionally inviting and has district approval.

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A third or fourth year of math needs to be availble to students who want to take neither Calculus, AP Calculus nor AP Statistics.  While there is no STAR test for it, Statistics is a Standards course. Also, it can be argued that Stats is the most valuable math class a student can take because it supports the social sciences, in addition to the hard sciences. A text for high school, non-AP statistics is rare. The best text available may be,  the district approved Yates Statistics Through Applications.

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