Concerned about what they see as a dearth of instructional materials aligned with the , several educators in Utah, with support from the state office of education, are taking matters into their own hands. They鈥檙e in the early stages of developing a set of e-textbooks for high school math that will be freely available.
In fact, two-thirds of the first e-book, for 9th graders, is already online for schools to use, with the rest expected later this fall.
鈥淭here was not a textbook out there that we felt reflected the common core,鈥� said Janet M. Sutorius, a math teacher at Juab High School in Nephi, Utah, who is a co-author. 鈥淲e felt like the textbook companies were just reorganizing the chapters of their old books.鈥�
She added: 鈥淲e wanted to teach our students in a different way, to make sense of the mathematics and make connections.鈥�
Finding strong materials has been especially challenging, those developing the e-textbooks say, because Utah has adopted a statewide policy of using an 鈥渋ntegrated鈥� model of high school math under the common core, dispensing with the traditional Algebra 1-Geometry-Algebra 2 pathway in favor of blending math subjects in each course.
So, Utah public schools are grappling not only with new standards, but also a reconfigured set of courses the state calls Secondary Mathematics I, II, and III. (In some Utah districts, 9th grade is taught in junior high school.)
A Task-Based Approach
Ms. Sutorius is joined on the writing team by another classroom teacher, two academic officials in the Salt Lake City district, and a professor of math education at Brigham Young University.
The authors describe the enterprise, dubbed the , as embracing a 鈥渢ask-based鈥� approach to fostering math proficiency that is closely aligned with the common-core standards.
A set of mathematics e-textbooks being developed to align with the Common Core State Standards for high school bring a task-based approach, as seen in this example from a unit on arithmetic and geometric sequences.
SOURCE: Mathematics Vision Project
Diana Suddreth, the STEM director for Utah鈥檚 state education agency, said she sees great promise in the project, which the authors began before the state stepped in to offer financial and other assistance.
The need is urgent, she said, given that Utah is now implementing the math standards.
鈥淭o leave teachers without any resources is something we can鈥檛 do,鈥� Ms. Suddreth said. "[They鈥檙e] writing what we hope to be a coherent and rigorous and focused set of textbooks.鈥�
It鈥檚 up to districts to decide whether or not they want to use the materials. Ms. Suddreth notes that about one-quarter of Utah鈥檚 41 school systems have reported using the first e-textbook so far.
The math project is in Utah to promote greater use of online, 鈥渙pen source鈥� materials that meet the needs of Utah educators and help districts save money. In January, the state education agency announced plans to help produce and support open textbooks in several areas, including high school math, English/language arts, and science, expanding on an earlier pilot project. The state office will encourage districts and schools statewide to consider using the textbooks.
A separate, state-supported effort with the University of Utah, meanwhile, is crafting e-textbooks for middle school math.
With Utah now pursuing an integrated approach to high school math under the common core, Ms. Suddreth said it鈥檚 been difficult to find appropriate materials.
鈥淭he publishers were giving us what I call these crazy-quilt textbooks,鈥� she said.
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Jay Diskey, the executive director of the Association of American Publishers鈥� schools division, said the industry is working hard to deliver aligned materials.
鈥淧ublishers large and small are doing everything they can to meet the market need that the common core presents,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n some cases, that means creating whole new things, in others it may mean looking at what they have and making significant adjustments.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚f a group of Utah educators says, 鈥榃e didn鈥檛 see the sort of things that we need,鈥� I certainly take them at their word, but perhaps they didn鈥檛 look as far and wide as they should have.鈥�
Although the common-core math standards are organized by grade level in grades K-8, at high school, they are organized by conceptual categories, such as algebra and geometry. An appendix added later to the standards documents outlines four model pathways for states to consider, including a 鈥渢raditional鈥� approach consisting of two algebra courses and geometry (with some data, probability, and statistics included in each). Another approach suggested, and common in other countries, is an 鈥渋ntegrated鈥� sequence of math courses, each of which blends material across math-content areas.
Integrated Math
Utah and West Virginia appear to be the only states that have adopted as statewide policy the integrated approach, state officials and experts say, though in many places there is no state policy so districts may use an integrated model.
A statewide task force in Utah decided on the integrated approach after examining the issue carefully, Ms. Suddreth said.
鈥淲hen you think about mathematics and how people use it, we use it in an integrated way,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 think, 鈥楴ow I鈥檓 going to do some algebra, or now I鈥檓 going to do some geometry.鈥� 鈥�
Ms. Suddreth concedes that the e-textbooks being designed by the Mathematics Vision Project may be seen as unorthodox.
鈥淓verybody kind of has a picture in their mind of what a textbook is: some explanatory text, some problems, and homework,鈥� Ms. Suddreth said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e replaced the explanatory text with math tasks. ... The book is really a guide to help teachers take students through learning experiences.鈥�
The teacher鈥檚 edition does include explanatory text for each task, helping teachers understand the task鈥檚 goal and the particular standards addressed, and suggesting whole-class and small-group activities. The student edition has homework assignments for each task.
The authors say there鈥檚 plenty of places students may go online for explanations of particular concepts.
In an introduction, the authors explain their approach, saying it is 鈥渘either purely constructivist nor purely traditional.鈥� The materials aim to get students engaged in problem-solving, guided by teachers, to promote math proficiency. Each unit, they write, has been designed and sequenced with 鈥渞ich鈥� tasks that develop concepts in the standards, with careful attention to the way math knowledge emerges.
Also, there will be regular and 鈥渉onors鈥� versions of each book.
鈥淲e wanted materials that were task-based so that students were ... engaged in the practices and making sense of the mathematics for themselves,鈥� said Barbara B. Kuehl, a co-author and the director of academic services for the 24,000-student Salt Lake City district.
Ms. Sutorius from Juab High School said one challenge has been to generate the materials rapidly.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just running barely faster than [districts] are,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e work full time, so we鈥檙e working evenings and weekends, but there was just such a desperate need for the textbook.鈥�
An Impressive List
William G. McCallum, a math professor at the University of Arizona who was a lead author of the common math standards, said he was not prepared to comment on the content of the e-textbooks being developed, but that he鈥檚 encouraged to hear of such projects.
鈥淎nything that is trying a different way of writing textbooks is a good idea,鈥� he said, so long as the materials are well-designed and adhere to the standards. He said he was especially encouraged that the effort appears aimed at tailoring materials to the state鈥檚 needs.
鈥淭here is a temptation to recycle old material and arrange it in different ways,鈥� he said.
Mr. Diskey from the publishers鈥� group said he has no objection to educators creating their own e-textbooks, but he cautioned that it鈥檚 not easy work.
鈥淒eveloping a core instructional program, particularly one that meets the needs of all types of learners, is a very difficult task,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is scope and sequence, standards alignment, research, editorial development. All of these things come into play.鈥�
Ms. Sutorius acknowledged that the e-textbooks may not have universal appeal: 鈥淣ot everyone is going to like it.鈥�
She added: 鈥淭here are lessons I鈥檝e struggled through, and they need to be improved.鈥� But as an e-book, she notes, it鈥檚 easy to revise.
Brigham Young University plans to conduct research on the project, tackling such questions as whether the tasks are accessible to students and spark the intended student discourse. Later research will try to gauge the effect of the curriculum on student achievement.
Travis L. Lemon, another co-author and a math teacher at American Fork Junior High School, in North American Fork, Utah, said he鈥檚 pleased with his classroom experience using the material so far.
鈥淭he students have a lot of opportunity to problem-solve, make sense of problems, listen to other students鈥� reasoning, and refine their own thinking,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we solidify those understandings.鈥�
But student reaction varies.
鈥淪ome students respond much better than others,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f they鈥檝e been encouraged in the past to persist and dig in and make sense of things, they鈥檙e more willing and apt to do that now. The ones that aren鈥檛, it鈥檚 a little more challenging.鈥�
The first e-textbook is being used by 9th graders in the 7,300-student Uintah district in Vernal, Utah, said Keith D. McMullin, a math instructional coach for the system.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been very positive,鈥� he said of the district鈥檚 experience so far with the material, especially after teachers attended a workshop with two of the authors. 鈥淚 was excited, and all the teachers that were there were excited.鈥�
He commended the teacher鈥檚 edition for its thoroughness in guiding instruction, and said that, overall, the emphasis on tasks in the e-textbook brings the math to life for students and covers a lot of concepts.
鈥淚f you look at the tasks that are in there and really list all the things you can teach, ... it鈥檚 a very impressive list,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e always building on what students learn the day before.鈥�
