Curriculum

Curriculum drives the educational program that is individualized for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities have success in learning the same content as non-disabled peers with a range of learning accommodations. Other students may require some modifications to the curriculum to address their specific needs. The key issue for the educational team is designing an effective program that assists the student to learn and socialize with non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible.

Mathematics is a highly interconnected and cumulative subject, whose mastery is critical to a student's overall success. Relationships among important mathematical concepts must be taught directly to students. As students build connections and skills, their understanding deepens and expands. Additionally, students should have opportunities to learn increasingly more sophisticated mathematical concepts as they progress through the grades. A well-articulated curriculum is necessary for teachers at each level to know what mathematics their students have already studied and will study in future grades.

The focus in the mathematics effort is for students to acquire proficiency in content skill areas as specified by the Pennsylvania Assessment Anchors. The standards and assessment anchors for school mathematics describe the mathematical understanding, knowledge, and skills that students should acquire from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Although Assessment Anchors apply to all grades, the relative emphasis on particular Assessment Anchors will vary across the grades. The following are references to the assessment anchors:

Numbers and Operations

• MA.1 Demonstrate an understanding of numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers and number systems.
• MA.2 Understand the meanings of operations, use operations and understand how they relate to each other.
• MA.3 Compute accurately and fluently and make reasonable estimates.

Measurement

• MB.1 Demonstrate an understanding of measurable attributes of objects and figures, and the units, systems and processes of measurement (not assessed at Grade 11).
• MB.2 Apply appropriate techniques, tools and formulas to determine measurements.

Geometry

• MC.1 Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three- dimensional geometric shapes and demonstrate understanding of geometric relationships.
• MC.2 Identify and/or apply concepts of transformations or symmetry (not assessed at Grades 6, 7 or 11).
• MC.3 Locate points or describe relationships using the coordinate plane (not assessed at Grade 3).

Algebraic Concepts

• MD.1 Demonstrate an understanding of patterns, relations and functions.
• MD.2 Represent and/or analyze mathematical situations using numbers, symbols, words, tables and/or graphs.
• MD.3 Analyze change in various contexts (not assessed at Grades 3, 4 or 8).
• MD.4 Describe or use models to represent quantitative relationships (not assessed at Grade 3 - 7).

Data Analysis and Probability

• ME.1 Formulate or answer questions that can be addressed with data and/or organize, display, interpret or analyze data.
• ME.2 Select and/or use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data (not assessed at Grade 3).
• ME.3 Understand and/or apply basic concepts of probability or outcomes.
• ME.4 Develop and/or evaluate inferences and predictions or draw conclusions based on data or data displays (not assessed at Grades 3 -6).

Number and operations, measurement, algebra, and geometry are areas of particular importance in laying the foundation for mathematics. Mathematics proficiency requires students to develop additional skills related to the process of solving math problems. These skills include problem solving, mathematical reasoning, connections to other mathematical topics as well as other subjects, and representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas.