New Hope-Solebury School District

The K-12 mathematics program is designed to meet the diverse academic needs of students. Challenges and enrichment opportunities are available in all academic pathways. The mathematics curriculum has high but reasonable expectations for all students. Success is more dependent on effort and opportunity to learn than innate ability.

At the elementary level, students learn through the spiral core curriculum of Everyday Mathematics. Learning and practice of concepts and skills are revisited over time for long-term mastery of facts, skills, and concepts. Everyday Mathematics aims at developing all students’ ability to reason, communicate, and solve a variety of problems at their own rate, while fostering a growth mindset in perseverance and creative thinking. Students are encouraged to think critically to solve problems, explain their thinking, hence helping them make connections between concepts and procedures for a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Games are also an integral part of the curriculum to build fluency and develop higher-level thinking skills. To supplement our core curriculum, the elementary math period also includes a flex portion for differentiation in which students are provided with various opportunities for extra practice, challenge and extensions of concepts by meeting in a small group with the teacher, working with peers or using a variety of supplemental technological resources and manipulatives to meet their individual needs.

At the secondary level, the goal of the mathematics curriculum is to emphasize the process of mathematical reasoning rather than simple computation. Higher order thinking skills – application, analysis, synthesis – will be modeled and emphasized. Students will be encouraged to participate in various mathematics competitions. Strategies, preparation and practice for the PSSA, KEYSTONE, PSAT and SAT are infused throughout the math curriculum.

Instructional practices include individual and cooperative tasks, discussion, questioning and writing about mathematics. Students will use technology for computation, simulation, and exploration. The instructional use of technology will ensure that students’ experience in mathematics will match the realities of everyday life, develop reasoning skills, and promote understanding and application of mathematics.