½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

High School Mathematics

Vision:  Supporting all students to increase belief in their innate mathematics ability and achievement at the highest levels in mathematics by providing opportunities to experience the beauty, joy and wonder of mathematics through engaging, culturally-sustaining instructional experiences and real-life contexts.

Mission: It is the mission of the ½ûÂþÌìÌà mathematics department to support all educators at all levels within the district through the provision and implementation of equitable and culturally sustaining practices. We do this in order to best meet the needs of our families, communities, and most importantly to serve our students so they are able to achieve the attributes of the Graduate Portrait.

Why is mathematics education important?
The ability to think and communicate mathematically is essential to becoming a successful and productive member of our dynamic global society. To prepare our students, they must develop the skills to:     

• Use number sense fluently
• Problem-solve
• Attend to precision
• Think creatively and flexibly
• Build, support, and critique an argument
• Communicate mathematical thinking orally, visually, and in writing make connections between mathematical ideas, patterns and concepts in a variety of contexts.

Each of these critical components of a rigorous and balanced K-12 mathematics program based on the Common Core Standards must include the use of the proper tools, including the most appropriate technology. If we are to meet this challenge, we must provide students with multiple opportunities to engage with a variety of problem solving tasks that reflect the diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences of each student. Students should explore and collaborate on rich problems with multiple entry points and multiple paths to a solution that challenges them. Students should be encouraged to work through their thinking and computations in order for them to recognize the patterns, significance, and relevance of the true nature of mathematics. Developing number sense, estimation, and computation skills will create students who are more efficient in their problem solving skills.