What's happening
Serena Georges-Penny, executive director of curriculum and professional development, told the SCUCISD board of trustees Oct. 23 that a committee will be formed to vet the HQIM for grades 9-12 mathematics.
HQIM are materials aligned to state academic standards and are approved by the State Board of Education, according to board documents.
Georges-Penny said that the changeover to HQIM will be the first update to grades 9-12 math materials since 2015. The change also comes after the 88th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1605, which brought requirements around instructional materials to “streamline the process,” she said.
“Really, they were looking at the time it was taking teachers to find materials, and they wanted to support teachers with lesson planning and development,” Georges-Penny said.
A shift in how math is taught is another factor in the switch, Georges-Penny said, with a move away from rote procedures like memorization to more real-world applications.
“Remember back in the days, you’d memorize your multiplication facts. We don’t do that anymore. It’s really building the students' conceptual understanding of why [for example] six times seven is 42,” Georges-Penny said.
Board President Edward Finley said that although he learned his math through rote procedure, he trusts staff in the HQIM process.
“I believe the teachers will get it right one way or another, but I guess I’m just old school, so I’ll just take a 'wait-and-see' attitude and see how it goes,” Finley said.
Next steps
According to board documents, a committee of teachers and campus administrators to review the materials will be approved by the board in November.
Committee members will receive training on grading the materials in January and will begin the selection process at that time.
A preview for all instructional staff and the community will take place in February in advance of a March board vote on recommended materials.
