AHS Math Department Overview
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General Overview: The Animas High School Mathematics program is designed to support all students to develop the skills and tools necessary to solve complex, real-world, and relevant problems. The AHS teaching team is committed to providing differentiated instruction that challenges and supports all students to develop their mathematical thinking, to apply that thinking to engaging and significant problems, and to be prepared for college and career success. This philosophy (beautifully and accurately reflected in this article) serves as the foundation for our program.
Course Flow: CO State Standards: The AHS Math curriculum prepares students for postsecondary success through aligning its mathematical focus to the “Purpose of Mathematics,” as outlined in 2018 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and referenced in the 2020 CO State Mathematics Standards, and through addressing Colorado State’s Practice and Content Standards. See our Colorado State Standards page for a general overview of these three sets of guidelines and how they are specifically addressed in the AHS math curriculum. IMP Curriculum: AHS has chosen to implement the Interactive Mathematics Program® (IMP) within its core classes. This program has been selected for its exceptional ability to address both sets of standards within a research-proven curriculum that is both problem-based and college-preparatory. While covering the same academic content as an “Algebra 1 - Geometry - Algebra II - PreCalculus” curriculum, IMP explores these content areas across grade levels, and within the context of solving novel and complex problems. This approach prepares students to address the varied problems (large and small) they will encounter in an ever-evolving world. |
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Data Analysis/Statistics: The AHS math program also places significant focus on data analysis and statistics, within the IMP curriculum, elective classes, and as well as in a unique Math 4 unit that prepares AHS students to apply statistics to their final senior project. This field of study holds a minor place in traditional curriculum, and yet a wide body of research suggests that data fluency is one of the highest ranked mathematical skills, regarding post-secondary relevance and applicability. As of 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimations showed that jobs that require data literacy and statistics are among the 10 fastest-growing occupations in the country. The College Board has also revised the SAT to reflect this reality. Reflected in a recent interview of the College Board C.E.O., David Coleman, 20% of the mathematics questions on the current SAT test data fluency, while 10% of the questions on the “evidence-based reading and writing” (previously “verbal”) section involve data analysis. Core Math Classes: All AHS students take 4 years of IMP ("Interactive Mathematics Program") mathematics. Our curriculum is “untracked” in accordance with extensive research in mathematics education and equity, including the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’s 2018 recommendation. We invite you to explore four influential articles and studies that have guided this decision. This model simultaneously offers valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary projects across core classes. Electives: AHS students are also invited to take elective mathematics courses. Starting in 2020-2021, these courses will be primarily one semester in length, and designed to offer students the opportunity to explore specific areas of interest. Algebra II and PreCalc will no longer be offered, as our core classes will have transitioned to fully covering these content areas. Example classes:
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