Lena Algebra Case Study

1) What are the central issues in this case, and how is each presented? The central issues in the case is Lena couldn’t remember the steps to doing her math homework and asked her dad for help. Her dad tried to help her but he didn’t understand the new math curriculum Lena uses in school and tried to have her do it the way he knows how confusing Lena even more. Also leaving him to wonder what his daughter is learning at school.
The central issues is presented through different point of views and a narrative of Beth’s day. Lena thinks her dad doesn’t understand math as well as Mrs. Martin but really he knows how but in a different way. Mr. Caridon doesn’t understand Lena’s homework and thinks there’s a flaw in the instruction. Beth doesn’t

know how to come up with a solution to satisfy the parents not understand their children’s homework.
2) What is the teacher's role in explaining and defending curriculum changes to parents?

What is the school's role? Teachers play a major role because they are the ones using the curriculum and they know if it is working or not. They should be able to explain to the parents why the new curriculum is beneficial to the children and explain how it is working in the classroom. The school’s role is to host events that can help parents understand what their child is learning in class.

3) How do you evaluate Lena's father's concerns about the new math? I think his concerns are valid because he doesn’t understand the math and remembers how he was taught he assumes the new way should be similar. Although I understand his frustration, I don’t agree with him questioning the instruction like its wrong. Just because he does not understand something doesn’t make it wrong.

4) If you were Beth Martin, how would you defend the strengths of the new math curriculum to Lena's father? I would explain to him the new math curriculum has potential for increasing students' math abilities and their understanding of math concepts. I would tell him the program focuses on collaborative work, real-life math connections, and skill reinforcement games. Then I would explain how the students are understanding and able to solve more difficult multiplication problems. Even Lena, was engaged, participating, and even offered to explain her process in arriving at an answer in front of the

class.
5) Why aren't math nights at Winner Elementary School working as well as expected?
The parents go to the math nights and play the games used in class but they don’t see the teachers teach the lesson or know the explanation behind the Investigations approach to teaching basic concepts such as multiplication or division.
6) What other strategies could the school use to earn parent support for the new math curriculum? The school could host a night to teach parents how to help their children with homework by showing them the steps teachers use in the classroom.

7) What skills do parents need to participate in their children's math learning at home and how can the school promote these skills? Parents need to know how the teacher is teaching the children how to do the math work instead of having their children do it the way they the parents learned in school.

8) How do Ray Donaldson and Darlene Brown, the senior teachers who empathize with Beth Martin's concerns, deal with parents' confusion? How can communication among teachers and school leadership improve to find joint solutions to supporting parents? Ray Donaldson encourages families to attend the math nights and sends the unit letters home consistently, being sure to print them in Spanish and English. Darlene is still trying to figure out a way to handle the confusion. It can improve if the school leadership took suggestions from the teacher or hosted a meeting where they and teachers come up with suggestions together to find solutions to support parents.