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District 34 reports math curriculum rollout, digital practice and concerns about NWEA changes
Summary
Teaching-and-learning leaders told the board they implemented a new K–5 GoMath resource and used digital tools Waggle and IXL; internal benchmarks held steady but board members raised concerns about changes to the NWEA MAP algorithm and upcoming renorming that may complicate longitudinal comparisons.
Glenview CCSD 34’s teaching-and-learning staff reported a yearlong rollout of a new K–5 math resource, teacher professional development, and mixed digital usage data for Waggle and IXL; staff and board members also flagged concerns about recent changes to the NWEA MAP algorithm that will be renormed this summer.
"We have done some major lifting in the area of math education," said Dr. Silverman, who introduced the math update and the district’s K–5 implementation work.
Why it matters: The board heard that district benchmarking and interim assessments did not show the declines sometimes expected with a major curricular change, but the NWEA algorithm change and an upcoming renorming could alter how growth and proficiency are reported and interpreted.
Curriculum and classroom practice: District presenters described adoption of the GoMath core resource in K–5 and use of a 5E learning model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate). Presenters and a short animation shown to the board emphasized small-group rotations in the "elaborate" phase, with station work, digital practice and targeted teacher-led groups.
Digital tools and usage: Jenny Bergeron summarized teacher survey feedback and usage data: Waggle (the GoMath digital component) and IXL (a supplemental practice tool) were both used across grades K–5. Bergeron reported differences in purpose: Waggle provides embedded digital instruction and guidance; IXL provides repetitive fluency practice. The district’s tracking showed substantial year-to-date use of both platforms, with some grade-level variation.
Benchmarking and assessment results: Dr. Silverman presented internal AIMSweb and NWEA results. He said the district aims for roughly 80 percent of students in Tier 1 (low risk) on early benchmarks and reported strong growth: "You can see 89% of our third graders [met growth targets]," he said, calling the results "strong." He cautioned, however, that NWEA is renorming its tests this summer and that the vendor changed its scoring algorithm two years ago, tightening the adaptive range.
Board concerns about assessments: Several board members pressed staff on the reliability of NWEA trend data after the algorithm change. One board member said districts have seen different results and urged staff to press the vendor for clearer support: "They're making too many changes too quickly to allow this data to actually help us decide," a board member said, arguing the district should demand clearer vendor accountability. District leaders said they will continue to track local measures and to push for explanatory support from the vendor.
Teacher feedback and professional development: Bergeron summarized survey themes: teachers want more support with mathematical reasoning, word problems, small-group instruction and work with EL and special-education students. Presenters outlined continued professional development, peer leadership and opportunities to pilot classroom strategies drawn from the "Building Thinking Classrooms" approach introduced to some teachers earlier in the year.
Ending: Staff asked the board for continued patience during multi-year implementation and said they will bring fuller fall benchmarking and data dives once NWEA releases new norms. The administration also said it will continue to collect teacher feedback and refine support for rotations and digital instruction.
