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Hatboro‑Horsham presenters urge stronger K–8 fluency, new high‑school math pathways
Summary
A year‑one K–12 math curriculum review recommended clearer grade‑level fluency expectations, aligned fluency instruction and assessments K–8, structured interventions, and expanded 9–12 pathways including data science and applied math; resources will be piloted next year and Bridges will continue in 2026‑27.
Presenters at the Hatboro‑Horsham School District work session on May 4 summarized year‑one findings from a districtwide K–12 mathematics curriculum review and recommended a multi‑year plan to strengthen foundational skills in K–8 while expanding flexible, career‑aligned offerings at the high‑school level.
"The recommendations reflect a unified vision for mathematics in Hatboro‑Horsham, a K–12 program that builds on strong foundational skills in the early grades, supports and challenges students through the middle grades, and offers rigorous, relevant course pathways at the high school level," Christine Jenkins, district supervisor of curriculum, said during the presentation.
The committee — which included classroom teachers, math specialists, learning‑support staff and administrators from every building — identified consistent gaps in number sense, fact fluency and procedural accuracy across grade levels. "Teachers reported gaps in number sense, fact fluency, and procedural accuracy across all grade levels," said Kate Hanisco, a seventh‑grade teacher, citing teacher surveys and data reviews.
To address those findings, the K–8 recommendations include: establishing clear, grade‑level fluency expectations; piloting evidence‑aligned fluency instruction and supplemental materials; strengthening assessment practices with targeted fluency checks; creating transitional vertical‑alignment meetings across grade bands; providing two‑tier professional learning; and designing a structured intervention pathway connected to grade‑level instruction.
Presenters described an "instructional hierarchy" of acquisition, fluency and generalization that will guide resource evaluation. Elementary examples presented by kindergarten teacher Jen Basmajian illustrated how daily, structured practice builds automaticity that supports later problem solving.
At the high‑school level, presenters said research by the Charles A. Dana Center informed recommendations to expand multiple rigorous pathways — including statistics, data science and applied math — so students can pursue STEM, business or data‑analytics tracks without losing access to traditional calculus sequences.
Kevin Kerrigan, high‑school math teacher and department chair, outlined proposed changes to 9th‑grade sequencing, including renaming the college‑prep Prop Stat course to "Algebra 1B" to reflect its algebra content while preserving honors acceleration options. Kerrigan said the district will protect the existing structure that has supported Keystone success while offering more flexible routes after geometry.
Board members asked about professional development and whether current resources would be abandoned. On that point presenters said next year will be a transition year focused on frameworks and piloting; they said the current elementary resource (Bridges) will remain in use for 2026‑27 while new resources are evaluated. "Bridges will continue. Yes, next year there is no there are no changes," a presenter said.
No board action was required at the work session; the curriculum review team said detailed implementation plans, assessment design, and resource pilots will be developed in year two of the review cycle and presented at future meetings.
