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Conestoga Valley board hears K–12 math overhaul, algebra redesign slated for vote next month
Summary
District leaders presented a K–12 “modern learning” math curriculum with teacher-designed performance tasks and a reported 9% elementary proficiency gain after adopting the Stepping Stones resource; the board will be asked to approve an Algebra I redesign next month.
Conestoga Valley School District officials on Oct. 21 presented a K–12 math curriculum redesign that shifts instruction from algorithm-driven lessons to performance tasks and math discourse, and said the board will be asked next month to approve a redesigned Algebra I course.
The presentation, led by math specialist Moren Davis and district instructional leaders, described a multi-year, teacher-led design process and a district “CV learner” profile emphasizing problem solving, communication and real-world application. Davis said teacher leaders built long-term transfer goals in July 2023 and used ESSER funds to elevate instructional supports, including district math specialists and coaching time.
District staff highlighted classroom examples: a fifth-grade volume task that resulted in donated goods, middle-school “lead learner” stations run by students, and an eighth-grade project linking qualitative graphs to real-world scenarios. Officials said these performance tasks are intentionally tied to the CV learner profile and are meant to produce deeper conceptual understanding rather than faster algorithmic answers.
“Students are having math discourse every day,” Molly, a second-grade teacher, said, adding that her highest scores in 20 years followed the shift away from strict algorithm instruction. A district presenter said elementary math proficiency rose roughly 9 percent since adopting the Stepping Stones resource two years ago.
Board members asked how much professional development the change required and how the district supports newly hired teachers. Presenters described a deliberately slowed rollout that included substitute coverage to allow teachers two- to three-hour planning/coaching sessions, summer professional learning and ongoing in-class coaching by math specialists.
The district also plans to revise report cards to reflect the CV learner rubrics and said that the Algebra I redesign will be brought to the board for approval at the next meeting. No formal vote on curriculum adoption was taken on Oct. 21.
Next steps: the board will consider the Algebra I redesign during the next board meeting; staff said they will continue to provide implementation details, professional-development schedules and revised report-card language.
