HS Supervisors Outline Mathematics Department

The Mathematics Supervisors of the presented an overview of their department to the Board of Education on Monday, Dec. 19 at . This year, the Board has asked all of the academic department supervisors to create a presentation explaining the basic elements of their department and where that department excels.

Mathematics Supervisors

• Colts Neck High School: Deana Farinick
• Manalapan High School: Denise Scanga
• Marlboro High School: Elena Andreacci
• Howell High School: Annette Kinsley
• Freehold High School: Joseph Iacullo
• Freehold Township High School: Angelique Gauthier

The supervisors began the presentation with a demonstration of the district's response system. Every Board Member was supplied with a remote controller, as students would be in a classroom, and a question was displayed to them on a white screen.

As the Board Members discovered the answer to the question they plugged in the answer they thought was correct. Elena Andreacci, the Math Supervisor of Marlboro High School, explained that each student would be connected with a specific remote control (e.g. John Smith always uses remote control #1) so that the teacher can monitor the student's progress, including how often that student is correct and how long it takes that student to answer. This helps the teacher identify the weaknesses within her classroom, the weaknesses of a specific student, and whether or not the students are retaining the material quickly or correctly.

The supervisors went on to explain the basics of the Mathematics Department and the progress of district students.

Course Selection

• Intermediate Alegbra I
• Algebra I
• Intermediate Geometry
• Geometry
• Honors Geometry
• Intermediate Algebra II
• Algebra II
• Honors Algebra II
• Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry
• Pre-Calculus
• Honors Pre-Calculus
• Calculus
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• Probability and Statistics
• College Algebra
• Discrete Mathematics

AP Courses

• AP Statistics
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Computer Science A

The Supervisors said that the district's achievement on AP exams is extremely high.

Students, district-wide, also perform extremely well on HSPA tests. Students scored 5 percent higher than the average school within the District Factor Group (DFG, or schools which share similar demographics and socio-economic status). FRHSD students also scored 14 percent higher than New Jersey as a whole, in 2011.

The district concentrates on HSPA prep to guarantee success and comprehension, the Supervisors said.

                                                   High School Proficiency Assessment

                                                   Proficient and Advanced Proficient

The Supervisors explained to the Board that they like to vary instructional methods in order to keep the children engaged. Some teaching methods include:

• Formative Assessment
• Differntiated Instruction
• Cooperative Learning
• Think-Pair-Share
• Technology-Assisted Instruction

The technology in the classrooms, such as the remote control learning demonstrated earlier, help the teachers learn the weakeness of the classroom and keep the students on their toes.

Smartboard technology, graphing calculators, Vodcasting, United Streaming, Moodle, Youtube videos, Online textbooks, Apangea, Geometer's Sketchpad, Quizlet/Quiz Star, and Khan Academy all are technolgical tools which aid in the learning process and promote engagement with the students.

The district also hosts various math-related events, contests, and competitions:

• Pi Day
• Free Rice
• Mouse Trap Competition
• Mu Alpha Theta
• ACSL
• NJIT Programming Contest
• Moody's Mega Math Challenge
• Mathematics League
• American Mathematics Competition