Mathematics Intervention

At home and in the work place, mathematics play a central role in our culture.

Math is used in every aspect of our lives. Today’s students are challenged to truly grasp

the understanding of math. Students are expected to comprehend at higher levels of

thinking when engaged in problem solving. Today, math is more than just memorizing

facts and formulas. All students need to know the “whys” of each concept and be able to

explain their reasoning often in writing. Many students wonder how they will ever use

higher-order mathematics. As an educator, examples are needed during instruction to

convince students that the usefulness of mathematics will enhance their adult life.

Now, students in Ohio are faced with high-stakes testing. At the elementary

school level, students in grades three thru six are required to take the math Ohio

Achievement Assessment test. Each school district must have at least seventy-five

percent of students pass the math achievement test to meet the sixth grade math indicator.

The ultimate goal is to have a one hundred percent passing rate. Teaching at a school

where students typically struggle in math is a challenge to many educators. Many parents

are unable to help their child with math because they did not do well themselves, or they

do not understand the algorithms that students need to apply in math. There are no

consequences from the state for a child, as in the OGT, if the OAA is not passed.

Students who have not been able to pass the math OAA need an intervention math

program to enable them to be successful. Students need to be given every opportunity to

have a clear understanding of mathematics to prepare them for the OGT and life.

The purpose of the mathematics intervention course is to identify students who

are low-achieving in math, have mathematical learning disabilities, and are in danger of
not passing the sixth grade OAA. Basic skills are reinforced, as well as, demonstrating

how to problem solve using higher level thinking. According the article written by

Elizabeth and Patrick Waldington (2008), students may have one of two types of learning

styles that should be considered when planning instruction. Quantitative Personality are

part to whole thinkers while the Qualitative Personality thinkers are more whole-to-part

oriented (Wadlington, 2008). While planning intervention lessons, these two learning

styles are used to help the students participating in this program. The math intervention

course will be a small group setting of sixth grade students with no more than six

students. The students will meet once a week after school for an hour beginning in

January. Data from students’ fifth grade OAA math scores and teacher recommendations

will be used to identify students that qualify for the intervention program.

According to an article by C. Burris (2006), students need to be provided with a

rich, high-quality mathematics curriculum and with qualified teachers. All students in the

state of Ohio are required to take the OAA. Students that are struggling with math or

have a math learning disability need to be identified to give them the opportunity for

success. By allowing these students to have an extra resource to strengthen their

weaknesses, they will become more confident in their mathematic abilities.

The general purpose of this course is to reinforce specific subject matter using the

content standards for sixth grade developed by the Ohio Department of Education.
 References

Brown, C., & Woodward, J. (2006, March). Meeting the curricular needs of

academically low-achieving students in middle grade mathematics. The Journal

of Special Education, 151-159.

Burris, C. C., Heubert, Jay P., & Levin, Henry M. (2006, Spring). Accelerating

mathematics achievement using heterogeneous grouping. American Educational

Research Journal, 105-136.

Wadlington, E. & Wadlington, P. L. (2008, Fall). Helping students with mathematical

disabilities to succeed. Preventing School Failure, 2-7.

Ohio Department of Education. (2001, December). Academic content standards: K-12

mathematics.
 General Intended Learning Outcomes

Number, Number Sense and Operations:

To enable students to demonstrate number sense, including an understanding of
number systems and operations and how they relate to one another.

Measurement:
To enable students to estimate and measure to a required degree of accuracy by
selecting and using appropriate units, tools, and technologies (Ohio Department of
Education).

Geometry and Spatial Sense:

To enable students to identify, classify, compare, and analyze characteristics,
properties and relationships of one-, two- and three dimensional geometric figures and
objects, and to enable students to use spatial reasoning, properties of geometric objects,
and transformations to analyze mathematical situations and solve problems (Ohio
Department of Education).

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra:

To enable students to use patterns, relations and functions to model, represent and
analyze problem situations that involve variable quantities. (Ohio Department of
Education).

Data Analysis and Probability:

To enable students to pose questions and collect, organize, represent, interpret and
analyze data to answer those questions. (Ohio Department of Education).

Mathematical Processes:
To enable students to use mathematical processes and knowledge to solve
problems. Students will apply problem-solving and decision-making techniques, and
communicate mathematical ideas. (Ohio Department of Education)

Writing:
To enable students to explain clearly in words the processes used to analyze and
compute mathematical problems.

Ohio Mathematics Content Standards

Sub Unit Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Number, Number Sense and Operations

Students will
1.1 decompose and recompose whole numbers using factors and
exponents and explain why “squared” means “second power”
and “cubed” means “third power.”
1.2 describe what it means to find a specific percent of a number, using
real-life examples.
1.3 use models and pictures to relate concepts of ratio, proportion
and percent, including percents less than 1 and greater than 100.
1.4 use the order of operations, including the use of exponents,
decimals and rational numbers, to simplify numerical expressions.
1.5 use simple expressions involving integers to represent and solve
problems.
1.6 represent multiplication and division situations involving fractions
and decimals with models and visual representations.
1.7 give examples of how ratios are used to represent comparisons.
1.8 estimate reasonable solutions to problem situations involving
fractions and decimals.
1.9 use proportional reasoning, rations and percents to represent problem
situations and determine the reasonableness of solutions.

2. Measurement
Students will
1.1 use strategies to develop formulas for finding circumference and area
of circles to determine the area of sectors.
1.2 estimate perimeter or circumference and area for circles, triangles, and
quadrilaterals, and surface area and volume for prisms and cylinders.
1.3 determine which measure (perimeter, are surface area, volume)
matches the context for a problem situation
1.4 understand the difference between perimeter and area, and
demonstrate that two shapes may have the same perimeter, but
different areas or may have the same area, but different perimeters.
1.5 describe what happens to the perimeter and area of a two-dimensional
shape when the measurements of the share are changed.

3. Geometry and Spatial Sense

Students will
1.1 predict and describe sizes, positions and orientations of
two-dimensional shapes after transformations such as reflections,
rotations, translations, and dilations.
1.2 draw similar figures that model proportional relationships.

Ohio Mathematics Content Standards

 1.3 build three-dimensional objects with cubes, and sketch the
two-dimensional representations of each side.

4. Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Students will
1.1 recognize and generate equivalent forms of algebraic expressions, and
explain how the commutative, associative and distributive properties
can be used to generate equivalent forms.
1.2 solve simple linear equations and inequalities using physical models
paper and pencil, tables and graphs.
1.3 produce and interpret graphs that represent the relationship between
two variables.
1.4 evaluate simple expressions by replacing variables with given values,
and use formulas in problem-solving situations.

5. Data Analysis and Probability

Students will
1.1 read, construct and interpret line graphs, circle graphs and histograms.
1.2 select, create and use graphical representations that are appropriate for
the type of data collected.
1.3 understand the different information provided by measures of center
(mean, mode and median) and measures of spread (range).
1.4 describe the frequency distribution of a set of data, as shown in a
histogram or frequency table, by general appearance or shape.
1.5 design an experiment to test a theoretical probability and explain how
the results may vary.

6. Mathematical Processes
Students will
1.1 recognize whether an estimate or an exact solution is appropriate for
a given problem situation.
1.2 use deductive thinking to construct informal arguments to support
reasoning and to justify solutions to problems.
1.3 use representations to organize and communicate mathematical
thinking and problem solutions.
1.4 communicate mathematical thinking to others and analyze the
mathematical thinking and strategies of others.
1.5 recognize and use mathematical language and symbols when
when reading, writing and conversing with others.

Ohio Mathematics Content Standards

7. Writing
Students will
1.1 use correct spelling conventions.
1.2 use conventions of punctuation and capitalization in written work.
1.3 use grammatical structures to effectively communicate ideas in
writing.

Ohio Mathematics Content Standards