Amidst nationwide struggles with learning loss, social-emotional skills and stagnant math scores, the two largest school districts in San Antonio, Northside ISD and North East ISD, have both opted to bolster their existing K-5 math curricula with Exemplars online Library Problem Solving for the 21st Century: Built for the TEKS.
Learn more about Problem Solving for the 21st Century: Built for the TEKS here.
Written expressly for the TEKS mathematics standards, the Exemplars Library provides hundreds of differentiated problem-solving performance tasks along with teacher planning materials, possible solutions and scored student work. Tasks are also available in Spanish to support Dual Language programs or English learners. By focusing on solutions, rather than merely correct answers, the Exemplars Assessment Rubric encourages students to develop 21st Century skills like problem solving and critical thinking.
"When students engage in the solving of rich tasks, they are intentionally developing the skills they need to thrive in the 21st Century; collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. Students then work to explain their approach for solving the task using representations, language, and mathematical calculations to convince an audience that their conclusion is correct. All together, these expectations help students prepare to address the issues of the 21st Century," says Exemplars CEO, Jay Meadows.
Designed to integrate seamlessly with any school's core curriculum, the Exemplars tasks provide students an opportunity to practice transferring their learning from the classroom to real-world scenarios. Along the way, students engage in rich discussions and become more confident problem solvers and communicators. Cheryl Mutz, Assistant Director of Elementary Math notes that "North East ISD values problem solving as a process of thinking, not a set of procedures. The Exemplars Library provides a variety of contextual math problems that allow students to productively struggle through sense-making, reasoning and discourse."
As a longtime user of Exemplars classic math materials, Northside ISD also took the opportunity to upgrade to the TEKS online Library this year. Tracy Gonzales-Martinez, NISD Instructional Math Specialist and Katie Hitchman, NISD GT Instructional Support Teacher shared that, "Northside felt it was time to expand our use of Exemplars to all 81 of our elementary campuses. The included differentiated task versions and Spanish translations are key tools that help us meet the needs of all learners. It provides teachers with the tools to help develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills with their students, as well as teaching students to effectively communicate their thought processes."
- Exemplars materials are research-based, classroom-tested, and successfully proven to be an effective resource for improving student proficiency and learning outcomes in mathematics.
- ESSA research demonstrates significant growth in improved learning outcomes when Exemplars math tasks and processes are utilized over a 3-year period.
- Schools that used Exemplars consistently were able to increase their proficiency scores by 35% on average, compared to their pre-Exemplars scores.
ABOUT EXEMPLARS
Founded in 1993, Exemplars began by assisting educators using K–8 mathematics problems and assessments that met NCTM Standards. Today, Exemplars provides performance tasks, rubrics, and student anchor papers for schools and districts in Math, Science, and Writing.
Exemplars performance material engages students and promotes reasoning, communication, and higher-order thinking. Performance tasks are classroom-tested and may be used for assessment, instruction, and professional development.
Used by educators in 50 states and 33 countries, Exemplars supplemental resources are research-based and designed to meet state, national, and Common Core standards..
For more information, please visit: www.exemplars.com
