Princeton Charter School (PCS) offers a public choice for students in kindergarten through grade eight. By explaining the PCS approach to teaching mathematics, this pamphlet, like the others in the Learning at PCS series, intends to help parents make an informed choice in schooling for their children.

What are PCS's basic objectives and procedures in teaching mathematics?

Like English language skills, a strong foundation in mathematics is a prerequisite for success in our increasingly analytical world. Just as PCS is dedicated to early achievement in reading, early mastery of arithmetic skills and basic mathematical problem solving are viewed as essential first steps.

These goals are clearly set out in the school's Charter:

PCS students master the basic mathematical skills identified by the 1977 National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Position Paper on Basic Mathematical Skills, including problem solving; applying mathematics to everyday situations; alertness to the reasonableness of results; estimation and approximation; appropriate computational skills; geometry; measurement; reading, interpreting, and constructing tables, charts, and graphs; using mathematics to predict; and computer literacy. PCS adds to this list a knowledge of probability and statistics, risk, and orders of magnitude. Our students will need these to confront many of the complex social and technical issues facing society. The hour spent on mathematics each day includes a balance between discovery directed by the exchange of ideas between the teacher and the class, and direct presentation of material by the teacher. In addition, several hours each month are used for mathematical games, special topics, and experiments. The program is rich in the use of concrete materials and applications to develop concepts and to connect children's intuition to abstract mathematics. Instruction cycles between using problems to motivate knowledge and using the knowledge base to solve problems. The problem-solving activities are carefully selected to challenge children to think creatively and to extend their knowledge. Applications for problem solving are to science, other aspects of the real world, and internal applications to mathematics itself.

What are the principal elements in PCS's mathematics curriculum?

• Algebraic topics and geometry are woven throughout the curriculum, starting with simple intuitive concepts and progressing to more formal deductive reasoning.
• Computation is fundamental, but PCS also stresses problem-solving skills and strategies for word problems.
• All students have summer assignments in mathematics.
• In grades three through eight, students use advanced texts.
• Teachers use instructional time well; the daily hour is devoted strictly to mathematics.
• PCS students match their mathematics skills with other schools in a number of yearly contests including the New Jersey Mathematics League (grades 6 - 8) and MathCounts (grades 6 - 8).

How do PCS mathematics teachers evaluate student assignments?

Right answers are important, but an important source for assessing a PCS student's progress in mathematics is the "work paper." Beginning in grade five, all work and calculating is done in a spiral notebook and is an integral part of an assignment. Students must know how to solve a problem, not just the correct answer. This process is especially important if they use a calculator for multi-step problems.

How many mathematics classes does PCS have?

Beginning in Grade 5, classes are divided into several levels, with students moving between levels as they show mastery or require more fundamental skills. On average, middle school mathematics classes have 12 - 15 students in each section. In the lower school, teacher assignments vary according to student needs and achievement levels.

What external measures are used to assess student progress in mathematics at PCS?

PCS annually administers the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) examinations in all grades except kindergarten and grade one. These tests have been used since the school opened in 1997, giving PCS administrators and teachers a significant comparative base. New Jersey's Department of Education annually administers standardized tests to grades three, four, and eight in all the state's public schools.

How do PCS students perform on external measures of their mathematics skills?

The ERB tests allows comparisons of students with suburban school and independent school standards. In mathematics, PCS students in all grades meet and usually exceed the suburban school norms and meet and often exceed the independent school norms. This result is true for the lowest scoring PCS students as well as for those who are more proficient. On the state tests, PCS students' mathematics results meet or exceed the results of neighboring school districts. In the most recent examinations, for example, the eighth graders at PCS were first in the state in the exam's top category of Advanced Proficiency in Mathematics. PCS competes yearly in mathematics contests sponsored throughout the state. In the school year 2002-03, of 340 New Jersey middle schools, PCS sixth graders were 2nd, the seventh graders were 21st, and the eighth graders 12th in the state.

How does PCS support mathematics learning outside the classroom?

At the end of a school year, every PCS student in grades K - 7 receives a packet that reviews the principal mathematics concepts covered the previous year. The packet uses a self-correcting system that allows students to check their responses. Mathematics teachers collect the summer packets in the first days of the new school year. Teachers thus have immediate understanding of the extent to which their students are ready for new work.

Princeton Charter School is a public school open to all applicants, with priority give to local residents whose tax dollars provide most of the school's budget. PCS serves 280 students in kindergarten through grade eight. The school has single-grade classes in kindergarten through grade four, housed in its lower school building, and two classes each in grades five through eight, housed in its upper school building. PCS is located at 575 Ewing Street in Princeton Township, New Jersey. For further information, please call the school at 609-924-0575, or visit our web site: http://www.pcs.k12.nj.us