If I have not mentioned it before, please be aware that the district is piloting two math programs this year, with an intent to choose one of them for next year. You are familiar with Everyday Math because your children in grade 3 have been using it here since Kindergarten. The other program is Envisions by Pearson. Different grade levels at different schools are piloting different programs. For example in third grade, Bolton and Lancaster are using Everyday Math, but Stow is using Envisions. In grade 4 here at MRE we are using Envisions. The good part is, that since all the programs focus on the Common Core curriculum, both programs will address all the necessary content but the way the information is taught can be quite different.
I am writing because over the course of the year, you may have feelings about the programs one way or another. I have been hearing that opinions are already forming within the district. Please pass your thoughts along to me.
If you have children at other grade levels who are using Envisions, your ability to compare the experience your children are having at home with the two programs, will be particularly valuable to the school district as a whole. It will be a big decision and one the schools will have to live with for an extended period of time, due to the resources that will be allocated for this purchase. We have currently been using EDM for the past 6 years and if not for the change to Common Core, we would still be using the previous version. The reason for the change, is that with the change to the common core standards there were gaps in the old version and items in the old version that were no longer necessary resulting in a waste of time. The new version is supposed to align with the standards.
Thank you for all that you do!
Jason Joyce
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