1. February 7-9, 2017 Lakeway, Texas
UMLN Retreat 2017
February 7-9, 2017
Lakeway, Texas

2. Questions for David Bressoud (Part I of II):
Could you speak more about the study habits that students should develop and how to support this?
Are there good guidelines to demonstrate mastery for [Calculus]? Standardized tests? Teacher tests? Other assessments?
Why do students who have already taken calc, and earned credit, retake it in college - is it because there is a placement test? Or are they choosing to retake?
What instructional approaches are used by university professors to support students who do not have the necessary calculus preparation?
Is calculus the only indicator for success in multiple STEM fields? Are there any additional indicators? Why is calculus used as the indicator?
What do you see as most important takeaways from these data for BUSY math leaders.

3. Questions for David Bressoud (Part II of II):
What do we know about whether underprepared students benefit from seeing calculus content before they get to a college calculus course? Are there data about that?
What other factors should we consider when evaluating the trade-offs between offering: -non AP Calculus as 4th year math course versus AP Calculus to students who don't demonstrate readiness or have characteristics that indicate they will likely be successful - or no calculus?
What curriculum would you recommend for the classes that come before calculus?
What indicators should be in place to appropriately place Ss in Alg I?
What are some of the things that contribute to the 250k students who end up in lower math in college?
What curriculum is recommended that is robust and rigorous that helps to prepare students for college?

4. Questions for Ted Coe (Part I of II):
As we consider incorporating alternate pathways, how do we prepare Ss for success on ACT/SAT, while still providing equitable K-12 math experience that prepares appropriately for college and careers?
Are there states or districts that are doing a much better job in the number and diversity of students who succeed in Algebra II ?
We know we need to be cautious with what we do with algebra II. What should we put into place so that by the end of five years, we have enough information to make a good decision?
What alternate pathways are more relevant to prepare Ss for career pathways?
We don't have high-quality instructional materials for teaching this content, so how much of the concern about whether algebra II should be a requirement is connected to the lack of strong curriculum and how much is a concern about instructional expertise?

5. Questions for Ted Coe (Part II of II):
It appears from many UMLN members that Algebra II remains, in many settings, taught by teaching faculty, who disproportionately simply reteach Algebra I. Is this more generally true??
Are we denying students the opportunity to advance in college (by making them choose a pathway or enroll in certain math courses in HS)?
David Bressoud showed an hour glass and indicated that Calculus is the basis for most college math. Does that make multiple pathways a concern?
With regard to QR/stats, do they have a recommendation to where that would fall in a traditional Algebra/geometry/algebra II pathway? In place of, after, as a mini-unit?
Is you make it to algebra II, is the rigor/content there to make you better prepared for college? Or are the philosophical questions and critical thinking in stats preparing them for college better?

6. Questions for Nikki Edgecombe (Part I of II):
How do we ensure that our pathways don't negatively impact our historically under-served students through tracking?
Who can we partner with to get data on where our kids are going? Does anyone have a database collecting this information?
What currently is going on in community colleges to address remediation concerns?
What is the overlap with the first year college courses, and 12th grade high school courses? How do we make them come together and work together?
How does the ACT/SAT requirement impact the pathway students are on?

7. Questions for Nikki Edgecombe (Part II of II):
A foundational course for 12th grade that prepares kids is a great idea, but who would take it? How do we know who needs that support?
What would it take to make both a stats pathway and a calculus-based pathway equally appealing to students and families?
What other reform initiatives are taking place in remedial education?
How are placement tests used/generated? How should the tests be used? What should be on the tests? Does every student generally have to take them regardless of course taking/grades?
How do we message this as not being remedial but is instead about college and career opportunities?
What is the role of marginalized families in this process? A lot of families know how to advocate, but how do you engage marginalized families in the shift?

8. Questions for Peer Districts (Part I of III):
Student Course-Taking Patterns
What non-calculus-based and/or 4th-year (college transition) math courses are offered at other districts?
What programs are you seeing that have promise to make a non-calculus math pathway (e.g. Stats) at least equally high status and appealing to 'college-intending' students? What does it take to elevate the stats pathway to be on equal playing field as the calculus-based pathway?
How do you balance the equity issue of making sure that all students have access to algebra or calculus (not being gatekeepers) and finding the right pathway?
What do pathways look like at the elementary school level?

9. Questions for Peer Districts (Part II of III):
Placement, Support, and Advising Policies and Practices
What are your metrics to determine if a student is college-ready? How do you know who is actually ready for Calculus? What indicators should be in place to appropriately place Ss in Alg I?
What are you doing at the district and school levels to inform students of their course options and the pathways available to them? How do you inform students about alternative courses and the implications on future educational opportunities?
How are your districts teaching study habits?
If you offer a mathematical decision making course in high school, do you have any data on how students progress through post-secondary coursework after completing this course?

10. Questions for Peer Districts (Part III of III):
Stakeholder Engagement
Do you communicate with your local community colleges or universities? Do you know what schools your graduating students are attending? Do you know what those schools' math requirements are?
When you partner with higher ed partners, does STEAM only talk to STEAM? Are you in silos?
How often do we have conversations with CTE (Career and Technology Ed) about math expectations for CTE courses? Is that going to impact pathways?
College and Career Readiness Awareness
Who are you partnering with to gather data on where your students are going?