Maryville, TN – May 12, 2022 – University of Louisville, KY, evaluators report that NS4ed’s Pathway2Careers™Math Curriculum (Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II a & b, Geometry) contains “notable strengths” related to its “unique and high-profile integration of career-contextualized applications for problem solving” and use of mathematical ideas.
NS4ed requested a thorough evaluation from the CRIMSTED team to examine Pathway2Careers (P2C) curricula from a systemic approach considering student and teacher experiences with detailed metrics. As the first-of-its-kind comprehensive mathematics curricula with a career-centered learning lens, P2C allows students to interact with more than 650 unique occupations and receive in-depth exploration of standard math concepts.
CRIMSTED’s scholarly team (of Dr. Thomas R. Tretter, Dr. Katherine Marin, and PhD candidate Stephanie White) conducted a three-fold evaluation approach to meticulously analyze course application and exploration lessons’ content and examine the courses holistically. CRIMSTED reported that complete math standards are addressed across all P2C courses and recognized four notable curriculum strengths: breadth of career integration; a rich array of career connections of high interest; incorporation of comprehensive mathematical ideas; and systemic integration of engaging mathematical representations.
Dr. Thomas Tretter, Director, Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium, Professor, Science Education Co-Director, CRIMSTED, shared, “One unique and high-profile feature of this curriculum across all of the courses is the very systematic and thorough integration of careers into the mathematics.” According to Dr. Tretter, the systematic integration of multiple representations in P2C made for a “powerful way to think about learning mathematics.”
The evaluation team extracted notable Pathway2Careers Math Curriculum strengths and some limitations. The evaluators recognized that the review was favorable and that the curricula meet a range of complexities and high standard demands. Since receiving the report in March, NS4ed has implemented numerous new features to strengthen the effectiveness of P2C in the classroom.
According to NS4ed founder and CEO Joseph L. Goins, “At NS4ed, we invest in quality measures to ensure that our innovative solutions are high-quality and provide exceptional student experience, comprehensive learning, and support best practices in teaching.” Moreover, “The valuable feedback we receive from our evaluators, educator-partners, teachers, and students influences our solutions.”
NS4ed has developed its teacher resources significantly with a robust teacher resource library. The materials expand from the instructional scope and sequence guides to academic conversation cards. The new resources provide quality pedagogical support for math teachers when using the career-connected learning resource.
In addition to teacher resource materials, the NS4ed released a new digital library of 20+ micro-teaching professional learning lessons this month on topics including Career-Connected Learning, CCL for Growth, CCL Classroom Assessment, Mathematical Understanding, Career Awareness, Connecting Math and careers to Performance Case Study, and Instructional Strategies for the Career-Connected Classroom.
NS4ed is further integrating technology into the P2C Program. This June 2022, the platform will have enhanced item types, math tools, and accessibility features. Students working on the digital platform will be able to manipulate virtual tools (rulers, protractors, compasses, etc.). They will plot and graph complicated problems and easily access and use math symbols to write out formulas and answers.
For More Information
NS4ed. (2022, April). Pathway2Careers (P2C) Math Curriculum evaluation summary: Based on the 71-pg evaluation prepared by the University of Louisville’s Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Teacher Development (CRIMSTED) April 2022 evaluation. From: P2C_Math_Curriculum_Evaluation_Summary.
About Pathway2Careers
NS4ed is an educational research and development company dedicated to negotiating education services. NS4ed provides effective, vested, engaging sole source solutions in customized labor market data, career exploration tools, and mathematics & career-connected learning curricula. NS4ed invests in quality measures to ensure that our innovative solutions provide exceptional student experience, comprehensive learning, and support best practices in teaching. We participate in research, user surveys, thorough professional reviews, and in-depth evaluations of our curricula and platform. The valuable feedback we receive influences our solutions –making them better as we incorporate evaluators’ findings and our clients’ needs and wants.
About the University of Louisville CRIMSTED
CRIMSTED, which stands for the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Teacher Development, is within the College of Education and Human Development and is well-known for teacher preparation and creating nationally recognized and competitive mathematics and science education doctoral programs. CRIMSTED conducts thorough professional evaluations and promotes interdisciplinary work and collaboration between University of Louisville Engineering and Arts and Sciences faculty and educators in local school districts.
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