| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| What is TransMath? |
| TransMath is a Tier III intensive, mastery-based math intervention that helps prepare students for algebra through explicit, skill-based instruction and multisensory strategies to deepen conceptual understanding and build problem solving proficiency. It is a three-year, skill-based curriculum that completely covers the necessary middle school topics—including prealgebra and basic introductory algebra skills. |
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| What students should I test for possible placement into TransMath? |
TransMath targets the specific learning needs of students who need immediate support.
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Students who score below basic/at the lowest level of scores on state assessments |
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Students who are two or more years below grade level |
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| How do you implement TransMath? |
| To implement TransMath with fidelity, it should be an alternative core (core replacement) devoting 50 to 60 minutes of instruction. Since students are placed in TransMath according to their needs, it can be implemented anywhere between 5th and 10th grades with Tier III students, but as with any intensive intervention, the earlier the better. In regards to Level 1, TransMath takes the students back to the core foundational computational skills that they are missing. i.e., place value, addition, subtraction, etc. which are 2nd to 3rd grade math skills. |
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| How does TransMath monitor student progress? |
| TransMath provides a comprehensive assessment system to help monitor student progress and provide data-driven instruction to inform differentiation and ensure mastery. Built into the curriculum are quizzes every 5 lessons to monitor student progress through the curriculum furnishing the teacher with the data necessary to inform instruction to ensure each student meets his or her goals. |
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| Can a student complete more than one Level in a year? |
| No, each Level is designed to take one year to complete devoting 50 to 60 minutes of daily instruction. |
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| How can TransMath accelerate struggling students into successful math thinkers through fewer topics and greater depth? |
| TransMath prevents cognitive overload for struggling learners and accelerates learning to ensure successful entry into algebra. The TransMath lessons are organized by two topics which helps break content into manageable lessons, introduces multiple skills and concepts, yet reviews previously learned skills, helps students understand relationships among concepts, and increases student engagement. |
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| What does a "dual topic" approach mean? |
Building Number Concepts strand and Problem-Solving strand effectively integrate both content and process standards, ensuring a clear understanding of mathematics relationships.
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Topic 1: Building Number Concepts strand |
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Apply content standards based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) principles and standards (1989 and 2000) |
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Focus on the foundational skills cited by the National Math Panel as critical components for algebra success: fluency in whole numbers and fluency in rational numbers |
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Learn new concepts and skills |
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Benefit from explicit instruction and guided practice |
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Topic 2: Problem-Solving strand |
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Apply process standards based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) principles and standards (1989 and 2000) |
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Engage in critical thinking, application, and problem solving |
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Practice previously learned skills when appropriate |
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| Is TransMath aligned to state standards in math? |
| Yes, there are some state alignments. |
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| What kind of assessments come with TransMath? |
The TransMath comprehensive assessment system provides teachers a systematic process to monitor student progress through the curriculum. It furnishes the teacher with the data necessary to inform instruction to ensure each student meets his or her goals. Each TransMath unit includes a quiz every five lessons, two forms end-of-unit, criterion-referenced assessments, and performance-based assessments to help prepare students for high-stakes assessments. With this comprehensive assessment plan, teachers can easily monitor progress and adjust instruction to meet individual student needs.
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Placement Assessment: Placement into one of three levels according to individual student's needs |
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Placement Assessment: Placement into one of three levels according to individual student's needs |
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Ongoing Assessments: Daily applications, quiz or tests every 5 lessons, end-of-unit assessments, performance assessments |
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Summative Assessments: Administered at the end of each book level as a Progress Indicator measure |
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TransMath On-Line Assessment System (TOLA): An optional online data base that allows teachers and administrators to record, track, and report student test results |
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| Is it acceptable to skip around in the book? May I "pick and choose" which lessons I need to teach the students? |
This is not an acceptable strategy. The pedagogy and DNA of the instruction relies heavily on a structured sequence of topics, skills, and lesson flow.
The lesson sequence, as well as the chapter sequence, cumulatively builds upon each other—this structure and sequence was based largely on the recommendations from the National Math Panel findings. |
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| How long will it take for a student to complete all three levels? If it takes more than a year, what about the high school students in TransMath? |
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Each level equates to one full year of instruction |
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Depending on the entry point and if students remain in the program for all three levels, then three years |
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Ideal situation is Grades 5-7 for all three levels with entry into algebra at the 8th grade |
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Typical situation is Grades 6-8 with all three levels with 9th grade algebra entry |
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High School students—again, depending on entry would require two-three years before entry into algebra—judgment call on the part of the district as to the amount of intensive intervention they provide these students—often, students place into Level 2 with a rich supplemental support if they still require instruction on number theory concepts for rational number understanding |
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| What makes TransMath different from "other" math intervention programs? |
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Fewer Topics, Greater Depth—total immersion in the concept and skill before moving onto the next |
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Dual strands—important for the following reason: |
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Cognitive overload for these students—other intervention programs follow the same pace and sequence of the traditional core—they do not provide enough time to fully master the key concepts, and often, the focus is on the computational and procedural aspects of math—which is one piece of math fluency and math proficiency—higher order thinking skills and math applications are critical for high-stake assessments and entry into algebra |
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Works "both parts of the brain"—with 1/2 the instructional time on computational fluency and procedural mathematics and the other 1/2 of instructional time on spatial reasoning, communication skills to talk through the math, problem solving applications with higher order thinking skills |
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Distributed Practice—skills are revisited throughout each of the lessons as well as each of the levels—with explicit connections to prior learned skills—and drawing connections to math concepts (i.e. addition facts are integrated with the multiplication unit to clearly demonstrate that multiplication is in all reality, repeated addition) |
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Opportunities for Communication with numerous engagement strategies for students to not only demonstrate computational and procedural fluency, but more importantly, talk about the why and how behind the math |
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Animated and Narrated Tutorials that explain the visual models and provide both the remediation as well as the reinforcement these students require |
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