RedistrictingSchoolDivision.doc

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Mathematics Senior Level Capstone Course Unit Overview

Title of Unit: Who Goes Where? Redistricting a School Division Unit Designers:

Judy Cain Joseph Hamaker Erin Hopple Meredith Zirkle

Frederick County Public Schools

Unit Editor:

Vickie Inge, UVA-SCPS Mathematics Outreach Context of the problem: Every time a division redistricts, decisions have to be made in how to split the

various high schools in order to create manageable numbers. How can a school division use criteria to make the schools as equal as possible?

Number of Class Hours:

15 hours Unit

Design: Problem Based

Other Subject Areas/Disciplines Addressed:

Geography, Economics, Statistics, Research

Driving Question: If we add a new high school, how do we redistrict our school division as fairly and equally as possible?

Mathematics Content Addressed:

Linear Programming; Statistics; Geometry MPE

Addressed:

Problem solving, Decision making and Integration

Assumption of Prior Knowledge:

Research, Proportions, Measurement, Scale Modeling

UVA-SCPS Office of Mathematics Outreach with support from VADOE Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant Program NCLB Title II Part B

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College and Career Readiness/21st_Century Skills to be taught (T) during this unit or expectation (E) for student use during this unit and assessed (A):

Collaboration E, A Research E, A

Communication (Oral and/or Written) E, A Technology E, A

Critical Thinking/Decision Making E, A Other: (Describe)

Major Products and/or Performances:

Group: Students will be expected to create a redistricting plan and present the plan in a presentation format of the students’ choice.

Presentation Audience:

X Class

School

Individual: none X Expert

X Community

X Other: School Board member(s)

Launch: Event or experience used to engage the students interest and inquiry:

Use opposing viewpoints of some topic of interest in order for students to engage in discussion about how opinions are different and how they impact decision making.

NBC Channel 29 video clip: http://www.nbc29.com/story/18825852/wal-mart-breaks-ground-on-long-awaited-supercenter

Washington Post Article regarding new Walmart in Orange County, Virginia

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/house-divided/post/walmart-announces-a-new-location-for-controversial-virignia-store/2011/05/23/AFZ5Wx9G_blog.html

WUSA Channel 9 video clip: http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/209262/188/Groundbreaking-For-Va-Wal-Mart-After-Years-Of-Debate

Evaluation: Formative Assessments (During the Unit)

Interview (checkpoints) X Practice Presentations

Mathematicians Journal X Notes

Preliminary

Plans/Outlines/Prototypes

X Checklists X

Rough Drafts Concept maps

Field Tests Other:

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Summative Assessment (End of Project)

Written Products, with a rubric Peer Evaluation, with a rubric

X

Oral Presentation with a rubric X Self Evaluation, with a rubric

X

Other Product(s) or

Performance(s), with a rubric (use of presentation software)

X Other:

Resources Needed: On-site people, facilities: Field trip to School Board office (conduct interviews, view maps, etc) Equipment/Technology: Computer lab, calculators, presentation software

Materials: Copies of county maps, current districting maps with feeder school outlines (available online)

Community Resources: Central Office personnel, School Board members

Reflection Methods: Individual, Group, and/or Whole Class

Mathematicians Journal X Small/Focus Groups X Whole Class Discussions Fishbowl Discussions

Survey Other:

Material Adapted From: N/A

Template adapted from Buck Institute for Education: Project Based Learning for the 21st_Century

UVA-SCPS Office of Mathematics Outreach with support from VADOE Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant Program NCLB Title II Part B

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Virginia’s Senior Level Capstone Course Instructional Plan

Unit Title: Who Goes Where? Redistricting a School Division

Driving Question: If we add a new high school, how do we redistrict our school division as fairly and equally as possible?

Problem: Every time a division redistricts, decisions have to be made in how to split the various high schools in order to create manageable numbers. How can a school division use criteria to make the schools as equal as possible?

ENGAGE How will student’s interested be peaked so they want to engage in the inquiry in this unit? Number of hours: 10 minutes

Use opposing viewpoints of some topic of interest in order for students to engage in discussion about how opinions are different and how they impact decision making. These should be

specifically related to the position or placement of a controversial construction project.

Suggestions:

 Letters to the editor of the local paper showing opposing positions on a regional construction project

 News clips showing protests on a project from a larger geographical area.

 Note: sensitive socio-political issues are not recommended

Examples of a construction issue in Virginia: NBC Channel 29 video clip:

http://www.nbc29.com/story/18825852/wal-mart-breaks-ground-on-long-awaited-supercenter

Washington Post Article regarding new Walmart in Orange County, Virginia http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/house- divided/post/walmart-announces-a-new-location-for-controversial-virignia-store/2011/05/23/AFZ5Wx9G_blog.html

WUSA Channel 9 video clip: http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/ 209262/188/Groundbreaking-For-Va-Wal-Mart-After-Years-Of-Debate

Mathematician Journal Prompt #1:

What do you think it would mean to fairly

redistrict?

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EXPLORE Teacher provides guidance for the explorations to prepare students with the

knowledge and skills to engage in the task. Students will self-assess on the prior knowledge and skills assumed for the unit

Number of hours: 40 minutes

The teacher will facilitate a discussion to have students brainstorm what criteria impact decisions on how to redistrict the county to create new school attendance zones. An opening question might be, “What issues do you think are important in creating school districts within a county?”

The teacher should listen for the following ideas to emerge. If they do not emerge, the teacher should ask a probing question that might prompt the students.

 How many of you went to elementary school together? Middle school?

 How long does it take you to get to school?

 What issues do you think the school board would consider important in creating school districts within the county?

 What issues do you think parents would consider important in creating school districts within the county?

 Are SOL scores important?

 Is diversity important?

 Do different areas of the county have different populations regarding wealth? What effect do you think that would have on SOL scores?

 Is it important to have roughly equal schools?

 How are our current schools (elementary, middle, high) districted?

 Where could you find this information?

Mathematician Journal Prompts #2 and #3: Which of the criteria that you think are important in redistricting were addressed in the discussion? Which of the criteria that you think are important were not addressed in the discussion? Why do you think they were not addressed?

EXPLAIN Teacher introduces the main task of the unit and prepares students to in small group independent work. Number of Hours: 1

Frederick County is planning to build a new high school near Admiral Byrd Middle School. As a result, the division’s high school attendance zones will have to be redistricted. The School Board has asked for ideas on how to redistrict so that the population at each school is as equal as possible. The School Board is also concerned that the redistricting be as fair as possible to all students. Your group will have the opportunity to present a redistricting plan to the School Board for consideration.

Directions:

 The teacher will distribute the problem (HO#1).Allow time for student groups to read through the problem and ask clarifying questions.

 The teacher will distribute the unit calendar (HO#2) and the district field trip permission form. Set deadline for the

Mathematician Journal Prompts

UVA-SCPS Office of Mathematics Outreach with support from VADOE Mathematics and Science

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return of the permission form.

 The teacher will distribute the problem grading rubric (HO #3) and the oral presentation grading rubric (HO#4).

ELABORATE The student groups are working independently with teacher consultations. Number of Hours: 10

Students begin work on the problem. The following are general guidelines of what the teacher should see occurring.

Part 1: Assessing the current attendance zones

 Students examine the current attendance zones.

 Students determine the criteria used to create the current attendance zones through research and interviews. Part 2: Creating new attendance zones

 Students set criteria for redistricting to make the high schools as equal as possible.

 Students research and quantify those criteria.

 Students weight their criteria to find the best balance for equal and fair attendance zones.

 Students create new attendance zones.

 Students use technology to make a professional presentation for the School Board.

What project tools will students use?

 Know/need to know lists

 Presentation software

 Mathematicians Journal

 Field trip and interviews

 Checkpoint meetings with teacher

 Planning Calendar

 Maps of attendance zones

Helpful websites: Your own school district website or http://www.co.frederick.va.us/gis/gallery.aspx http://www.greatschools.org http://www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/search.aspx https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/ Mathematician Journal Prompt #4: What additional information do you need to know? Mathematician Journal Prompt #5: What important information did you obtain from your interviews? Mathematician Journal Prompt #6: How is your group working together? Mathematician Journal Prompt #7: What additional resources or information do you need? EVALUATE Working groups submit products and make presentations Number of Hours: 3

Students present their solution to an audience.

 Students present their school attendance zone recommendation to the class.

 The class selects the best recommendation to be presented to the School Board.

The teacher should have students peer evaluate the oral presentations component of the problem (HO#4). The average group score should be used to complete the presentation section of

Mathematician Journal Prompt #8:

Based on what you saw in other groups’

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the problem grading rubric (HO#3).

The teacher provides the peer evaluation rubric (HO#5) at an appropriate place in the evaluation portion of the problem.

would you make in your own presentation?

Map the Unit

What do students need to know and be able to do to complete the problem successfully? How and when will they assess their own necessary knowledge and skills? How will they remediate their own gaps or weaknesses in knowledge and skills? Look at each major task for the unit and analyze the tasks necessary to produce a high-quality product.

Problem: Every time a division redistricts, decisions have to be made in how to split the various high schools in order to create manageable numbers. How can a school division use criteria to make the schools as equal as possible?

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED Assumed

already learned

Students will self-assess

Will be learned during the unit

1. Ability to research X

2. Ability to use presentation software X

3. Map reading X

4. Measurement X

5. Linear Programming X

6. Statistics X

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What project tools will student’s use?

 Know/need to know lists

 Daily goal sheet

 Mathematician’s Journals

 Briefs/Memos

 Task lists

 Planning Calendar

□ __Presentation software___________ □ __Rubrics______________

□ __Computer, internet______________ □ ________________________________ □ ________________________________ □ ________________________________

HO#1

Frederick County is planning to build a new high school near Admiral Byrd Middle School. As a result, the division’s high school attendance zones will have to be redistricted. The School Board has asked for ideas on how to redistrict so that the population at each school is as equal as possible. The School Board is also concerned that the redistricting be as fair as possible to all students. Your group will have the opportunity to present a redistricting plan to the School Board for consideration.

Part 1: Assessing the current attendance zones

Research and analyze the current attendance zones to determine what criteria were used in establishing those zones.

Available resources include:

 School attendance zones: http://www.co.frederick.va.us/gis/gallery.aspx or your own county, or http://www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/search.aspx or visit the school board offices for a current school district map.

 Interviews with Central Office personnel and/or School Board member(s)

Part 2: Creating new attendance zones

Develop a specific recommendation for redistricting the county to accommodate the proposed high school. The new attendance zones should make the high schools as equal as possible and be as fair as possible for the students attending them. Your recommendation must be in the form of a professional presentation for the School Board. Current demographic information can be found at

www.greatschools.org. Testing data can be found at https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/.

Weights and considerations for grading of recommended redistricting plan: 1. Research –30%

 Six or more criteria are chosen.

 Justifications for criteria are included.

 Interview information is incorporated in choosing criteria.

 Criteria impact on redistricting plan is explained and quantified.

 Citations for research are included. 2. Recommended redistricting plan – 50%

 Plan is research-based.

 Plan includes a map of changes in attendance zones.

 Plan is mathematically justified.

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 Pros and cons of the plan are included.

 Financial costs of the plan are considered. 3. Presentation – 20%

 Research is visible within presentation.

 Redistricting plan is described in detail with supporting visual aids.

 Oral presentation rubric is used correctly.

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HO#2 UNIT CALENDAR

TITLE: Who Goes Where? Redistricting a School Division Time Frame: 15 hours

M O N D A Y T U E S D A Y W E D N E S D A Y T H U R S D A Y F R I D A Y

P R O J E C T W E E K O N E Engage: video clips

Explore: brainstorming Mathematicians Journal prompts #1 - 3

Explain: HO#1, field trip permission form, unit calendar (HO#2), problem rubric (HO#3)

Elaborate: examine maps, set criteria, write questions for Central Office personnel and/or School Board member(s)

Mathematicians Journal prompt #4

Field Trip with interviews of Central Office staff and/or School Board member(s)

Plan redistricting for new high school

P R O J E C T W E E K T W O Plan redistricting for new high

school

Checkpoint #1 (meet with teacher): Are criteria selected and quantified?

Checkpoint #2 (meet with teacher): Is the

recommendation complete and justified mathematically?

Begin work on presentations.

P R O J E C T W E E K T H R E E Continue work on presentations

Checkpoint #3 (meet with teacher): Has the

recommendation and presentation been evaluated against the rubric?

Final polishing of presentation, preparation for oral

presentation, HO#4

Evaluate: Group presentations to the class, HO#4 and #5

Choose best redistricting plan to present to Central Office personnel and/or School Board member(s)

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HO#3: Problem grading rubric

4 3 2 1

Research of Criteria

(30%)

At least six criteria were chosen and researched thoroughly. Research was entirely fact-based and unbiased. Citations are included. Criteria are quantified.

Four or five criteria were chosen and researched thoroughly. Research was mainly fact-based and unbiased. Citations are included. Criteria are quantified.

Three or four criteria were chosen and researched. Research was somewhat fact-based and unbiased. Citations are included. Criteria are quantified.

Two or less criteria were chosen and researched. Research was somewhat fact-based and unbiased. Citations are included. Criteria are quantified. Final Redistricting Plan (50%)

Plan is research-based and includes a map and justification for criteria used. Pros and cons of the plan are included.

Financial costs of the plan are considered.

Plan is research-based and includes a map and justification for criteria used. Pros and cons of the plan are included but incomplete. Financial costs of the plan are somewhat considered.

Plan is research-based and includes a map and justification for criteria used. Pros and cons of the plan are not included OR Financial costs of the plan are not considered.

Plan is research-based and includes a map and

justification for criteria used. Pros and cons of the plan are not included.

Financial costs of the plan are not considered.

Peer Evaluation of Presentation

(20%)

The presentation

is above standard

according to the peer evaluation presentation rubric.

The presentation

is at standard

The presentation

is appoaching

standard

The presentation

is below standard

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HO #4: Peer Evaluation Rubric for grading presentation:

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HO#5: Peer/Self-Evaluation form

The following is a list of statements to be answered about yourself and each of your group members. Think carefully about assigning rating values for each of the statements.

1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Agree 3 = Neutral 4 = Disagree 5 = Strongly Agree

Self Teammate: Teammate: Teammate: Willingly accepted

assigned tasks Contributed positively to group discussions Helped others with their work as needed Did work accurately and completely Worked well with other group members Overall was a valuable member of the team