Making Mathematics Accessible to All Students and Closing the
Achievement Gap Imagine this: Adriana succeeds in advanced
placement calculus. She finds delight and fascination in
exploring mathematical concepts that once seemed foreign to her.
Every day, Adriana sees the value of math in her own life. She
used to think math was a duty. Passing the state standardized
test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), was
her only indication of math achievement. But Adriana’s math
teacher integrates dynamic, real-time technologies into her math
lessons on a regular basis to promote conceptual exploration and
connections. She provides an array of tools for determining
solution strategies and gives students the vehicles to
communicate their reasoning. In the past, she targeted TAKS
objectives, in isolation of one another, that students were weak
in, and she gave students worksheets and TAKS review lessons.
Now this teacher provides opportunities for students to self-
assess their learning and take ownership