Selma Unified shifts curriculum in math and special education to better serve students

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 6:26PM PT
SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Roosevelt Elementary School teacher Gayleen Gudgel walked through the process of multiplying fractions with her fifth-grade class.

This year, a new curriculum from Illustrative Mathematics was rolled out for kindergarten to fifth-grade students.

That matches the curriculum already used in 6th, 7th and 8th grades.

But change can be scary for a student.

"At first, they were like, they were not happy," Gudgel said.



Instead of just solving the equation, students have to understand the problem, solve it and then explain how and why they solved it that way.

They also have to use academic vocabulary.

Gudgel says those added steps are helping students in the long run.

"I'm seeing much more retention of the concepts and skills than we have in the past," Gudgel said.

Gudgel says students are also more aligned with the state standards they must meet.



The special day class also has a new curriculum down the street at Abraham Lincoln Middle School.

They're using the TeachTown program, which the district says emphasizes early literacy and numeracy skills.

Teacher Bailey Osmer says that best of all, it allows her seventh and eighth-grade students to connect better with their peers.

"Previously, we had stuff that looked more childish, and they're in seventh and eighth grade, so what their peers are doing is like chapter books, and what this curriculum tries to do is have them read those things, but modified to their level," Osmer said.

The curriculum helps determine each student's learning level.



Teachers have instructions on how to present the material at each level, plus physical materials that are prepared for them, reducing their prep work.

"Instead of stressing out about you know how are we going to do this or how are we going to manage this? It's letting us have the time to teach it to them." Osmer said.

Osmer says she believes the change will also help students reach big goals the state has set for them.

"They want the students to be geared more toward reaching their diplomas and shooting higher for academics, and this will really help push that and help students reach that," Osmer said.

The district says the changes in curriculum help move students toward academic success, they hope this also better equips students with the tools to reach their educational goals.

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