The Switzerland of Ohio Local School District (SOLSD) has been approved for the Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning pilot program through the Ohio Department of Education. The goal of this program is to provide students a curriculum that prepares them for entrance into a first-year college or College Credit Plus mathematics course without the need for remediation, including College Algebra, Quantitative Reasoning, and Statistics. 

This is a continuation of the pilot program from the 2019-2020 school year, where 22 schools participated. SOLSD is joining the other 22 schools as the pilot continues into the 2020-2021 school year. 

The course is designed to promote reasoning, problem-solving, and modeling through thematic units focused on mathematical practices while reinforcing and extending content in Number and Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Statistics and Probability, and Geometry. Teachers involved are encouraged to support course goals by creating a student-centered environment, fostering a growth mindset, and creating opportunities for students to make connections within and outside mathematics. 

Many Ohio students entering college or university are required to enroll in remedial math courses as part of the general education requirements for graduation. Studies show that students who are not prepared for college math have a lower probability of earning a post-secondary degree or certificate. This is why the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education have come together to create and pilot a math transition course. 

Ms. Donata Wallace (Swiss Hills Career Center), Ms. April Parden (Monroe Central), and Ms. Shannon Rantala (Beallsville) have been chosen to be a part of the pilot at SOLSD. These teachers will receive professional development for four days during the summer, along with multiple meetings throughout the 2020-2021 school year.