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MATH

The goal of the Mathematics Department is to encourage and enable each student to:
  • value mathematics
  • gain confidence in their mathematical ability
  • become mathematical problem solvers
  • communicate mathematically
  • reason mathematically.


In addition, as described in Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics (©2017), students who are proficient in mathematics should be able to:

  • make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
  • reason abstractly and quantitatively
  • construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
  • model with mathematics
  • use appropriate tools strategically
  • attend to precision
  • look for and make use of structure
  • look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

To accomplish this, the curriculum must expand students' knowledge of numbers, computation, estimation, and measurement.  To be successful in a technological world, students need to understand the basic concepts of algebra and geometry.  In addition, students should be able to gather, organize, display and interpret data and in so doing, recognize patterns when they occur.

A broad and varied series of courses in the major areas of mathematics is offered with the intent of not only challenging the intellectually curious but also providing a good background of understanding for all.  To facilitate proper selection, courses have been grouped by level of sophistication.

All the mathematics courses are sequential.  The student must secure department approval before proceeding to the next level.  Teacher recommendations will be based on prerequisites and determined in relation to criteria shown to be necessary for success at the next level.  Therefore, the student’s teacher will recommend the most appropriate course during the course selection process. Any student interested in a course other than the one recommended by his/her current math teacher must complete the appropriate paperwork before the end of the course selection period for their appeal to be considered. Students who may wish to move from one sequence of courses to another must demonstrate a "likelihood of success" in the new course sequence.  This will include, but may not be limited to, taking an exam during the summer.  Any student not presently enrolled in a mathematics course must see the Department Head during the course selection process to determine the appropriate course placement. 

Each student must satisfactorily complete three years and earn at least fifteen (15) credits to fulfill the mathematics requirement for graduation.   

Please Note:  When a student who has not attended Masconomet middle school enters the senior high school, the Department Head will recommend appropriate placement.  This recommendation will be based on consideration of records from the feeder school and, when appropriate, performance on a placement test and/or a brief interview. 

 

 

 

 

Program of Studies