Overview
Navigator is an Achievement First (AF) program that supports district and charter schools in adopting and adapting the AF math curriculum and instructional practices including Math Stories, which is AF’s conceptual problem-solving approach in which students make sense of problems through representation, draw connections to previously learned content, apply math practices, and solve real-world problems. District-Charter Partnerships (DCP) has partnered with AF Navigator to support the implementation of Math Stories in five district schools in Community School Districts 19 and 32 in the 2019-20 school year. Schools add Math Stories to their existing math curriculum and have the option of accessing and implementing AF’s complete math program, including their full curriculum, all assessments, and related resources.
Structure
Participating schools are trained on the content and practices of Navigator and are coached on their implementation of those practices throughout the school year. Schools appoint a math lead who, along with the school principal, attends a summer intensive professional development session to learn AF’s approach to math instruction and the core content of Math Stories. During the school year, math leads are supported by Navigator team members who provide coaching through regular observations, feedback sessions, and student data analysis. Participating schools commit to the following:
- School leaders (e.g., principal, chief administrative officer, etc.) and program leads (e.g., math lead, chief administrative officer, academic dean, assistant principal, etc.) attend a three-day Navigator Summer Training & Orientation.
- School leaders allocate two full days of summer training for teachers implementing Navigator.Program leads provide monthly Navigator-related professional development to teachers throughout the year.
- Program leads engage in teacher coaching through weekly observations and debrief conversations.
- Program leads engage with Navigator coaches through weekly meetings and monthly virtual or in-person site-visits in which they analyze teacher progress and identify next steps in coaching.
- Teachers implement Math Stories curriculum in participating classes - 20 minutes a day, four times per week.
For more information, please contact DCPartnerships@schools.nyc.gov.