Mathematics

Sheridan’s mathematics program provides students with the necessary skills to problem solve effectively, reason mathematically, communicate their math thinking, and apply their knowledge to real-life situations across disciplines. The study of mathematics provides content and practices that help students understand how mathematics explains real-world phenomena and helps us make informed and wise decisions as consumers and citizens in an increasingly diverse, global, and collaborative environment. Through differentiated instruction, the curriculum builds conceptual understanding, knowledge, and skills in the areas of number and numeration, operations and computation, data and chance, geometry, measurement, and algebra.

Sheridan utilizes the University of Chicago’s School Mathematics Project, a concept-based program aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Also known as "Everyday Math," the program offers students instructional and curricular programming that is both innovative and cohesive. In kindergarten through seventh grade, mathematics is offered in heterogeneous classes; in eighth grade, students have the option of taking regular or advanced algebra.

Everyday Math is a spiraling curriculum that builds knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding. Students are taught to choose strategies for problem solving according to the situation and their particular learning styles. Each grade has clearly articulated learning goals that fit into the context of larger programmatic goals. Teachers frequently analyze students’ progress towards these goals through informal formative and summative assessments that take place within the context of lessons, and they differentiate and plan future instruction in response to these assessments.

Students study math every day from kindergarten through eighth grade.