Hawaii’s students will begin the 2014/2015 school year with a new curriculum that brings a more focused, rigorous approach to mathematics instruction. Mathematics aptitude among American students has long been a concern of educators, parents, and government officials alike. Ironically, the last state to join the nation is the first to implement a state-wide innovative math program. Committees of classroom teachers evaluated numerous curricula and voted to adopt ORIGO Stepping Stones.
Over the course of the next three years, Stepping Stones will be implemented in every elementary public school in the state. “Previously, the state’s 255 public schools were using 288 different math curricula,” said Dewey Gottlieb, Department of Education Math Specialist. After the adoption was announced, educators from Hawaii gathered for a one-day conference to learn more about the new program that will support Hawaii in its transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Both the CCSS and ORIGO Stepping Stones emphasize critical thinking and learning mathematical concepts over rote memorization. They also narrow the scope of the content taught in order to focus on building a solid mathematical foundation.