Mathematics Department

All mathematics courses at St. Scholastica Academy are college preparatory. There are three levels of courses, depending on the student's elementary school preparation. Each sequence of courses has a four-year curriculum.

The Honors/International Baccalaureate (IB) level courses consist of Algebra II Honors, Geometry Honors, IB Math Methods I (Pre-Calculus Honors), and IB Math Methods II (Calculus). This level expects that a student entering SSA has either tested out of Algebra I or takes Algebra II Honors in summer school.

College Preparatory II level courses offered include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus. This level is designed to prepare a student for enrolling in Calculus in college.

College Preparatory I level courses are designed to strengthen arithmetic skills while learning mathematical concepts and theories. The courses offered at this level are Concepts in Algebra I, Concepts in Geometry, Topics in Algebra, and Applied Math.

The Department Chair places students into the most appropriate math level based on the school entrance exam, prior math experience, and an optional SSA algebra placement exam. Students have the opportunity to change the level of courses prior to each school year with the permission of their past math teachers. Pre-Algebra is offered in the summer prior to freshman year for students who will be entering Integrated Math I.  Algebra II Honors is also offered in summer school to accommodate students who are ready for the IB courses after sophomore year.

Technology is integrated throughout all courses and levels where appropriate. The primary technology used for math courses are the Texas Instruments (TI) graphing calculators. All students are required to have their own Texas Instruments 83-Plus or TI-84 series of calculators.

The department also utilizes the Geometer's Sketch Pad computer program to help visualize geometric and some algebraic concepts. Teachers also instruct using tablet compters and interactive whiteboards, a tool that is similar to a technological chalkboard and facilitates classroom presentations. Power Point and Excel are also used both as an instructional tool and for students to make their own classroom presentations for appropriate lessons.

In addition to classroom instruction, math faculty meets with students during free time to accommodate different learning styles and provide one-on-one individualized reinforcement of math skills.

The Mathematics Department Faculty Members are members of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and The Metropolitan Mathematics Club of Chicago (MMC). The faculty members attend conferences sponsored by the NCTM, MMC, and Texas Instruments to maintain current teaching strategies and technology usage. The teachers in honors courses have also attended International Baccalaureate training sessions.