First in Math

Due to the closure of all PreK-12 schools in West Virginia, First in Math is offering free online and offline math lessons to West Virginia teachers to use with their students until July 2020!  First in Math is a K-8 resource WV districts can count on to facilitate learning from home.  Help your students build and retain skills vital to math success with 24/7 online content, plus an option for students without Internet access.  Students practice with standards-based online math games in school or at home; teachers curate and monitor the activity.  Choose from more than 200 K-5 worksheets to download and print for students who do not have internet access. 

To access First in Math, email the following information to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :

District Name:

District Address:

District Contact Email:

Number of Students:

Number of Schools:

Pamela HarrisOnline conference pre-registration for the 2020 WVCTM Annual Conference has closed! You can still register at the conference, Thursday night, Friday morning, or Saturday morning.

 The WVCTM Annual Conference will be held at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke, WV from March 13-14, 2020. Reservations can be made at Stonewall Resort by calling (304) 269-7400 or the Holiday Inn Express in Weston (about 20 minutes away) at (304) 269-3550.  Be sure to mention that you are attending the WVCTM Annual Conference to receive the conference rate.  To purchase a t-shirt for the event, please visit 

https://wvctm20.itemorder.com/sale.  Orders can be picked up at registration.

This year's event begins on Friday morning with the opening general session at 8:30, followed by the keynote presentation.  The remainder of the conference will be filled with breakout sessions for learning new ideas for teaching mathematics at all grade levels!

Friday evening, we hope you will attend the banquet, where awards will be presented to some of our outstanding mathematics teachers from around the state.  If you are bringing an additional guest, please purchase an extra banquet ticket when registering.

Pam Harris will be the keynote speaker at the 2020 WVCTM Annual Conference.  Currently, Harris teaches Elementary Math Methods at Texas State University.  She co-authored the Bridges in Mathematics textbook for grades 3-5 and was the lead author of Discovering Advanced Algebra, Third Edition.  According to her website, mathisfigureoutable.com, her interests include teaching real math, building powerful numeracy, sequencing rich tasks to construct mathematics, using technology appropriately, smart assessment, and vertical connectivity in curricula in schools from Pre-K to 12.

Harris will be presenting the opening session of the WVCTM Conference on Friday morning, and she will also present during some breakout sessions on Friday.  We welcome Pam Harris to the WVCTM Annual Conference!

West Virginia’s math4Life initiative is a comprehensive and intensive statewide effort to improve student mathematics performance throughout the state over the next five years.  The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is working with counties and schools throughout the state to institute best practices, expand pedagogy, and student engagement strategies to improve students’ mathematics achievement. 

The five year plan emphasizes a system of mathematical improvement.  Using West Virginia’s College- and Career- Readiness Standards to select instructional materials, WV educators are implementing math programs, technology supports, and community engagement practices to promote the county math4life initiative. The WVDE, working with a national advisory team, including Dr. Jason Zimba, Dr. Cathy Seeley, and Dr. Jo Boaler is supporting county efforts with other national experts to support best teaching practices and administrative leadership, with a focus on ALL students.

The following is a synopsis of the plan and how it has been communicated to county chief instructional leaders:

Year 1

• Data analysis and self-reflection; planning overview
• Parent/Community involvement/awareness

Year 2

• Monitoring progress and implementation of math4life content and strategies in schools and classrooms
• Teacher/Administrator participation in online modules
• Utilizing instructional coaches to support integration of math4lifecontent and strategies in the classroom
• Sustainability
• WVDE
  • PLC Guides
  • Educator Guides
  • Summer Speaker Series
  • Online Professional Learning Opportunities
    • Elementary PK-5 Math Modules
    • Radford University Elementary Modules
    • Algebra I Math Modules (Part I/Part II)
    • Geometry Modules (Part I/Part II)
    • Stanford University Mathematical Mindset’s Jo Boaler Online Course
    • Middle Math Modules
    • Principles to Action Toolkit

The WVDE, through the math4life initiative is providing a myriad of professional learning opportunities, both online and face-to-face, for teachers and administrators. It is the belief of the WVDE that ALL students can achieve high levels of mathematics if provided the appropriate instructional supports. It is the goal of our counties and the WVDE to revolutionize how mathematics is learned and taught in the state of West Virginia. For more information about the WV math4life initiative visit: https://wvde.us/math4life/