Sherri Pack refuses to allow her students to "skip" steps in algebraic problems. She also requires students to identify each step by proper name, such as the "subtraction property of equality" or the "identity property of addition." It'll help them as the math gets harder, she says.

"Math is communication," she said. "A lot of people know the answer (before properly finishing a problem). I make them tell why."

Math classes are rotated among teachers each year: This year's geometry teacher could be teaching algebra next year.

That means the math teachers must be solid in algebra and geometry.

The math teachers must constantly work with each other, poring over the state curriculum, figuring out where in textbooks students will learn the concepts, and improvising when necessary.

During professional development days, the teachers compare tests to learn "if your class did a lot better on that question, how did you teach that," Darling said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com