Concern About Proposed Algebra Curriculum

CT Academy for Education says “NO” to guidelines established by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel and ACHIEVE’s American Diploma Project despite call to benchmark standards

The CT Coalition4 World Class Math expressed shock and disappointment at the Model Algebra I curriculum being developed under a quarter of a million dollar grant from the Connecticut Department of Education. The new Algebra course is the first step in Commissioner Mark McQuillan's ambitious high school reform effort to raise achievement across Connecticut schools.

The model curriculum, even at this draft stage of design, has already provoked serious concerns about its suitability for Connecticut students. Critics complain that the model Algebra course would leave out important topics that most mathematicians agree are essential to preparing students for college and career.

“Connecticut has not had a successful program in mathematics for at least the last 10 years,” said Stanford University’s James Milgram, Professor Emeritus Algebraic Topology. “There is now overwhelming evidence that these mathematics curricula do not work.” Milgram predicts Connecticut will “continue its decline in math outcomes relative to the U.S. and even more dramatically, relative to the rest of the world.”

· A staggering 40% of incoming college freshman at Connecticut colleges and universities need remedial math courses

· Only 5% of college students take higher level mathematic classes necessary in fields such as engineering and finance

· The high remediation rate comes with a steep price as well. It is estimated the state would save $12.5 million annually and students would earn an additional $16.4 million if the remediation rate were lowered

Algebra is considered a gateway course for students, as data by the College Board found a close correlation between completion of Algebra in high school and the ability of students to earn a degree. Nevertheless, students are arriving to our colleges and universities unprepared and in need of remediation. The Accuplacer Exam, developed by the College Board to determine placement in college level courses including mathematics, covers topics that are in keeping with the recommendations of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel and those of ACHIEVE’s American Diploma Project.

The state of Connecticut is a network member of ACHIEVE, an organization created in 1996 by the nation’s governors and corporate leaders, whose goal is to improve the rigor and clarity of the process of standard-setting and testing. The CT Coalition4 World Class Math is disquieted by the drafters’ (CT Academy for Education) dismissal of ACHIEVE and the American Diploma Project.

Achievement in the state as measured by critical indicators (CAPT, CMT, NAEP) is stagnant or declining. “There is clearly something wrong,” says Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. “Large percentages of students report taking advanced mathematics courses, such as Algebra II, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. But scores are flat. What is being taught in these courses? Are they being watered down?” questions Stotsky.

Commissioner McQuillan sought to address the poor performance of many Connecticut students in his high school reform proposal known as The Connecticut Plan. “I fear that the disastrous model Algebra course could doom the Commissioner’s entire high school reform effort,” said spokesperson Laura Troidle. “Connecticut citizens are counting on the Department of Education to get this first step right. It will serve as a model for future courses and this could endanger the Commissioner’s desperately needed high school reform effort.”

For more information visit http://www.ctcoalitionforworldclassmath.com/
or email ctmath@sbcglobal.net

Bad at math? Blame your parents. (Yeah, right.)

Bullpucky.

Balderdash.

Baloney.

Bad at Math? Blame It on Your Parents
And if your kids aren't good at math, blame yourself

This hogwash is brought to you courtesy of NBC - Connecticut.

I have no doubt that what the UCLA researchers found as to faster nerve impulses resulting in faster signaling and therefore, faster processing of information is true. Clearly, some people learn things at a faster rate than others. We all have our cognitive limits.

Nevertheless, these limits can be challenged. Intelligence is malleable. (See Daniel Willingham, Why Don't Students Like School? )

We already have a problem in our country with accepting this view as part of our culture, we don't need people going around making excuses for their lack of math ability. Our children, in particular, need us to be convincing them of quite the opposite.

"In China, Japan, and other Eastern countries, intelligence is more often viewed as malleable. If students fail a test or don't understand a concept, it's not they're stupid-- they just haven't worked hard enough yet. This atrribution is helpful to students because it tells them that intelligence is under their control. If they are performing poorly, they can do something about it." -Willingham, p. 131

Math ability is the result of deliberate practice, the kind of practice that makes perfect. Doing well in math requires effort and sometimes it's not particurlarly fun. As Willingham so clearly points out, sometimes we do our best to avoid thinking altogether. That's precisely why effort matters. "When children believe that their efforts to learn make them smarter, they show greater persistence with math." (National Mathematics Advisory Panel) This is the message that we need to communicate to our children (and to ourselves as parents).

So am I saying the researchers at UCLA got it all wrong? Not at all. Science supports what they've discovered about genetics influencing intelligence. However, we must temper this view with caution. "Our genetic inheritance does impact our intelligence, but it seems to do so mostly through the environment. There is no doubt that intelligence can be changed," states Daniel Willingham. Clearly, a child born to parents who are good at math or who communicate a passion for math, and who encourage this trait in their own children are going to alter the outcome.

The environment isn't limited to home and to parenting either. This news story is irresponsible because it's letting educators off the hook and blaming parents and children for a lack of math ability! Clearly, well qualified teachers of mathematics armed with a coherent and cumulative curricula can increase mathematics ability in children. They do so in Singapore and Finland and many, many other countries that outperform us on internationally benchmarked assessments. Our children are no less capable. Our children are underperforming.

I'll close with what's now become my favorite math quote:

"The universe is a far more beautiful and elegant place than any of us can imagine. We must be ready and able to both construct and use mathematics to help explain ever more subtle aspects of it, and the phrase `I will never use it' should be deleted from our students' vocabularies."

James Milgram, Professor Emeritus
Stanford University

I would only add that the phrase "I'm bad at math" should be deleted from our students' vocabularies as well.

*See also: Ten Myths About Math Education and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them

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If you'd like to know how you can get involved with improving Connecticut's math standards, visit http://www.ctcoalitionforworldclassmath.com/
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Bad at Math? Blame It on Your Parents And if your kids aren't good at math, blame yourself - NBC CT
Study gives more proof that intelligence is largely inherited- UCLA Newsroom

turning lead into gold

Well, at least the Wright Group/McGraw Hill, publisher of Everyday Math, is attempting to clean up the mess they've created. On the same day the National Math Advisory Panel was busy making their report available to the public, Wright Group was introducing Pinpoint Math.

CHICAGO, March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Wright Group/McGraw-Hill (News) has published a new math intervention curriculum, Pinpoint Math. The supplemental program, with both online and print components, was designed for students in Grades 1-7 who are one to two grade levels behind in mathematics.Pinpoint Math can be used successfully with any basal mathematics program. It incorporates the three essential elements necessary for improvement of mathematics performance among struggling students:

-- Diagnostic Assessment: Identify areas of weakness for individual students.

-- Targeted Instruction: Provides content in an individual Student Action Plan that meets the needs of the student with both print and animated tutorials.

-- Progress Monitoring: For ongoing assessment of students' advancement on individual topics in both formal and informal formats.

Districts who buy the supplemental program better be ready to fork up some serious cash. Not very good news for cash strapped districts in just about every neighborhood.

On the bright side of things, piggybacking on Everyday Math sales is definitely good news for the Wright Group. After all, they have managed to worm their way into 175,000 classrooms and still counting. That's a whole lot of potential sales generated by a whole lot of students who will require a whole lot of remediation.

Conveniently, Pinpoint Math "can be used successfully with any basal mathematics program." That way, schools can help those struggling students "who are one to two grade levels behind in mathematics."

This is edu-business at its finest. First, you sell schools a math curriculum that results in a significant population of struggling students who end up one to two grade levels behind, and then you sell them a scaffolding tool to remediate the problem you created in the first place. Remember, it's all about the children.

Nice job Wright Group/McGraw-Hill. Way to keep the stockholders happy.



Cross posted at Kitchen Table Math: the sequel

Landing in the garbage with a thud...

This week, after two years of deliberation, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel released their report aimed at improving math education in this country. And you could almost hear the sound of textbooks--that heavy one in your kid's backpack, and a stack of high-stakes math tests, the kind your kid take every year--landing in the garbage can with a thud.

Wow. That's a little harsh. I think that all those Everyday Math books and pitiful standardized tests that mirror them still have some value. They should at the very least be recycled into usable paper products. That way, trees would not have died in vain and all that garbage won't take up space in our nation's landfills.

*reduce * reuse * recycle

Calculating a New Approach
A report on math education fuels the debate about the Singapore model. What is it--and would it work here?

Peg Tyre Newsweek Web Exclusive
Mar 14, 2008 Updated: 4:33 p.m. ET Mar 14, 2008

Reading between the lines...

Any approach that continually revisits topics year after year without closure is to be avoided.

really means...

Everyday Math is to be avoided.

It's FINAL - National Math Panel Report

National Mathematics Advisory Panel Releases Final Report

On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. Copies of these ground-breaking reports, rich with information for parents, teachers, policy makers, the research community, and others, are provided below.

Foundations for Success: Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel

Final Report PDF (851 KB) Word (1 MB)

National Math Panel works hard

I sure hope all those Everyday Mathematics books are recyclable because they won't do well on the re-sale market and no developing country is going to want them either.

The National Math Advisory Panel has issued the report they've been working on since 2006 having reviewed over 16,000 research studies in the process. Considering the findings of the panel, I would be worried if I were the Wright Group because if the report is any indication, Everyday Math's approach to teaching math to over 2.8 million students, is anything but right.

Math courses must be streamlined, focusing on "a well-defined set of the most critical topics".

Anyone familiar with Everyday Math knows that this curriculum is anything but. The approach would be best described as a "Jack of all trade, master of none" kind of thing. Students move through mountains of concepts at break-neck speed never slowing down to appreciate the scenery.

Michigan State University professor William Schmidt adds, "In the U.S., we're trying to teach first-graders 20-some topics." There is no call for mastery, because according to Everyday Math's take on the "spiral", the topics will be revisited again and again and again.

Despite the findings of the panel, the folks at Everyday Mathematics would have you believe the following:

Because very few people learn a new concept or skill the first time they experience it, the curriculum is structured to provide multiple exposures to topics, and frequent opportunities to review and practice skills. A concept or skill that is informally introduced in kindergarten, for example, will be revisited, developed and extended numerous times, and in a variety of contexts, throughout the year and into later grades. - About Everyday Mathematics

So, what happens to these children subjected to the Everyday Mathematics "spiral"? Dr. Larry Faulkner, president emeritus of UT Austin said, "There is a problem of kids not feeling like they're getting anywhere, that third-grade math is the same as fourth-grade math." I would add that it's more than just a feeling. They really aren't getting anywhere.

Any approach that continually revisits topics year after year without closure is to be avoided.


Everyday Mathematics does precisely that. In fact, they consider the it one of the program's most salient features. So, if you're the Wright Group and you've been pushing your "spiral" as the basis for your program, just how would you spin it?

In answer to the question of whether math should be all fun and games in order to be engaging and therefore effective (another feature promoted by the Everyday Math folks), the answer, as far as I can tell, is no. Foundational fluency leads to conceptual understanding-- you cannot have one without the other. Automatic recall of math facts is essential to that understanding. Even if you choose "games" to get there, fact mastery is serious business.

Faulkner said that the panel “buys the notion from cognitive science that kids have to know the facts.”

“In the language of cognitive science, working memory needs to be predominately dedicated to new material in order to have a learning progression, and previously addressed material needs to be in long-term memory,” he said.

The panel also determined that "Americans should look at prowess in math less as a talent than as the result of sheer hard work." Furthermore, "Effort counts. Students who believe that working hard will make them smarter in math actually do achieve better."

“Experimental studies have demonstrated that changing children’s beliefs from a focus on ability to a focus on effort increases their engagement in mathematics learning, which in turn improves mathematics outcomes,” the report says.

“When children believe that their efforts to learn make them ‘smarter,’ they show greater persistence in mathematics learning.”

Clearly, Barbie had it all wrong.

As my daughter says, "Math isn't hard, it's just hard work."

Indeed.

A solution to how to teach math: Subtract
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
March 13, 2008

Panel Proposes Streamlining Math
By TAMAR LEWIN, New York Times
Published: March 13, 2008

Panel Finds Faults in America's Math System
By Maria Glod Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 13, 2008

National Math Panel Releases Final Report

Biting the algebra bullet

Biting the bullet eventually pays off. California completely overhauled the state math standards making algebra mandatory as of 2004. Critics have been quick to point to this move as a big mistake citing the high percentage of students who score below proficient on the golden state's algebra exam.

The bottom line, however, is that there has been a 53% increase in the number of eighth-graders scoring "proficient" or "advanced" in algebra I between 2003 and 2007 according to research by EdSource. Nearly 239,000 eighth graders took algebra I in 2007 compared to 151, 700 in 2003. During the same period, the number of ninth graders taking algebra I increased 45% by 271,000 students.

"The vast majority of California school districts did not include (algebra) as a graduation requirement until compelled to do so by the state," the report says. "Today, presumably every California student who receives a diploma from a public high school has passed algebra I."

The EdSource report indicates that the top ten jobs in California will require knowledge of math and science. Requiring rigorous math and science courses for graduation gives students the tools they need to succeed in high demand, high tech jobs.

Furthermore, it is clear that algebra is a gatekeeper course required for success in college. Graduates of California high schools will presumably be holding that very important key.

The National Math Panel has made clear its position on algebra in the following findings and recommendations:

The Task Group affirms that algebra is the gateway to more advanced
mathematics and to most postsecondary education.

All schools and teachers must concentrate on providing a sound and strong mathematics education to all elementary and middle school students so that all of them can enroll and succeed in algebra.

It is much more important for our students to be soundly prepared for algebra and then well taught in algebra than to study algebra at any particular grade level.

The National Math Panel also supports the drive for algebra by eighth grade. In the progress report of September 2007, the Conceptual Knowledge and Skills Task Group Progress Report stated, "Federal and state policies should give incentives to schools to offer an authentic Algebra I course in Grade 8, and to prepare a higher percentage of students to enter the study of algebra by Grade 8."

So, is your child on the path to algebra by grade eight? If not, you might want to push for answers and ultimately for change. Researchers have found that delaying algebra until high school puts students at a distinct disadvantage to those who take algebra by eighth grade. But don't wait for middle school to do something about it. By then, it may be much too late.

According to the National Math Panel, "The coherence and hierarchical nature of mathematics dictate the foundational skills that are necessary for the learning of algebra. By the nature of algebra, the most important among them is proficiency with fractions (including decimals, percent, and negative fractions). The teaching of fractions must be acknowledged as critically important and improved before an increase in student achievement in algebra can be expected." The importance of a coherent elementary curriculum that prepares students for algebra cannot be underestimated.

California is under the microscope in this important endeavor. As we look to California as a model of success, it is important to recognize that it is still very much in the nascent stage of accomplishing this important goal. It's certainly not an easy road to travel and along the way they have become a target of the naysayers.

Nevertheless, algebra by eighth grade is the challenge we must all be prepared to take on if the goal is get through this math debacle. There is hope at the end of the tunnel, if we're willing to dig our way out.

We certainly have an important choice to make. Like California, we can choose to bite the bullet and endure a little pain for gain, or instead, we can pretend that math is all fun and games and keep shooting ourselves in the foot.