2007 OPINION-EDITORIAL

February 27, 2007

'Where's the Math?' is a question all Washington parents should ask
State math curriculum doesn't add up

By Steven Maggi

On Monday, February 19, about 200 parents, teachers, and students held a rally at the Capitol Steps in Olympia asking the question, “Where’s the Math?” A statewide organization of the same name has been telling citizens and legislators alike that many of the curriculums being used in Washington State do not do the job of teaching fundamental mathematics. In fact, they have produced three videos on the topic, which have brought international attention to their group.

Earlier in the month, Olympia Middle School parents got together at a community forum. The topic which concerned the parents was a math curriculum to be adopted in Olympia schools. This program is called Connected Math Project 2 (CMP) and is in use in a number of districts throughout the state.

CMP is just one of many programs in Washington State that use the “discovery approach” to math. This approach is promoted by the National Council of Teachers of the Mathematic Standards (NCTM) who, in 1989, included it in their recommendations. Students are encouraged to discover math principles on their own rather than being instructed by their teachers as to the rudimentary principles. Little emphasis is put on traditional algorithms (i.e. short division, traditional multiplication) and much more is placed on the proper use of a calculator.

Remember the rote learning that many of us grew up with: 4 times 5 equals 20, 4 times 6 equals 24, etc.? Under NCTM standards, there is less emphasis on this kind of learning, as well as less emphasis on mastering fractions, algebra, and geometry. Curriculum that used the discovery method was adopted throughout the state in the 1990’s.

In addition to CMP, other textbooks in Washington schools use the same approach, including:

• Interactive Math Program

• McDougal-Littell Integrated Math

• Terc Investigations

The concern of parents regarding these programs is well-founded. Curriculums such as these have produced statistics that are embarrassing for the state and provide an unnecessary stumbling block for our children’s future. The National Research Council’s exhaustive report on K-12 mathematics (analyzing over 140 studies) concluded that there was no evidence of effectiveness with these programs.

One needs only to look at the WASL scores to realize this method is not working. Over 40 percent of Washington high school students have failed the WASL after two tries. What about the kids who go on to college? Over the last decade, math placement exam scores at the University of Washington (UW) have dropped 20 percent. Many students cannot work with simple algebra or fractions, and more than over 30 percent of incoming freshman to UW now require remedial math.

The Fordham Foundation puts out an annual report card on math curriculum for every state. In its latest edition, Washington received an “F” due to “standards that were poorly written, difficult to understand and at times had little to do with math.”

Meanwhile, in Olympia, a compromise was proposed by the school district. While the district insists on using CMP, they are now proposing that they also use traditional teaching methods as a “supplement” to CMP. The reasoning is that while some children will benefit from the “discovery approach,” others respond better to a more direct instructional approach. Certainly some students benefit from the “discovery approach,” but most students, particularly young ones, benefit more from being taught the rudiments of math.

If the District feels that offering both “choices” would serve the students best, why not offer other choices throughout the education system to serve as many students as possible?

The lack of success in Math has another effect. Of the 37 percent of high school graduates who go on to Community Colleges, almost 50 percent of them take pre-college math. Most of the information taught in these classes should be learned by the 10th grade. These remedial classes waste valuable time for students and cost both the student and the taxpayers, as the state reimburses colleges for 2/3 of the cost and the students pay the other third in tuition.

Perhaps Washington should follow the lead of California. In 1998, they made the switch from this kind of “reform math” to a more traditional approach which includes emphasis on algorithms, geometry, and algebra. California educators call these standards “rigorous, focused and coherent.” The results have shown stunning increases in performance, especially among disadvantaged populations.

Is there a silver lining to any of this? Yes, but it is a pretty thin line. It’s a great time for starting a tutoring company. In fact, the revenues of math tutoring companies in Washington State went up more than 300 percent in the last 10 years.

Steven is the VP of Communications for EFF. He holds a master’s degree in Intergovernmental Management from the University of Southern California and trained with the Leadership Institute. Steven is the former President/CEO of the Solano County Business and Education Alliance, and worked as a consultant in the education and emergency preparedness industries. A former broadcaster, Steven has appeared on numerous radio stations throughout the West.

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