Math Curriculum

What Washington Can Learn from Minnesota

laura — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:34:22 -0600

Educators in Minnesota have a lot to cheer about. Their students participated in the 2007 International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS), and saw improved results since they last participated in 1995. And for a state that had no standards on these subjects thirteen years ago, it looks like their commitment and effort toward continual refinement has paid off.

From edweek.org:

“As one of only two U.S. states to participate in a prominent international measurement of academic skill, Minnesota is scoring at or near the level of many of the highest-performing countries on that exam, and its scores in some categories have jumped significantly since it first took part in 1995.”

Washington has not participated in TIMSS and it’s unknown whether we will in the future, but taking a look at what changes Minnesota made to achieve the improved results can be valuable, particularly in Math, since their science results stayed flat.

The 2007 report shows fourth grade math results jumped from a 516 to a 554 on a 1,000 point scale. Improvements are contributed to the increased amount of time teachers spend on number related topics, and the amount of time they take to ensure students have a deep understanding of simpler math concepts.

Improvements with 8th grade math scores could be related to the increased amount of time teachers are spending on algebra in the classroom, which TIMMS emphasizes on the test. In Minnesota, all students take introductory algebra in 8th grade, and they are currently phasing in a mandate that requires algebra 2 prior high school graduation. Thankfully, Washington is on track with a similar requirement. In July 2008, the Washington State Board of Education made algebra 2 a graduation requirement effective in 2013.

The only other state to participate in TIMSS was Massachusetts, a state known for demanding academic standards. They saw progress too, however contributed their improvement to professional development.

Math and science matter. And although these subjects and there standards are currently under review in Washington, anything educators can do to strengthen instruction will ensure brighter futures for students. Looking at what changes Minnesota and Massachusetts made to see their improved results, can be a small piece to the puzzle. Who knows, if we get our act together, Minnesota and Massachusetts may not be the only two states who participate in TIMSS in the future.

Election, CORE 24, Here's Hoping...

Caroline — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:33:59 -0600

Here goes…my first blog as Partnership for Learning’s new Policy Manager. The source of my inspiration? The opening day of the State Board of Education’s (SBE) meeting at Highline Community College.

Board members opened the session by remarking on the historic outcome of the US Presidential Election last night, which handed Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) a decisive victory over challenger Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Come January, Obama will be our 44th President, the first African-American to lead our nation. On the campaign trail, Obama promised to be a bold advocate for improving public schools. We HOPE. Stay tuned…

SBE’s first order of business was to scope out the CORE 24 Implementation Task Force responsibilities. This 15-member body, scheduled to begin meeting in February, will be charged with mapping out a work plan and timeline to phase in the State’s new high school graduation requirements, beginning in 2013 through 2016. The 24 credits required under CORE 24 ensure that every high school graduate in WA will be eligible to apply for admission to a two- or four-year postsecondary degree program.

Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson (fresh from her own still undecided election night) noted CORE 24 “is the right thing to do for our students and the most significant education reform since House Bill 1029 called for statewide standards. We must ensure that school leaders and teachers feel ownership over CORE 24 and that adequate funding and time will be provided for implementation.”

On the sticky issue of funding in a tight budget climate, SBE Chair Mary Jean Ryan said, “We’re going to develop a sound implementation plan based on what is best for our kids and then advocate for the necessary funding. We’re not going to compromise our kids’ futures by scaling back, despite the current fiscal challenges facing our state and nation.”

SBE is scouting out current and retired educators to serve on the Implementation Task Force. If you are an educator who can dedicate your passion and experience to planning CORE 24’s rollout, please apply. Applications are available on the SBE Website.

In other SBE agenda items, a Baker Evaluation Research Consulting (BERC) team previewed their high school transcript study. BERC analyzed the Class of 2008’s course taking at 100 high schools from across the state. While the study is not yet completed, the preliminary results show we need to do more to help our students prepare to succeed after high school. Take note:

Only 49 percent of last year’s high school seniors graduated with enough credits to apply to a four-year public college or university in WA. Fifty-one percent of 12th graders were ineligible to even apply.
Advanced Math is the biggest gatekeeper when it comes to determining who “college is ready” and who is not. Only 33 percent of high school graduates completed the 3 years of Math required by our four-year colleges.
Students who take more rigorous courses in Math and Science are more likely to meet standard on the WASL. Of 10th graders who met the WASL Science standard, 92 percent had already completed 2 Science credits, including one lab Science. In Math, 85 percent of 10th graders meeting standard had taken Geometry or above.

BERC will produce a final report once they complete the transcript study in December.

Okay, I survived my inaugural blog. Would love your feedback and any suggestions about topics you want us to cover in the future.

Math and science hold the future for our students

maureen — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:09:31 -0500

Think all big companies like Microsoft care about is the bottom line? Think again.

Last week, Microsoft published editorials in four different Washington papers on the importance of math and science education for students. And, wouldn’t you know, they hold that math and science skills are critical to the future of our kids and our state’s economy, and urged our state’s lawmakers to take bold steps to improve Washington schools.

What’s a great about Microsoft’s push for education issues is that, as a company, they’ve put their money where their mouth is and have donated $8 million—through programs liked the Microsoft Math Partnership—to improve K-12 math and science education in Washington.

Sort of makes you wish all companies were so committed to not just the success of their employee’s children, but everyone’s children and the future of our workforce at large.

Check out the editorial at the company’s website and the public service announcement we partnered with Microsoft to create above.

Algebra by 8th Grade: The Solution for All?

maureen — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:54:05 -0500

Earlier this year, when Gov. Schwarzenegger announced that all California students would soon be taking algebra by 8^thgrade, the news was met with near equal parts joy and terror. Some railed against the ruling saying that most students were nowhere near prepared for such a course in middle school. Others rejoiced at the head start these same students would receive upon entering high school. The rest, it seems, have held their breath...until now.

Today, the Brookings Institute released a report examining the nation’s students taking 8^th grade algebra and just how well they’re doing. The results, my friends, aren’t exactly uplifting.

According to the LA Times, “There was some ostensibly good news. Nationwide, more students are taking algebra than before. Over five years, the percentage of eighth-graders in advanced math -- algebra or higher -- went up by more than one-third. In total, about 37% of all U.S. students took advanced math in 2005, the most recent year in the analysis.”

BUT! Here’s where California may be in hot water:

According to USA Today, “Using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, [Brookings] found that among the lowest-scoring 10% of kids, nearly 29% were taking advanced math, despite having very low skills. How low? On par with a typical second-grader.”

This latter fact caused even algebra-loving, Washington Post columnist Jay Matthews to reconsider his support of 8^th grade algebra.

So the question still stands, should all students be taking algebra by 8^th grade? Numerous studies show that algebra proficiency by the end of 8^th grade is the key to success in high school math, which, in turn, opens many more doors for students in the world of college and work. And I would argue that—at the very least—mandating algebra has exposed key weaknesses that need to be corrected in our system’s math instruction.

But what do you think?

Algebra—can we just find another name for x?

maureen — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:26:55 -0500

I don’t know what started the word association of algebra with terrible things like brussel sprouts, wall sits and nausea, but a San Francisco Chronicle article today confirmed what I’ve thought for some time now: We need to make like algebra teaches us and come up with another name for it—and I’m not necessarily ruling out “x.”

“For many, the math course was the educational equivalent of castor oil, forced down the throats of teenagers who questioned when they would ever encounter that train leaving Boston at 60 mph,” writes the Chronicle.

Aren’t we just creating a self-fulfilling prophecy here? Where students are set up to fail algebra before they start? Does algebra need to be rebranded? Maybe?! But maybe not! Thankfully, the Chronicle has some answers that don’t involve too many unknown variables:

"Most of us who become mathematicians do so not because of our education but in spite of it," said Kevin Devlin, Stanford University researcher and mathematics professor, as well as the "Math Guy" on National Public Radio. "We're turning kids off a subject that is useful and incredibly interesting and beautiful if taught correctly."

Devlin would like to see "mathematicians in residence" - in the tradition of artists in residence - at middle schools and high schools. They could visit schools, he suggested, and show students the cool side of math - like how an iPod uses algebra to play music.

I think Devlin’s on to something. He’s not exactly suggesting we “rebrand algebra”—more like perform a bloodless coup on the subject. Add in some more passionate, well-trained teachers and when the revolution comes, I’ll be ready.

Ladies and Gentleman, the Washington Class of 2008

maureen — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:32:33 -0500

Just like the tagline of a cinema epic, the road forged by the class of 2008 has been a groundbreaking one, more than a decade in the making. In the next few weeks, students will graduate as the first class to be better prepared for life after high school, demonstrating their ability to succeed on the reading and writing WASL, complete a culminating project and implement a "high school and beyond" plan.

No one doubts the that process of implementing these new graduation requirements has been difficult, but to the credit of principals, teachers, students and parents, out of 67,000 12^th graders currently enrolled in Washington schools an impressive 91.4 percent of students have met state standards in both the reading and writing and are on track to graduate later this month.

“This is a celebration of over a decade of work. These are our first graduates to have more scrutiny placed on them than almost anyone in the state and they’ve risen to the challenge,” said Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “But the big picture is that our schools are now delivering more personalized attention than ever to keep students engaged in school and help them achieve high standards.”

It’s important to note that, to date, there are 3,000 students who have yet to take the test. When these students are subtracted from the total population, the number of students who have met standard goes up to a remarkable 95 percent.

A More Meaningful Diploma

The delivery of these results has proven both inspiring and cathartic for students and teachers. Many students took the reading and writing Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) several times to reach state standards, others demonstrated their capabilities through the submission of portfolios, still others used SAT and AP scores to prove their skills. But later this month, they will all receive a diploma that’s more meaningful than any in our state’s history.

Rose Worgum, an academic counselor at Curtis High School, has seen firsthand how the state’s new diploma requirements have helped to better prepare students for the world of college and work.

“One thing that stands out as significant to me is a student that I worked with who transferred here from the Ukraine in her sophomore year, just a few months before the WASL was administered,” said Worgum. “She spoke no English and ended up taking the WASL that year and did not pass. She worked very hard in her classes and with her English language and in her junior year when she took the WASL, she passed with Level 4's (advanced) in reading and writing and also passed math with a Level 3 (proficient).”

The state’s other new graduation requirements including the completion of the culminating project have also posed challenges for students, but significant benefits, as well, as they plan their next step in life.

“When students are invited to stretch their learning in a meaningful and manageable way, they rise to the occasion,” said Molly Berger, an English teacher in the Yakima School District who supported many of her students through the new culminating project requirement.

The Credit Deficiency Culprit

The students who have not yet passed the reading and/or writing WASL still have a chance to meet state standards through either registering to submit a “collection of evidence” portfolio by June 16 or retaking the WASL in mid-August. The decision to allow these students to participate in graduation ceremonies has been left up to individual districts.

In most cases, however, failure to pass the required reading and writing WASL will not be the decisive factor that holds some students back from graduation. According to a 2007 Washington State University study of more than 10,000 students in 13 districts, lack of sufficient course credits will hold far more students back than failure to meet state graduation standards (see chart below).

“The problem of credit deficiency is ultimately a larger challenge for our students than assessment,” said Brian Jeffries, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) graduation policy director. “Thankfully, programs like ‘Navigation 101’ that help students plan for college and careers and tie their courses to their future goals will reduce credit deficiency as a barrier to graduation.”

Strengthening the Graduation Rate

OSPI will not know the total graduation rate for the class of 2008 until early September, after the August WASL retake. But contrary to the fears of some, there is no indication that the dropout rate will increase this year as a result of the new requirements.

“It is unacceptable to assume the WASL will either increase or decrease our state’s dropout rates,” said Larry Ehl, executive director of Partnership for Learning. “While the WASL itself is not a means to fix our dropout rate, it measures whether a student is ready to take that next step in life. We must continue to explore ways to keep students engaged, motivated and supported while also holding them to the high standards needed for college and work success.”

Supt. Bergeson has often noted that, in other states, the implementation of testing requirements have little impact on graduation rates over time. They have, however, been shown to decrease the number of remedial classes students must take when the exit high school and enter post-secondary institutions, which often strengthens the student incentive to finish well.

Looking Ahead

In many ways, the success of the class of 2008 is just the beginning. The classes of 2009-12 will be subject to the same requirements, but will also be expected to build on this year’s achievement as the process for helping students meet standards and finish requirements becomes more clarified and streamlined. Starting in 2013 and 2014, students will be required to pass the high school math WASL or an end-of-course exam to graduate (currently, students who don’t pass math WASL can earn two math credits after 10^th grade to meet standard).

But Supt. Bergeson doesn’t want to short-change this year’s accomplishment.

“To the students, I must say: Congratulations. You’ve met the challenge and you’ve prepared for your future. You will be going into the 21^st century with the skills to build our future and make our country and economy what we truly want it to be.”

Tracking the Class of 2008

This diagram, created by OSPI, shows the progress of the class of 2008 starting in 9th grade.

Resources for the Class of 2008

To learn more about the requirements for the Class of 2008 and the upcoming requirements for the Classes of 2009-2013, visit OSPI’s resource page.

To find out about the alternative methods for students to meet state standards and graduation requirements, visit OSPI’s Certificate of Achievement page.

Key Upcoming Dates

June 3 -- Public release of 12^th grade WASL results

June 6 -- School districts receive individual student WASL score reports from Pearson Educational Measurement, the state’s testing contractor. School districts receive combined score report for assessment for segmented mathematics

June 9-13 -- Individual student results for grades 10, 11 and 12 available for districts to share with students and their families.

June 16 -- Deadline to submit Collection of Evidence and Report to Families: OSPI’s announcement of state-level High School WASL results and progress with graduation requirement in reading, writing and math

June 9-27 -- Registration window for August High School WASL

June 16-20 -- Third batch of Certificate of Academic Achievement/Certificate of Individual Achievement certificates delivered

August 11-14 -- August High School WASL (Counts for 2007-08 school year)

By September 10 -- OSPI releases statewide Spring 2008 WASL performance in all subjects and all grades.

Washington Math Teachers Gear Up for New Standards

With Washington’s new K-8 math standards in place, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is undertaking a series of massive training sessions for more than 10,000 math teachers statewide.

The training sessions will take place in Spokane in late June and in Tacoma in late July and early August. Some Educational Service Districts (ESDs) and school districts are scheduling their own sessions, as well. The state will pay for related materials including copies of the 2008 Washington State K-8 Mathematics Standards for all participants.

“The mathematics standards training is not required,” said Lexie Domaradzki, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning at OSPI. “However, starting in the spring of 2010, math tests at all grade levels will assess whether students have learned the mathematics content contained in the new standards.”

Professional development for mathematics standards in grades 9-12 will be scheduled later this year, following the adoption of the revised standards for those grades.

For more information on — and to register for — OSPI and ESD-sponsored trainings visit https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/EventsManager/Public/Calendar.aspx (Events Manager search terms: Revised Mathematics Standards, Math, K-8).

State Board of Education Approves New Math Standards

maureen — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:41:17 -0500

Newsflash: It’s finally done! Yesterday in Olympia, the State Board of Education approved OSPI’s revised K-8 math standards.

Our fingers are crossed that a plan to confirm the revised high school math standards will be out soon.

One train leaves Station A at 6 p.m traveling at 40 mph…you’ve heard this one before…

maureen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:39:08 -0500

vs.

An interesting article out of the New York Times this morning details a study that may debunk the age-old assumption that real-word, story problems—like the infamous “two trains passing in the night”—help students learn math better:

“Though the experiment tested college students, the researchers suggested that their findings might also be true for math education in elementary through high school, the subject of decades of debates about the best teaching methods.

In the experiment, the college students learned a simple but unfamiliar mathematical system, essentially a set of rules. Some learned the system through purely abstract symbols, and others learned it through concrete examples like combining liquids in measuring cups and tennis balls in a container.

Then the students were tested on a different situation — what they were told was a children’s game — that used the same math. “We told students you can use the knowledge you just acquired to figure out these rules of the game,” Dr. Kaminski said.

The students who learned the math abstractly did well with figuring out the rules of the game. Those who had learned through examples using measuring cups or tennis balls performed little better than might be expected if they were simply guessing. Students who were presented the abstract symbols after the concrete examples did better than those who learned only through cups or balls, but not as well as those who learned only the abstract symbols.

The problem with the real-world examples, Dr. Kaminski said, was that they obscured the underlying math, and students were not able to transfer their knowledge to new problems.”

Happy Friday!

April Update

maureen — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:35:49 -0500

Washington Math Standards Move Forward

It has already been a busy year for those involved with Washington’s new math standards. There have been multiple rounds of edits and revisions. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has held numerous public hearings. And, at the end of the legislative session, oversight of the math standards process was transferred from OSPI to the State Board of Education.

Last Friday, however, the State Board moved the standards one step closer to the finish line. After receiving several rounds of public comment, the State Board approved state consultant Strategic Teaching’s “Edited Expectations” report on the new K-8 math standards with three final requests:

Add more examples to requirements
Provide more explicit language concerning calculator use, and
Give the document a good proofread.

Otherwise, they agreed, the new standards “provide greater clarity about what is expected of students in each grade, give more explicit guidance to educators about what to teach when, and increase the rigor of math to ensure more Washington students succeed.”

In accordance with SB 6534, the State Board now plans to ask OSPI to use Strategic Teaching’s suggestions to complete the revision of the K-8 math standards and begin work on professional development for teachers. This complex process looks to be completed on April 28, when the State Board will decide whether or not to adopt the new K-8 standards set to go into effect next year.

To learn more about Washington’s math standards, please visit the following resources.

The State Board of Education – For updates on the latest standards drafts and revisions from Strategic Teaching.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction – For resources for educators, including podcasts by State Supt. Terry Bergeson on the standards revision process.
The College Work Ready Agenda’s Frequently Asked Questions about Math – For information about why a good foundation in math is so important.

Don't Miss Kati Haycock at the Seattle Public Library

Next week, Kati Haycock, executive director of The Education Trust, will be back in Seattle to present on the power of high standards for all students. Hosted by the League of Education Voters and sponsored by Partnership for Learning and others, Haycock will focus on what Washington can learn from other successful school systems and the policy we can implement to create more opportunities for all Washington students. The event is free, open to the public and one that you won't want to miss!

During her visit last December, Haycock spoke of the incredible turnaround potential of school systems that address achievement gaps, institute rigorous curriculum and ensure that quality teachers are in classrooms. She also firmly cut through age-old policy discussions with advice that, in education, "we need to focus on what we can do rather than what we can't."

A truly inspirational speaker and one of the nation's leading education reform advocates, Haycock will share her thoughts on what is really needed to give all students as many opportunities as possible to succeed in life.

Kati Haycock and Eric Liu
(view the invite)
Monday, April 28 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Seattle Public Library, Microsoft Auditorium
Please RSVP by Friday, April 25th

New College Bound Scholarship Breaks Down Barriers for Low-Income Students

Washington currently ranks 32nd nationally in the percentage of low-income students who participate in postsecondary education, at a time when the state's need for highly educated and highly skilled workers is growing rapidly.But a new scholarship sponsored by the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) hopes to turn this trend around in Washington state with the College Bound Scholarship.

The scholarship will cover the cost of college tuition, fees and books for those who sign a pledge in 7th or 8th grade promising to graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 grade point average and demonstrate good citizenship. Their family income must also remain at 65 percent or less of the state's median income by the time of high school graduation to permit a scholarship award.

There are more than 56,000 Washington students potentially eligible for this scholarship. Are you one of them or do you know someone who is? The deadline for application is June 1, 2008 for 8th graders and June 1, 2009 for 7th graders. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Visit the HECB website for more information.

Partnership for Learning Announces New Executive Director

We are pleased to announce that Larry Ehl has joined the Partnership for Learning team as executive director. Larry is a seasoned communicator with more than 24 years of experience in strategic advocacy and government relations and, as we're finding out, is pretty serious about his music collection.

Previously the director of government relations for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Larry used to drive 3 ½ hours a day from Edmonds to Olympia and back.

"I have nearly 20,000 songs in my iTunes (including a lot of, um, Grateful Dead). So while the drive did give me time to listen to a lot of music, it's great to now be a part of efforts that will make a positive difference in children's lives and educators' work--and spend more time with my family," said Larry, who has three teenage daughters in Edmonds Public Schools.

As WSDOT's government relations director, Larry established effective relationships with legislators and the Governor's office, assisted in developing department advocacy and communication strategies and helped elected officials and the public better understand good transportation policy. He also represented Washington's transportation interests to Congress as a federal relations manager and secured funding for transportation projects that were important to communities.

Larry's also served six years on the Edmonds School Board, which was named under his tenure as the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) School Board of the Year and given the WSSDA Diversity Award for outstanding efforts to promote diversity and multiculturalism. He also served as a past executive director of the University of Washington's Experimental College.

"Partnership for Learning has a great track record and reputation for working collaboratively in championing education reform efforts to better prepare our children for success and improve support for educators," said Larry. "I'm excited about the opportunity to devote my skills and energy to helping the business community, parents and educators improve our education system."

We're certainly happy to have a fellow music-lover and colleague devoted to Washington public education on board. So please join us in welcoming Larry to the Partnership and look forward to hearing from him soon!

Math Standards Update!

maureen — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:06:29 -0500

It’s that time again…time to check-in on how Washington’s new math standards are shaping up. When we last left the new draft standards, the State Board of Education’s math consultant, Linda Plattner, had assessed the standards and said that they aligned well to her initial recommendations in grades K-8, but that the high school math standards still needed more work.

Now she’s issued a full review of the standards that analyzes what they do well (K-8 is still fine with a just a few language tweaks)—and don’t (high school standards still need more revision)—in greater depth. Check out SBE press release for more.

And, thanks to SB 6534 (passed last week), the legislature has transferred the authority to study, and approve or deny the new standards from OSPI to the State Board of Education. With SBE overseeing the new standards process, the legislature hopes OSPI will align the standards to Plattner’s recommendations and critique in a final version by July. According to the bill, here’s the new math standards timeline:

By May 15, SBE will review Plattner’s assessment of the standards, hold a public hearing to receive comment, make any modifications and forward their recommendations back to OSPI.
By July 1, OSPI will revise the standards to conform precisely to SBE’s recommendations.
By July 31, SBE will either approve OSPI’s new standards or develop a plan so that the new standards will be ready for adoption by Sept. 25.

Looks like it's going to be a busy six months!

For those ed folks concerned about this process, SBE is taking public comment on the new math standards during their next meeting on March 26 at the Puget Sound Educational Service District in Renton. Visit the SBE website for more information.