Math Education

Is it true that the United States lags behind other developed nations in the performance of our students in math? Yes. Even the top 15-year old U.S. students ranked 24th in math compared to the top internationally. On the International Student Achievement Exam (PISA), the U.S. ranked 28th while our neighbors to the north, Canada, ranked 6th.

What is going right for Canada? They use problem solving based math programs with an emphasis on professional development for their teachers. Conceptual understanding is also emphasized. What is going wrong for the U.S.? Often the focus is on procedural knowledge and computation without conceptual understanding. U.S. students are given fewer opportunities for problem solving and there is less emphasis on professional development. Math standards in Canada emphasize student's communicating their thinking, investigating rich problems and making generalizations. Traditionally in the U.S., the focus has been on using symbols, memorizing, procedures and quick thinking.

So what is the status of math education in Idaho and Genesee? Idaho has implemented the Idaho Math Initiative which parallels the very successful Idaho Reading Initiative. The IMI has a large professional development component with statewide classes for teachers to provide the background knowledge to successfully implement a rigorous math education for all students. The first wave of Genesee teachers will be taking these classes this summer.

In addition to professional development school districts, including Genesee, are in the process of reviewing research-based math curriculum which emphasizes the National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM) national standards. The regional math consultant is meeting with our staff on March 12 to provide an overview of the IMI and background information regarding the process of curriculum material adoption. To provide a more thorough review, Genesee has chosen to take the next twelve months to review relevant research and select appropriate curriculum to present to the Trustees for adoption. The Board set up a math curriculum committee, which includes parents and staff, to make the final recommendations.

Since advanced math courses are the biggest predictor of college success, they can help the U.S. catch up on educational attainment as well. Taking advanced math courses in high school significantly improves student performance in college math and science courses. The Genesee School District graduation policy requires more math than the state minimum. Students graduating with the class of 2013 and beyond will also need to pass Algebra I and Geometry. Students may not enter ninth grade without having taken Pre-Algebra. In order to insure student success, our elementary and middle school curriculum will be reviewed for adequate rigor. Our goal is to increase the number of students successfully completing Algebra II, Trigonometry and Calculus.