The Push For Higher Math Standards in Lower Grades.

The Push For Higher Math Standards in Lower Grades

MATH EDUCATION HISTORY● The launch of Sputnik in 1957 by the U.S.S.R. caught the U.S. by surprise. As a

response, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act in 1958 to reinforce the teaching of math and science

● By the early 1980s, there was widespread acknowledgment that the quality ofmath and science education had been fading. A presidential math education reviewcommission pointed out low enrollments in advanced math and science classes and the general lowering of college entrance requirements

● In 1989 at the Education Summit of Governors, a bipartisan call for nationalstandards was formulated (Klein, 2003). U.S. students were to be first in math andscience by the year 2000.

● No Child Left Behind Act defines mathematics achievement in terms of student performance in mathematics as either “basic,” “proficient,” or “advanced” level.

● In 2008, California lawmakers began a campaign to make algebra mandatory for eighth-graders, a shift that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger compared to President John F. Kennedy's pledge to put a man on the moon.

WHY IS MATH IMPORTANT?

● Experts at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believe that the wealth of a country, as well as its political and economic independence, is related to the schooling of the population (IMF, 2010). A highly educated nation tends to have the resources and brainpower to stay economically and politically independent.

● There is a positive correlation between the degree of education and wages, meaning the average wage will increase with the level of education and specialization (US Dept of Labor, 2010). Education not only leads to higher wages but also to job security.

● Math is necessary for:○ technical jobs○ everyday living○ logical thinking

TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

(TIMSS)● 2011

○ 4th graders scored among the top 15 education systems in math.

○ (8 education systems had higher averages and 6 were not measurably different.)

○ 8th graders scored among the top 24 education systems in mathematics.

○ (11 education systems had higher averages and 12 were not measurably different.)

SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COMPARISON OF U.S

TEST SCORES WITH THOSE OF OTHER COUNTRIES?

STATISTICS AT HOME● National and international statistics show that it is between

the fourth and eighth grade when students within the United States fall far behind mathematics achievement standards.

● Almost 93% of America's 17 year-olds graduate without proficiency in multi-step problem solving and algebra. An alarming 1 of every 4.5 American adults, or 22%, cannot perform simple arithmetic.

● 60% of the 13 million two-year college students in the U.S. are currently placed into remedial math courses; 75% of them fail or drop the courses and leave college with no degree.

Should politicians be making decisions regarding

education when child development and education

are not their fields of expertise?

Politicians Responsible For Higher Math in Lower Level Student Learners

Teachers introduce a brand-new topic every three or four weeks, and expect complete mastery. Thirteen and fourteen-year-old students are still developing their emotional and organizational skills. Algebra is a course that punishes any immaturity a student may have.

Negative Effects Higher Math Has On Lower Level Students

Many researchers believe that middle school students aren’t ready for algebra. In a 2008 letter to the editor of The Ventura County Star, Professor of Education Dr. Bruce Mitchell argued against California’s proposal. His letter referenced the studies of Dr. Herman Epstein, who believed that the human brain has rapid growth periods and plateau periods where no growth seems to take place.

For most students, the middle school years occur during a plateau stage, and Epstein argued that "the plateau stages were not optimal times for the introduction of new higher-level thought processes, particularly algebra, which eighth-grade students fail more than any other subject. Historically, algebra has been most often offered in grades 10 through 12.

That occurs during the age 14-17 growth-spurt stage, when it's OK to teach abstract reasoning concepts.”

Students Pushed Beyond Limitations

Students are pushed to take a class for which they are not ready, they rarely acquire a lifelong affinity for math.

Instead develops a desire to get out of math classes as fast as possible. Students discover when other students get to Calculus, they can struggle. They can do the first step in the problem, but not the next nine that require solid algebra skills.

Parents push their children onto this track because they think it’s necessary for college admissions.

They are seeing students with a 4.3 GPA get turned away from top universities, and they are desperate to find an advantage for their child. But from Dr. Brodkey’s perspective, pushing a child onto the Calculus track doesn’t always help: “I think that college admissions officers like to see a student with a solid foundation, effective communication skills, and a record of working well with others, not someone who has struggled to fit in an extra AP class.”

How to tell student’s readiness

The age at which a student takes algebra is an important and individual decision, not one that should be made by blanket policies.

Parents and teachers must work closely together to determine a student’s placement.

If you’re a parent wondering whether to accelerate your student, there are some clues to look for. Algebra-ready kids are:

● Organized● Mature● Able to pass an Algebra Readiness test

If you think your child is struggling in any one of these three areas, you can do your child a favor by waiting another year before enrolling your kid in algebra. Placing your child in the right math class will teach him to feel successful and confident about his math skills. But pushing your kid up when he’s not yet ready can bring on a case of math anxiety that will last for a lifetime.

Maybe it has more to do with how math is taught . . .

“Nearly 90 percent of high school graduates say they’re not interested in a career or a college major involving science, technology, engineering or math according to a survey of more than a million students who take the ACT test.”

“Encouraging the use of technology, applied thinking, and real-world modeling while moving students away from rote memorization can completely change their perspective.”

--New York Times 2013

1. Use multimedia

2. encourage student intuition

3. ask the shortest questions you can

4. let students build the problem

5. be less helpful

MAYBE IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH HOW MATH IS TAUGHT

Extra Credits

ReferencesBoaler, Jo. (2013, November 12). The Stereotypes ThatDistort How Americans Teach and Learn Math. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/the-stereotypes-that-distort-how-americans-teach-and-learn-math/281303/Brown,Marc C. (2012) WHATSTUDENTS HAVE TO SAY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES LEARNING MATHEMATICS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS CLASSES. Retrieved from http://gradworks.umi.com/35/48/3548969.htmlDonaldson, Cindy. (2013, October 21). Higher Math inLower Grades: Hurting or Helping Kids? Retrieved from http://www.education.com/magazine/article/higher-math-grades/Meyer,Dan. (2010, March) Mathclass needs a makeover [sic]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeoverWalton,Alice G. (2014, October 23). The Science of the Common Core: Experts Weigh in on its DevelopmentalAppropriateness. Retrievedfrom http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/10/23/the-science-of-the-common-core-experts-weigh-in-on-its-developmental-appropriateness/Wilms,Ulrich Heinz. (2011) ComparativeStudy of the National Math Curriculum from Four Nations. Retrieved from http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/pqdtopen/doc/1017706293.html?FMT=ABSWolfram,Conrad. (2010, July) Teachingkids real math with computers[sic]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers