Transcript Document

Mathematics Education in the
States:
Trends and Challenges
Jennifer Dounay
Education Commission of the States
Presentation at MIND Research Institute Forum
Washington, DC
October 21, 2008
About ECS
• 50-state education compact est’d 1965
• Nonpartisan, nonprofit
• Serves all state-level education policymakers
and their staffs:
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Governors
Legislators
State board members
State superintendents
SHEEOs and higher education boards
Education Commission of the States
High School Trends in the States
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Increasing high school graduation reqts.
End-of-course assessments in Algebra I, II
More challenging math in exit exams
Alignment with college admission reqts.
“College readiness” assessments
• Emerging: 9th grade math/Algebra I success as “atrisk” indicator
• Less so: High school teacher prep./prof. devt.
– Fall 2008 ECS report: “Improving the Skills and Knowledge
of the High School Teachers We Already Have”
Education Commission of the States
Increasing HS graduation
requirements
• Math and science = areas of greatest
change
• Increasing # and rigor
– Four states currently req. 4 years math (AL,
AR, RI, SC)
– 13 states + DC will req. w/future class (AZ, DE,
FL, GA, ID, LA, MI, NM, NC, OH, TN, TX, WV)
• Extremely contentious
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
Currently
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* Kansas: Equals “algebraic concepts.”
* Wisconsin: Must include "instruction in the properties, processes, and symbols of
arithmetic and elements of algebra..."
Education Commission of the States
District of
Columbia =
“elementary
algebra”
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
2010
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
2011
District of
Columbia =
Algebra I
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
2012
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* Arizona: “Patterns, Algebra and Functions.”
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
2013
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* Washington: Algebra II required, assumption Algebra I will be required.
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
2014
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* Ohio: Algebra II required, assumption Algebra I will be required.
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra I
Fully Phased In
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
Currently
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2010
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2011
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2012
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2013
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* Alabama: Algebra II with Trigonometry.
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2014
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
2015
Education Commission of the States
Graduation Requirements: Algebra II
Fully Phased In
Education Commission of the States
Concerns raised by critics
ECS 8/2008 report: “Dispelling the Myths”:
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If we raise reqts, more students will drop out
Don’t have teachers to teach these courses
Additional requirements = unfunded mandate
Arts, foreign language will be “pushed out”
Career/technical ed. will be pushed aside
Not everybody needs to go to college
Most kids don’t need 4 yrs. math/adv. math
Education Commission of the States
9th grade math “on track” indicator
• Chicago Public Schools (CCSR)
• Louisiana (2008 H.B. 1091):
– Districts with 4-yr. grad. cohort below 70%
– Early intervention for kids at risk of failing Algebra
I or any 9th grade math
– BESE must track # of students failing Algebra I,
use for program improvement
• Rhode Island (2007 H.B. 5351)
– Districts with dropout rate > 15%
Education Commission of the States
K-8 Approaches
• Fewer common
state-level
approaches
• Less momentum
than at HS level
Education Commission of the States
K-8 Approaches (cont’d)
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Teacher preparation/professional devt.
FL, WA: New K-8 math standards
AR: License for 8th grade algebra teachers
VA: “Math specialists,” Algebra Readiness
Initiative
• LA, RI: Comprehensive coaching/supp. ed.
for middle grades below grade level in math
• TX: Intensive math/algebra intervention pilot
(grades 4-8)
Education Commission of the States
Texas Math/Algebra Intervention
Pilot
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Grades 4-7: Intensive math intervention
Grade 8: Algebra readiness intervention
Where % of at-risk students > state avg.
Approved programs must:
– Incl. tech.-based instruction that IDs, addresses need
– Incl. 3 days+ of teacher training, PD, mentoring
– Give kids individual access to 90+ minutes technologybased instruction/week
– Give teachers daily access to required technology
– Show “significant effectiveness” serving kids at risk of
dropping out
• Program must be evaluated, report to legislature
Education Commission of the States
Virginia Algebra Readiness
Initiative
• Kids in grades 6-9 at risk of failing Algebra I
EOC
• Diagnostic pre-test, intervention, post-test
• Pretest: CAT, math stds. 3-8, Algebra I
• Intervention: 2 ½ hrs. weekly add’l instruction
• Gains in 8th grade, Algebra I tests since ‘02
– Alg. I pass rate up 30 pts. for students with IEP
– Alg. I pass rate up 26 pts. for African American
Education Commission of the States
More ECS Resources
• E-Clips daily news service –
[email protected]
• E-Connection weekly e-newsletter –
[email protected]
• www.ecs.org: 50-state databases on:
– High school graduation requirements
– STEM
– High school-level assessment
• Policy briefs
• Progress of Ed. Reform: STEM
Education Commission of the States
[email protected]
Education Commission of the States