Next Steps for Math

This article appeared in the PI on Thursday about work from the math committee from the State Board of Education. From the article:

"The report, written by Linda Plattner of the Maryland-based educational research firm Strategic Teaching, which was hired by the state to assess its math expectations, also emphasizes the need to simplify grade level expectations and to set priorities for the state's math standards.

"That should help teachers as well as kids," Harding said.

The focus groups also taught the math committee that they need to include a math educator in their review committee so they can hear from a teacher if the standards will work in the classroom.

Harding said the full Board of Education is expected to approve the math review report at its Sept. 18-19 meeting in Wenatchee and hand it off to the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which has already begun to work on the next step: rewriting grade level expectations and learning guidelines. The Legislature set a Jan. 31, 2008, deadline for the expectations revision."

Include a math educator in their review committee so they can hear from a teacher on the front lines? I wouldn't think that would have needed an outside firm to do focus groups to figure out. Oh well, never too late.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This was the right call.

I am sorry, but making a decision to bring back the 4A schools was only for the benifit of four of the ten schools, and really only for one sport for three schools (football) made no sense.

Franklin has dropped in size, and is likely to go 3A and return to the Metro Leagure anyway, and last I checked Ballard is doing just fine against the 4A suburban schools. If Garfield, Roosevelt, and Franklin are having that tough of a time, they can always choose to play in an indenpedent league for sport like football.

On the other hand, if the four came back to the Merto league, the small schools (Sealth, Cleveland, Beach) would have NO chance, and it would deprive the big schools from having JV and C squads.
9/2/07, 3:07 PM
Anonymous said…
Sorry, meant for that to go under the last post!
9/2/07, 4:03 PM
Dan Dempsey said…
Hey Folks it is poor reporting. As a member of the 20 person advisory panel, I can tell you that Ms. Plattner is fabulous. There was always a teacher included. The term math educator refers to a University math educator. Given the math disaster created by NSF's 100 million dollar investment in 13 math curricula that now have the US at #18 internationally. The NSF has created a substantial gravy train for Research universities interested in grant dollars for helping with implementing the above 13 curricula. Read Bruce Ramsey's Time article on May 16 2007 the same day that the Everyday math adoption was an introductory item at the SPS school board meeting. 93% in opposition to ineffective reform curricula the 7% in favor were almost all NSF gravy train riders.

I think Ms. Plattner had it correct to begin with her team of three at each level consisted of a mathematician, a teacher, and a curriculum specialist.

Too bad the AP reporter can't report the facts accurately.
9/12/07, 11:00 PM
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