1. Why is math achievement vital for Washington State?
In this global economy, mathematical aptitude is a necessity. A wide variety of careers demand employees who are well versed in mathematical principles. Unfortunately, many of our students are leaving high school unprepared. In 2006, 45 percent of Washington's students who went directly from high school to community or technical colleges were required to take remedial math classes. Furthermore, though 91 percent of Washington students in the graduating class of 2008 met the 10th grade standards on the writing WASL, only 74 percent of the students met the 10th grade standards on the math WASL.
2. What are the responsibilities of the Board in improving math education?
Two of the Board's goals are to improve achievement for all students, and to prepare students for postsecondary education and the 21st century world of work and citizenship. Achievement in math and science is central to both of those goals.
The
legislature gave the Board particular responsibilities in math. The legislature asked the Board to:
- Oversee revision of the state's math standards, and to approve their adoption by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Provide official comment and recommendations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction regarding math curricula identified by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction that best align with the new math standards.
- Add a third credit of math to graduation requirements, and to prescribe the content of those credits.
The Board also sets the cut scores on the math Washington Assessment of Student Learning to establish the level of proficiency students are expected to attain.
3. What has the Board already done to improve math standards and curriculum alignment?
Standards guide what math teachers teach and when. World-class math standards and curriculum aligned to those standards provide the foundation for improvements to the entire system.
In 2007, the Board appointed a 16-member Math Panel of Washington's citizens and educators and selected a consultant to
conduct a review of the K-12 math standards. The Board also collected public input from across Washington.
The
review was completed in August 2007 and the Board forwarded the recommendations for improving the standards to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to re-write the standards with input from the Board.
The Legislature requested that the Board conduct a final edit of the K-12 math standards with its consultant and approve the Superintendent's adoption of the final math standards. The Board approved the K-8 standards in
April 2008 and the 9-12 standards in
July 2008.
These new math standards provide greater clarity about what is expected of students in each grade, more explicit guidance to educators about what to teach when, and increase the rigor of math to ensure more Washington students succeed.
4. What is the Board's role in curriculum?
The legislature required the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to recommend up to three math curricular programs each for elementary, middle and high school. The Board is required to "provide review and formal comment on proposed recommendations" to OSPI regarding math curricula. The Board's Math Panel and independent consultant, assisted in the review of recommendations and reviews done by OSPI on the curricula programs.
The Board received its
consultant’s review of the K-8 math curriculum and provided feedback to OSPI in November 2008. OSPI provided its final recommendations for a K-8 curricular menu in December 2008. The Board received its consultant’s review on the high school curriculum and provided feedback to OSPI in March 2009. The Board also recieved reviews from Guershon Harel and W. Stephen Wilson. OSPI provided its final recommendations for a high school curricular menu in May 2009. This report, along with its initial findings, is available here.
5. Is a school district required to use one of the OSPI recommended math curricular programs?
No. Although OSPI and SBE may recommend certain math programs, the local school district is entrusted with choosing the best curriculum for their students.
6. What is the third math credit requirement?
In 2007, the
Legislature directed the Board to increase the high school math graduation requirements from two to three credits. The graduating class of 2013 is now required to earn three credits of math or math equivalent coursework. The final legislative mandate is available in
full text, but you'll find a more user-friendly flow chart
here.
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