Creating World-Class Math Education in Washington State

Improving student math achievement is one of the most critical issues we face.  Today, 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.

The Board is working to improve math education to ensure Washington’s students get the math foundation they need to succeed in post-secondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship.  The Board plans to adopt a third math credit of high school math that will go into effect for the Class of 2013.

The Board is improving Washington state’s math standards, which guide what math teachers teach and when.  World-class math standards provide the foundation for improvements to the entire system, including math curriculum, instruction, and assessment tools.

Improving Math Standards

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 Superintendent of Public Instruction to re-write the standards with input from the Board. The Board is working with its consultant to provide specific recommendations for the K-12 math standards in the spring and summer of 2008.

The new math standards will be finalized in spring and summer of 2008.  They will 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.

Next Steps

Once the new standards are finalized, The Board will work together with it partners to update math curriculum and testing, enhance teacher preparation and professional development, and improve assessment tools.

Additional Information

1. Edited Expectations For Algebra 1 and Geometry, May 2008

2. More Information about a third credit of math

3. Strategic Teaching Report April 28 Algebra I and Geometry

4. Proposed K-8 Mathematics Standards, April 25, 2008

5. Letter to the Board by Strategic Teaching, April 25, 2008

6. Edited Expectations: A Report to the Washington State Board of Education: Review of K-8 Mathematics Standards by Strategic Teaching, April 14, 2008

7. Benchmarking, A Report to the Washington State Board of Education on Washington State K-12 Mathematics Standards march 2008 Version by Strategic Teaching, April 11, 2008

8. A Report to the Washington State Board of Education: Second Review Washington K–12 Mathematics Standards, March 10, 2008

9. Washington State Mathematics Standards Review and Recommendations (August 2007)

10. Draft Mathematics Standards Available from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Fact Sheets and Presentations

Math Update to the Legislature, January 24, 2008 (pdf)

Legislative Directive

Other Related Documents

1. Preparing all Students for Success: A Third Credit of High School Math

2. Adopting World-Class Math Standards Flow Chart (pdf)

3. A Third Math Credit for High School Graduation (pdf)

Draft Report:
Edited Expectations For Algebra 1 and Geometry, May 2008

Adopting World-Class Math Standards Flow Chart (pdf)

More Information about a third credit of math

Draft language for a third credit of math, May 2008

Washington State
Board of Education
PO Box 47206
600 Washington St. SE
Olympia, WA 98504-7206
360-725-6025