State Board of Education Charge for an Independent Review of K-12 Mathematics Standards

January 26, 2007

Click here to download the charge (PDF).

As part of the Joint Mathematics Action Plan, the State Board of Education shall contract with a respected national consultant to conduct an independent review of Washington's K-12 mathematics standards and to report recommendations resulting from the review back to the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for appropriate action.

The purpose of this review is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the current standards. The ultimate goal is to ensure Washington students are prepared through their K-12 education to successfully enter the world of work and postsecondary training with the applicable skills, computational fluency and conceptual knowledge they need.

The consultant shall recommend an appropriate methodology to benchmark Washington students' mathematics performance to international standards.

Subject to available funding to complete the work, the Board shall authorize the consultant to hire additional experts with diverse perspectives about mathematics education and with strong credentials in the field of mathematics and mathematics education at the state and national levels.

In formulating the standards review recommendations, the consultant shall work with a Washington panel appointed by the State Board of Education of mathematics teachers, school and district curriculum leaders, higher education faculty, parents, and business and community leaders.

The purpose of the panel is to: 1) analyze issues arising from the standards review; 2) explore implications of any modifications of the standards on our state assessment system, curriculum reviews, and professional development; and 3) assist the consultant and the State Board in developing a meaningful process for public input. The consultant and panel shall be supported by appropriate OSPI and SBE staff.

The consultant shall have access to the expertise of the National Technical Advisory Committee which conducts an ongoing, independent review of the state assessment system for the state superintendent. The consultant shall also have access to any pertinent assessment data relevant to actual student achievement trends from the inception of the mathematics assessment program.

The work will begin in February, 2007, and end by June 15, 2007, with a final report and recommendations to the State Board of Education and Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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