Are U.S. Math Students Just Average or Mediocre?

A new research study, Reassessing U.S. International Mathematics Performance: New Findings from the 2003 TIMSS and PISA, re-examines U.S. student's performance on international examinations by comparing their scores to the other 11 developed countries who participated at all three levels, 4th, 8th grades and 15-year-olds reports. Their findings show that within this group of these 11 countries, U.S. 4th graders where 8th overall and the other two groups were 9th.
There recommendations are to strengthen instructional in foundational skills, but can this be accomplished when far too many of the teachers teaching math do not have the "Profound Understanding of Fundamental mathematics (PUFM)" as reported by Liping Ma in her interesting book and a must read for every stakeholder in mathematics education, The Teaching and Learning of Elementary Mathematics?

So Students Are Not Prepared Mathematically To Be Successful In College?

A recent article, Coming Soon To A classroom Near You, reports that two-thirds of high school seniors in 2004 expected to get a bachelor's degree and 35% expected to get a graduate or professional degree. However, less than two-thirds of these seniors had mastered intermediate mathematics concepts as 12th graders. Somehow this seems to be a surprise to some people. It has been well established that less than half of our students are graduating with three years of secondary mathematics and even among this group many only have a very superficial understanding of the math that they were taught. As usual, it is easy to complain about the problem but much more difficult to fix it. High school math teachers, is this a surprise to you? Watch for the next post on National Education Assessment Results.

A Rational Approach to Increasing Test Scores?

This article, TAKS Push Not So Equal, from the Dallas News chronicles one Texas elementary schools reasoned approach to improving TAKS scores. The ethical questions this kind of approach raises are one thing, but more importantly this raises very interesting questions about the whole emphasis on using a single high stakes test to measure a schools effectiveness. It is almost a survival of the fittest mentality where the "sick and infirmed" (the really weak students) are left behind so that the rest can survive. Wait left behind! Is this just one more telling example of unintended consequences? Or why politician's should not set educational policy? Does anyone really believe that this is only happening in Texas?

So are we in trouble or not?

Once more many people are saying the United States' competitiveness is in jeopardy because of the poor math and science performance of our students, U. S. Leaders Fret Over Students' Math and Science Weaknesses. What do you think?

No Child Left Behind Backlash

There seems to be a growing backlash against NCLB from many different directions and on behalf of diverse groups, States Revolt. Some who believe that the federal government should not be so involved in education, others who believe that it is too expensive, others who believe that it does not go far enough. We all know that the amount of testing and time spent on test preparation in many districts is effecting teaching and learning, how about in your school?

Paper or Computer: Does It Matter?

A number of states are in the process of implementing computer based testing in order to reduce costs and to provide immediate scores; however, a new study, Impact of Paper-and-Pencil, Online Testing Is Compared, by the Educational Testing Service from the NAEP test found significant differences in students' performances on each type of test based on their facility with computers. Since access to computers and students familiarity with computers is often determined by the location of a school and the students' families economic status, would switching to computer testing just increase the achievement gap? This and many other questions need to be seriously examined before states make the shift to computer testing. Does your state or district use online or computer-based tests? If so, what has been your experience with these tests? How much experience do your students have with computers?

The NEW-NEW-NEW Math High School Graduation Rates!

Just recently, high school graduation rates as reported by schools, districts, and states have come under attack. Last year, I found one large urban school system which reported a single digit dropout rate, listed on their website the following numbers of students at each grade level:

Grade Level	9th	10th	11th	12th
Number of Students	15,346	9,788	8,031	6,461

Now this is what I call "fuzzy" math! How many seniors in your school? How Many Freshman? What's your graduation rate? More to follow!

Highly Qualified Teachers and Teachers Teaching Out-of-Field

Regardless how one defines highly qualified teachers there is a much more widespread problem of teachers teaching out of their field that continues to plague America's schools. This report, All Talk, No Action: Putting an End to Out-of-Field Teaching from the Education Trust should be must reading for everyone that cares about our schools. According to the report fully 24% of secondary core academic subjects are being taught by out-of-field teachers and at the middle school level this increases to 44%. The measure being that the teacher does not have at least a minor in the content area they are teaching. Needless to say until we fix this problem the goal of having a well qualified teacher in every classroom will be impossible. What is the situation in your school? Your state? Your region?

What About California?

As another example of one of the many interesting issues surrounding NCLB testing, this article, Lauded Schools Are Called Failures, from the LA times shows why so many teachers, parents and others are confused about how schools are being measured. Is the general public sophisticated enough to understand the two separate rating systems? Am I? Are you? Tomorrow measuring highly qualified teachers!