Teach Math Right - Allow Choice For All Learners in PWCS

The "Crisis" in PWCS Math Scores - or not....
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Much has been said about the "crisis" in PWCS math scores on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.  At a 28 Sep 2007 meeting with the PWCS Area IV Associate Superintendent, Math Department Supervisor, and Elementary Math Coordinator it was explained that PWCS had to adopt "Investigations Math" in PWCS elementary schools because of a crisis of failing middle school SOL scores.  Again at a "Math Night for Parents" at Ashland Elementary School on 3 Dec 2007, the Math Department reiterated that failing middle school SOL scores and unacceptable elementary school SOL scores were the reason PWCS had to implement "Investigations Math" in all PWCS elementary schools.  Similar statements were made by PWCS officials at the 19 Dec 2007 public Board meeting during the "MI Year One Report" portion of the meeting.
 
PWCS approved the adoption of "Investigations Math" in January 2006.  SOL data available consisted of scores through the 2004-2005 school year.  The actual test score data, available to all citizens from the VA Dept of Education, and known by PWCS in during the decision process to adopt "Investigations Math" are presented below. 
 
There was no county-wide crisis in test scores under proven, quality, traditional mathematics instruction in PWCS

Click to Download - PWCS MATH SOL SCORES - SUCCESS WITH TRADITIONAL MATH 2001-2008

A Study In Contrasts - MI "Success Story"
Greece Central School District, New York
WARNING - These Results May Cause You To Think...
According to the MI Publisher's Sales Brochure (also considered "research and validation" by pwcs and provided on the pwcs websitehttp://www.pwcsmath.com/Investigations.htm) Greece adopted MI in the fall of 2000.  The MI marketing guide touts the success of Greece's rising numbers as evidence of MI success.  The real story is what is not told by the MI publisher -- that Greece CSD NY plummeted to the bottom of suburban Rochester NY school system math performance in Monroe County NY...thanks to 6 years of "Math Investigations."  Did "numbers" rise?  Yes.  Did PERFORMANCE relative to all other districts DROP?  Absolutely.  The below scores are readily available on the NY State Dept of Education Website for anyone to view.  A synopsis is presented below.

Greece Central School District NY State Math Scores 2006 Grades 3 through 8 http://www.nysed.gov

 (NY State "Passing Scores" are "Level 3" or "Level 4" rankings; the aggregate scores of Greece NY, for all students, relative to suburban Rochester New York School Districts in Monroe Countyspecifics are below)

 

Prior to adoption of "Math Investigations" Greece CSD performance was in the ~upper third of 17-18 suburban school districts in the Rochester, NY county of Monroe.  6 years of "Math Investigations" resulted in a horrible decline in mathematics performance for Greece CSD compared to surrounding districts.

Monroe County NY
Suburban School Districts
Grade 3
% Pass
Grade 4
% Pass
Grade 5
% Pass
Grade 6
% Pass
Grade 7
% Pass
Grade 8
% Pass
Greece Central School District
79.2
 
79.4
 
64.9
 
66.0

58.9

62.1

Brighton

93.0

92.9
 
82.1
 

78.9

83.7

82.1

Brockport
87.4
 
85.7
 
71.5
 

74.2

75.9

70.8

Churchville-Chili
88.6
 
86.9
 
80.8
 

86.9

77.2

79.0

East Irondequoit
89.0
 
86.4
 
76.3
 

50.9

54.8

53.8

East Rochester

90.1

--

83.3

68.2

74.7

57.6

Fairport

85.3

89.1

78.8

70.5

79.8

78.8

Gates-Chili

85.0

85.5

78.8

68.4

68.4

77.1

Hilton

83.9

82.6

83.2

74.6

76.6

79.9

Honeoye Falls-Lima

94.7

94.0

93.6

73.3

78.8

76.3

Penfield

88.8

93.2

79.1

74.5

58.8

59.0

Pittsford

94.8

95.9

94.0

88.4

87.7

89.3

Rush-Henrietta

89.0

83.5

77.6

67.7

64.0

62.7

Spencerport

86.3

83.7

75.8

78.0

75.3

81.5

Webster

91.2

86.5

78.9

76.0

81.7

82.5

West Irondequoit

83.9

88.0

93.8

82.9

83.3

71.0

Wheatland-Chili

80.8

88.5

69.0

54.4

71.6

64.8

What the data show:  6 years of "Math Investigations" brought Greece CSD NY to Dead Last in elementary math performance among 17 suburban school districts in Monroe County NY.  Similarly it dropped to 3d from last in middle school performance
 
- But the publisher calls this "evidence for success"... and so does PWCS.
 
- Notably, the current PWCS Superintendent was the Greece CSD Superintendent during the implementation of MI and the plummet in math performance using this curriculum
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