____________________________________________________________________
May 23, 2008 - Ending
The Debate
What VA DOE States Regarding Math Investigations
To all PWCS
elementary parents,
Throughout this year, concerned citizens and parents
have engaged both PWCS administration officials and the School Board regarding the mandatory elementary mathematics program
- TERC's Math Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. Central to the discussion has been the question of how well MI supports
the Virginia standards of learning (SOL). While no text book will offer a perfect match to state standards, some are clearly
superior in their support of the VA SOLs.
To that
end the VA Department of Education conducted a state level review of elementary math text materials in 2004, and subsequently
recommended to the VA Board of Education and published its Approved List of Recommended Texts on January 12, 2005. Of the six
math texts considered by the VA DOE for grades K-4 math,Math Investigations was assessed as the least adequate series in supporting the Virginia
SOLs.
Further, VA DOE rejected Math Investigations for Grade 5 due to the fact that it did not support a bare minimum of VA standards to be included on the state list. MI Grade 5 did however make the VA DOE NOT RECOMMENDED LIST!!
And why does this matter? On May 21st, 2008, in open public forum at the PWCS Board meeting, representatives
from the PWCS Mathematics Department stated to the Board, the Superintendent, and the public that,
"[citizen's
name redacted] states that the 5th grade text completely failed the
content match for grade 5. This is not true. The profile sheet indicated
that it met most of the content for this grade level. Actually, it
met the same number as grade 4 which was approved by the state."
Except...there is no Virginia State DOE Profile Sheet for Math Investigations
Grade 5! It never existed because MI
Grade 5 was rejected by VA DOE! Elementary school parents in PWCS are left with a mathematics program that most poorly supports
the VA SOLs,...and PWCS administration
officials who are seemingly challenged to speak truthfully regarding this program.
If Math Investigations were the "great program" PWCS staff insists it is, then why won't they tell the truth? Our educational programs deserve better stewardship.
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SYNOPSIS OF VA DOE
ASSESEMENT OF ELEMENTARY MATH TEXTS
Virginia DOE provides a grade-by-grade, text series-by-text
series rating of mathematics curriculum adequacy in addressing the commonwealth standards. The Following illustrates
where Investigations ranks according Virginia DOE:
Grade-by-Grade SOL Profile | Math Investigations VA DOE Rating |
# SOLs Adequately supported | # SOLs with Limited/No
Evidence of support |
Grade K (18 SOLs) | 13 | 8 |
Grade 1 (21 SOLs) | 22 | 2 |
Grade 2 (26
SOLs) | 17 | 12 |
Grade 3 (25
SOLs) | 19 | 9 |
Grade 4 (22
SOLs) | 15 | 10 |
Grade 5 (22
SOLs) | -* | -* |
Totals: | 86 | 41 |
Percentage
(Grades K-4): | 64.7% Adequate | 35.3% Inadequate |
* Investigations is excluded
from 2005 Virginia DOE recommended text series list for Grade 5. It does not adequately support the Virginia
SOL. It is, however, included on the VA DOE NOT RECOMMENDED LIST.
So how does Investigations stack up in terms of adequately addressing the Virginia Standards of
Learning for Grades K-4 mathematics? Dead Last.
- Harcourt Math – 92.2%
adequate
- Houghton
Mifflin Math - 92.2% adequate
- Scott Foresman Addison Wesley Mathematics – 87.1% adequate
- Saxon Math – 78.4% “adequate”
- Everyday Mathematics – 69.0% adequate
- Investigations 64.7% adequate
