How is math taught in your town's schools? (house, neighborhoods)

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by ahava

If there are other high schools where the majority of students come from districts using reform curricula I'd be interested in seeing how it impacted their test scores too.

Thanks for the interesting data.... I don't have H.S. scores but I have some elementary school data. Of the 7 elementary (K-5) schools in our district (Barrington 220), 2 use EM while the other 5 use a more traditional math curriculum. I've heard (though can't confirm) that the 2 schools are refusing to abandon EM because their test scores (ISAT, MAP and/or COGAT) actually improved once they started using EM. One of the schools that uses EM is Arnett Lines School which just won the Natl. Blue Ribbon Award based on their high overall test scores. Lines School also has a strong gifted math program (this is where my kids started). I believe the other school that is using EM is Grove School.

Here are the 2008 3rd grade ISAT Math scores for the 7 elementary schools. As you can see, there is little difference in performance between schools. It would be interesting to compare the long-term performance of kids coming from both programs (I'll get back to you in a few years when my kids start Calculus )

EM Schools -
- Arnett Lines - 99% (5th grade math = 99%)
- Grove Ave - 100% (5th grade math = 100%)

Non-EM Schools -
- Hough Street - 98% (5th grade math = 100%)
- Roslyn Rd - 98% (5th grade math = 100%)
- North Barrington - 100% (5th grade math = 99%)
- Countryside - 99% (5th grade math = 99%)
- Barbara Rose - 98% (5th grade math = 95%)

* 3rd grade state avg is 85%
** 5th grade state avg is 81%

[purplesky]

Another important variable (particularly in the wealthier suburs) is how many of these students are in Kumon or another tutoring program outside of school. I've been tutoring my son in math since the summer, and his ISAT math score was high.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by purplesky

Another important variable (particularly in the wealthier suburs) is how many of these students are in Kumon or another tutoring program outside of school. I've been tutoring my son in math since the summer, and his ISAT math score was high.

Agreed. But isn't it interesting that a single district includes some schools that are using exclusively EM and other schools that are using exclusively a "traditional" math curriculum yet there is little difference in math performance between the schools? The demographics between the schools are similar and probably the # of parents using Kumon, etc. I think this indicates that the particular math textbook program that a school uses is less important than the skills of the teachers, parent involvement, demographics, etc...

[fearless6960004]

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the deliberate dumbing down of america

[STL Mom]

I'm certainly no expert in math or education, but I can tell you that math is now my daughter's least-favorite subject, and it used to be her favorite.
In preschool and first grade, she learned math in Montessori schools. In second grade, she learned math at a private school which used a variety of teaching methods, but focused on basic skills.
Now she is in third grade and has been introduced to Everyday Math for the first time, and she hates it. She constantly complains that she doesn't understand what she is doing. I'm not sure how much of this is because she is entering the Everyday Math curriculum at a higher grade level, and it is quite different from what she learned before. And I sometimes find it very hard to help her at home because it isn't what I learned back in the '70's.
My son is in kindergarten and will have Everyday Math almost from the beginning (he also went to Montessori preschool) so he will be our control subject. Will he love math or hate it? Will he learn? Will we have any hope of helping him with his homework? Time will tell.
I have a friend in another state who is doing Kumon math with her 4th grade daughter, and she really likes it. My friend is a high school chemistry teacher, and she thinks the Kumon curriculum works well to teach her daughter skills that she didn't pick up at school. I don't know what curriculum her daughter's school uses.

[anr_black]

My kids attend a private school and learn Saxon math, what I call "old school math." Focus on memorization of math facts, timetables, etc. in the younger grades, and application of processes (fractions, division, algebraic expressions, etc.) in the older elementary grades. It's the way I'd guess most of us learned math. Makes total sense to me, and it's my son's favorite subject! As a former public school teacher, we're dumbing down the students with concepts like "everyday math." We shouldn't lower our expectations to raise test scores, which is what it all boils down to.

[kmwheel]

Kids need to know their math facts...they really do. When I was student-teaching, I had fifth-graders having to use their fingers to figure out 6 X 7. If you don't have the facts memorized, it makes everything else that much harder. Most of the teachers who are successful with Everyday Math generally modify the program to include drills, timed tests, etc. It peeved me that 5th graders had a multiplication table taped to their desks. There are many thoughtful concerns here, and I share them.

We just moved to a new district and they have Everyday Math through 4th grade and a traditional program after that. I am just glad that I had a solid year of Saxon Math with my sixth grader when I homeschooled last year.

[GoCUBS1]

I agree it's very important to know math facts and have drilled these facts into my childrens' heads so that they are all #1 in their class for timed math tests. This was not very hard to do at home and took less than 15 minutes per day. I bought the Saxon Math books and also really like the "Multiplication Rap" DVD series for this. But for teaching the higher-level conceptual thinking, I'm still not convinced Everyday Math does not have some merits....

[Mamama Mia]

Lots of school districts do a combination of (U of Chicago) Evryday Math and Saxon. I still think memorization of facts is helpful.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Mamama Mia

Lots of school districts do a combination of (U of Chicago) Evryday Math and Saxon. I still think memorization of facts is helpful.

Now I think that would be a good program (take the best from both curriculum). Do you know which school districts do this?