A Brighter Spotlight on Math

School Administrator, Jan, 1999 by Daniel A. Domenech

Mathematics, for most people, seems pretty cut and dried. Who can argue against the need for everyone to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide? The fact that 2 2=4 is indisputable. Numeracy is basic, yet debate rages.

Why don't U.S. students do better on international math achievement tests? What math should we teach in the middle grades? Should we teach algebra at earlier levels? Should students be permitted to use calculators? Why aren't math teachers better trained?

Each of these questions has stirred lively discussion. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was among the first curriculum-related organizations to develop standards for its discipline. The National Assessment for Educational Progress has measured and mulled over student math skills. Now, the Learning First Alliance, a coalition of a dozen major education leadership organizations, including AASA, has put the spotlight on math. The spotlight is becoming brighter.

In our high-tech, information-driven society, math is a foundation. Who could argue that our leadership in science and technology will require people with a fundamental understanding of math? Every day we're bombarded by competing facts expressed in numbers. Without a grasp of statistics, we might be misled by people who have a better command of math than of ethics.

We want our students to think and reason well. Math teaches students to reason well and carry what they learn into other walks of life. When the light of understanding comes on in math, students begin to see how the world works, and they may become intrigued about the mathematical and scientific miracles around them, from figuring out the reasons some teams do better in the box scores to determining forces that might indicate a yet-to-be-discovered planet orbiting some distant star.

Against this backdrop, the Learning First Alliance has agreed on four objectives for improving the math achievement of elementary and secondary students. Those objectives are:

* All our nation's students, regardless of where they live or their economic or racial and ethnic backgrounds, should have the opportunity to complete a challenging course in mathematics study consistent with specific benchmarks, including geometry and algebra in the middle grades.

* Students must be taught by teachers with a strong command of the subject and the best ways to teach it, which will require changes in preservice teacher education, increased entry requirements for the initial education of teachers and continuing professional development of teachers throughout their careers.

* Parents and teachers must be brought into the change process in school mathematics to discuss curricular goals, how teaching and assessment have changed in classrooms and how they can improve student achievement.

* Research on curricular materials, student learning and teaching of school mathematics should be expanded and more support should be given to translating research findings into high-quality materials and professional development opportunities for teachers.

I urge you, as a school leader, to meet with key math teachers in your school system. Listen to what they say. Ask questions. Express your views. Form a pact for excellence in math instruction. Many people see math as a single subject, and while a real education requires much much more, math has interdisciplinary implications. It can help students develop a better understanding of everything from music and the arts to rocket science. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

We look forward to seeing you Feb. 19-22 in New Orleans for the 1999 AASA National Conference on Education.