(Terc & EDM programs pushed into schools with National Science Foundaiton grant money)
The Frederick County school board deserves credit for recognizing that TERC math was not serving our students well, and for selecting new textbooks that are clearly better than TERC.
Even more impressive is that the board is willing to listen to parents' concerns, investigate their merits and act in accordance with those findings.
When TERC materials were purchased by the previous board and instruction subsequently was altered to use those materials, parents' objections were generally disregarded by school officials.
We hope the positive changes that have occurred will continue, and give credit to the entire board and the leadership of board president Brad Young for moving the system forward.
It is in light of those positive developments that we offer three suggestions.
First, while the selected math programs are an improvement, the rigor of either Singapore math or Saxon math is still greater. The programs FCPS selected follow the Common Core standards. We recommend that FCPS consider using the world-class math standards produced by California, which many experts agree set a higher bar than the Common Core.
FCPS could continue with the textbooks it has selected, but would need to make adjustments to the instructional sequence those books provide to ensure students master the content that the best available standards expect.
Second, we recommend piloting several math programs that weren't selected. Selecting a textbook based on performance in our classrooms by using objective data is more reliable than selecting one based on the consensus opinion of a task force, no matter how well-chosen the members of that group may be.
By allowing objective evidence rather than beliefs or philosophy to drive decisions, programs that produce the desired outcomes rise to the top. We hope the board will consider piloting Singapore math, Saxon math and Connecting Math Concepts. Some of these vendors are so confident that their product will outperform others that they will provide their materials free or heavily discounted to school systems that conduct a valid pilot.
Third, we hope the board will continue re-examining both the curricular materials and the approaches schools are using in other subject areas. Of particular concern to us is the selection of a core comprehensive reading program.
FCPS continues to promote the use of the "balanced literacy" approach instead of an approach grounded in scientifically based reading research that has been shown to reach nearly every child.
It is the responsibility of the school system to select and provide teachers with programs that are proven to work. In addition to a research-based program, school systems must identify gaps in teacher knowledge regarding reading instruction and provide training to develop the understanding of the critical role of phonics and other essential components of scientifically based reading research.
We know that school board member Donna Crook has long advocated for improvements in reading, and hope that the rest of the board will join with her to address this issue. Our confidence in the board's ability to address this critical issue has never been higher, and we hope they choose to do so.
Tom Neumark, Point of Rocks
The writer is a founder of FrederickEducationReform.com.
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