Thinking Big: Setting the K-12 Mathematics and Science Education Agenda for the

21st Century3rd JHU Education Summit-2006

Presenter-Robert BalfanzPanelists-Leigh Abts

Ralph FesslerGuy Lucas

Stephen Wilson

There is a Consensus- We Need to Improve K-12 Mathematics

and Science Education in the U.S.

But There is No Clear Consensus on How

So the Time is Right to Think Big, Consider Our Options, and Chart an Ambitious Course for

Our Nation

What Do You Think?

K-12 Mathematics and Science Education in the U.S.

A. Works for Some Students, but not Others

B. Needs to be Fundamentally Re-Thought

C. Concerns are Overstated only Incremental Improvement is Needed

Key Facts about K-12 Mathematics and Science

Education in the U.S.• The Percent of Students taking Advanced

Mathematics courses in Grade 8-12 has increased substantially in past decade. Gains in Science Course Taking have been more modest.

• Elementary and to Some Extent Middle Grades Mathematics and Science Achievement Has Improved in the Last Decade. High School Achievement has been Flat.

Key Facts cont.

• Compared to other Nations overall U.S. performance in mathematics appears to be middle of the road. The U.S. does better in science but still not top tier.

• Among top performing high school students 50% of males and 33% of females express interest in majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics in college. Interest drops considerably among middle performing high school students.

Key Facts cont.

• Some States and Districts are having trouble finding enough Mathematics and Science Teachers. NYC is offering a $14,000 housing bonus to attract enough math and science teachers.

• In some states and school districts less then half of middle school students are taught by mathematics and science teachers certified in their subject with demonstrated content knowledge

Key Fact cont.

• U.S. Teachers have prose, document and quantitative literacy skills on par with doctors, lawyers and accountants but are paid much less

• There is some evidence that compared to teachers in high performing nations U.S. mathematics and science teachers are less trained, less supported, and teach differently

Setting the Nation’s K-12 Mathematics and Science

Agenda-Four Scenarios

Scenario 1

Accelerate and Intensify the

K-12 Mathematics and Science Curriculum

U.S. K-12 Students Can Learn Much More Mathematics and

Science Than They Are Currently Being Taught

Current K-12 Mathematics and Science Curriculum

• Does Not Teach Students At or Near Their Capacity to Learn

• Has been Haphazardly Assembled-Lacks Coherence, Focus, and Depth

Our Underachieving Mathematics and Science K-12 Curriculum

• Over 90% of entering kindergartners can count to 10 and recognize the basic shapes. 57% can count past 10 and complete basic patterns. Yet these skills are commonly the main focus of mathematics instruction in kindergarten (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study).

• In 8th grade, up to 50% of class time is used to review old material rather than learn new material (TIMSS Videotape Study).

Solution = National, Voluntary

K-12 Mathematics and Science Scope and Sequence

• Indicate What Should be Taught at Each Grade Level

• Aimed Near Student’s Capacity to Learn

• Coherent and Challenging

For Example

Potential K-12 Mathematics Scope and Sequence

Pre-K and K Build on Knowledge Children bring to School

Elementary 1-3 Master Fundamentals of Arithmetic and Measurement

Elem/Middle 4-6 Rational Numbers (Fractions etc.), Data, Advanced Number and Measurement

Upper Middle 7-8 Algebra and Geometry

High 9-12 Four Years of Advanced Mathematics (including Statistics)

Goal one AP Course for All

Specialization based on Interest Grades 11-12

Potential K-12 Science Scope and Sequence

Pre-K and K Build on Knowledge Students Bring to School

Elementary 1-5 Daily Science (1 hour grades 3+)

Balance Knowledge and Process

Elem./Middle 6-8 Discipline Based. Fundamental Topic Each Quarter. Two Lab Periods Per Week.

High 9-10

11-12

4 Semester Double Period Core (Bio, Chem, Physics, Earth Sci.)

Focus based on Interest-Life Science, Computer Science, Engineering etc.

Advantages

• Available evidence indicates a clear link between taking more advanced mathematics and science courses in K-12, academic achievement and college success.

• Help Off-set Negative Impacts of Student and Teacher Mobility. Whatever school your are in same topics will be covered in same grade.

Advantages cont.

• Allow Teacher Training to be more Focused and Specific

• It Would Facilitate National Assessment. Achieving Proficiency Would Mean the Same thing in Each State.

Disadvantages

• Rapid Expansion of the amount of mathematics and science taught in K-12 could lead to a teacher shortage and undermine its impact

• The link between course taking and achievement may be more nuanced than is commonly believed. 12th Grade NAEP Scores have been flat as the percent of students taking Algebra II has increased 22 percentage points

Disadvantages cont.

• Could be more than the nation needs with significant opportunity costs in terms of students learning other important skills.

What Do You Think?

Should We Have our K-12 Students Study More Mathematics and Science in the 21st Century?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Some But Not All Students

Should the Nation Have K-12 Mathematics and Science Scope

and Sequence Which States Which Topics are Taught in Each Grade?

A. Yes

B. No

Can All Students Study Algebra and Geometry in 7th and 8th Grade?

A. Yes

B. No

C. We do not Know

Thoughts from the Panelists

• Leigh Abts

• Guy Lucas

Scenario 2

Develop New and Improved

K-12 Mathematics and Science Instructional Materials

Its What Students Learn in their Mathematics and Science Course that Matters, Not How many Courses they

Take

• Good Instruction Leads to High Achievement• Teachers Need Better Instructional Tools• Its only in the past decade that the

Learning/Mind Sciences have become advanced enough to offer practical guidance to classroom instruction.

Focus of Reform in 21st Century Should be on Creating

Instructional Materials Which Are Based on Science,

Improved through Teacher Input, and Proven to Work

8 Steps to Better Instructional Materials

• Federal R and D effort to develop a coherent set of model instructional materials for k-12 mathematics and science at the lesson level

• Create instructional materials which develop factual knowledge, procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and application ability

• Base on Findings from the Learning/Mind Sciences

8 Steps cont.

• Improve via Field Testing and Refinement by Teachers (National Lesson Study)

• Verify that They Lead to Improved Achievement in a Diversity of Classrooms through Randomized Field Trials

• Start with Key Anchor Topics. If Successful Expand to Complete Grade Level Curriculums.

• Distribute On-Line (for free?)• Continually update

Advantages

• Instructional materials become scientifically based and classroom verified

• Enable teachers to focus on how to teach lessons well, rather than what to teach

• Provides a means to continually incorporate new learning into the instructional materials

• All teachers/classrooms have equal access to high quality materials

Disadvantages

• Instruction is contested terrain. Might not reach consensus on what key lessons and units are

• May turn out to be difficult to translate findings from learning/mind sciences into lessons teachers find useful, useable, and effective

• Local control of instruction is deeply rooted in U.S. Even if good the materials might not be widely used.

What Do You Think?

Should We Launch a Large Scale Federal R and D Effort to Develop Better

K-12 Mathematics and Science Instructional Materials?

A. YesB. No This is Not an Appropriate Role for

the Federal GovernmentC. Nice Vision but Would not Work in

Practice

Should the Instructional Materials be On-Line and Given Away for Free?

A. Yes

B. No

Thoughts from the Panelists

• Stephen Wilson

• Leigh Abts

Scenario 3

Close the Achievement Gap

Math and Science Achievement in the U.S. is Intensely

Correlated with Opportunity to Learn and Zip Code

The Achievement Gap

• Students who take rigorous courses, live in affluent neighborhoods, attend schools where few students live in poverty, and attend selective colleges typically perform at or near first in the world levels

• Students who do not have access to rigorous courses, are taught by less experience and skilled teachers, and attend schools in which most students live in poverty typically perform near the bottom in international comparisons

U.S. Science Performance by Poverty Level of School (TIMMS)

4th Grade 8th Grade1. U.S. Schools with <10%

Free Lunch

2. Singapore

3. Japan

4. Hong Kong

5. England

15. U.S. Schools with >75% Free Lunch

16. Norway

17. Iran

1. Singapore

1. U.S. Schools with < 10% Free Lunch

2. Korea

3. Hong Kong

4. Japan

19. U.S. Schools with > 75% Free Lunch

20. Iran

21. Cyprus

4 Key Steps to Closing the K-12 Mathematics and Science

Achievement Gap

Transform the High Poverty Schools Where the Achievement Gap becomes

an Achievement Chasm

• About 15% of the Nation’s High Schools Produce Half its Dropouts

• Don’t Wait for NCLB to Identify Failing Schools. Fix these High Schools and the Middle Grade and Elementary Schools which Feed Them

Provide Sustained Extra Help for Students with Below Grade Level Skills and

Knowledge

• Acknowledge that Some Students will need Continual Extra Help. Intervention at any One Level will not Guarantee Success at the Next.

• Put Particular Focus on Key Transition Grades-K-1, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th. Strive to have all students leave these grades on grade level

Close Teacher Quality and Funding Gaps

• High Poverty Schools Must Have Strong Teachers. Provide Incentives to Teach and Stay in these Schools.

• Acknowledge that Schools that Face Higher Degrees of Educational Challenge Need Additional Resources to Meet Them

Find the Best Way to Provide Extra Help and Extra Resources

• Conduct Large Scale Tennessee Class Size Type Studies to determine the cost/benefits of a longer school day vs longer school week vs longer school year and the best ways to use this extra time

• Compare to cost/benefits of reduced class size for all vs targeted class size reduction and very small classes (n=10) for struggling students

Advantages

• Recognizes that student achievement is in large part driven by the quality of schools they attend and that school quality is often linked with income in the U.S.

• Focusing Efforts and Supports on Struggling Students will Enable U.S. to Raise Standards for All without Leaving Large Numbers of Students Behind

Advantages cont.

• Conducting large scale randomize studies of different ways to provide extra help and resources will lead to much more informed decision making and enable available resources to be wisely deployed

• Increases the available pool of students prepared to succeed in STEM majors and Careers

Disadvantages

• Focusing Reforms on a sub-set of schools and students could undermine the broad support needed to bring about major improvements in K-12 Mathematics and Science Education

• Does Not Address the Need to Raise High School Achievement for All Students (beyond those currently taking AP courses)

What Do You Think?

Can We Close the Achievement Gap?

A. Yes

B. No

The Biggest Obstacle to Closing the Achievement Gap is

A. Lack of Resources

B. Lack of Will

C. Not Fully Knowing How to Do It

D. The Problem is Bigger Than Schools Can Solve

There are other improvements needed in K-12 Mathematics and Science

Education that are of greater importance

A. Yes

B. No

C. We need to close the achievement gap in combination with other reforms

Thoughts from the Panelists

• Ralph Fessler

• Guy Lucas

Scenario 4

Recruit, Develop, and Retain Good Teachers

4 Things We Know• Some mathematics and science teachers are

more effective than others. • Being taught by an effective teacher leads to

higher achievement• By and large, compared to higher performing

nations U.S. teachers are less trained, less supported, and compared to other professionals less well paid

• Studies indicate that 8th grade U.S. Math and Science teachers, in general, teach differently than their peers in higher performing nations

This Indicates that Mathematics and Science Achievement will Not Improve Dramatically until

We Find Betters Ways to Train, Support, and Pay our

Teachers

Ultimately this may require that the nation is willing and able to pay its best mathematics and

science teachers $100,000 per year or more

But This Will Not Have its Desired Impact Unless it is

Paired with a Fundamental Re-Thinking of How We Train,

Credential, and Provide Professional Development to our Mathematics and Science

Teachers

How This Might Be Done

• Create a job ladder that lets skilled mathematics and science teachers be rewarded for demonstrated excellence in classroom teaching, staying in the classroom, taking on the most challenging assignments, and providing mentoring to new teachers

• Improve Pre-Service and In-Service Training Programs

How This Might be Done cont.

• Re-work the school day to provide teachers with collaborative work time with peers

• Provide pay incentives for teachers to teach in and remain in the most challenging schools

• Develop and disseminate structural, organizational, and instructional reforms which promote good teaching and learning environments in schools

Advantages

• Recognizes that higher performing nations invest more in teacher training and support

• Establishes a means to develop a high quality corps of teachers who are in it for the long term

• Provides a means to reward highly skilled mathematics and science teachers which is competitive with other options

• Recognizes that pay is important but working conditions matters also in teacher retention.

Disadvantages

• It would be expensive. • Without large federal or state subsidies it will

difficult for all school districts to this. As a result could further increase the teacher quality gap between more and less affluent school districts and states

• Even creating a job ladder which leads up to $100,000 per year may not be enough to be competitive with other options for students with advanced mathematics and science skills

What Do You Think?

Can We Pay Our Very Best Mathematics and Science Teachers

$100,000 per year?

A. Yes

B. No

Thoughts from the Panelists

• Stephen Wilson

• Ralph Fessler

Finally

The Major Focus of the Nation’s Efforts to Improve K-12 Mathematics and

Science Education in the 21st Century Should Be?

A. Increase the amount of mathematics and science K-12 students are taught

B. Create New and Improve Instructional Materials

C. Close the Achievement GapD. Recruit, Train, Support, Reward, and

Retain Good Teachers