In today's Seattle Times, Linda Shaw reports that a consultant thinks Washington needs to beef up it math education, a conclusion that will surprise very few folks in business or education.
An outside review of Washington's standards for mathematics found them sorely lacking — with key concepts missing, a lack of focus and insufficient clarity, especially when it comes to the basics.
Consultant Linda Plattner, hired by the state Board of Education, says Washington expects too little of its students in math, even though roughly 40 percent of Washington 10th-graders fail math each year on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).
Because performance lagged, lawmakers delayed the WASL, over the objections of business leaders.
The News Tribune carries the AP story on Plattner's report.
