TNT Editorial Hits Math WASL Hard - and OSPI Harder

As promised, The News Tribune this morning carries a tough editorial decrying inadequacies in the state's approach to math education and, correspondingly, the poor performance of students on the math WASL.

The trigger is this report by Strategic Teaching, consultants by the state board of education "to analyze the strengths and weakness of" K-12 math standards." An earlier AP news story reported on the preliminary findings.

The analysis of Washington’s math standards says that compared with other high-achieving states and countries, Washington is not expecting enough of its students, some subjects are not being taught early enough, there’s insufficient emphasis on teaching the mechanics of math, and some of the learning expectations are not clear.

The TNT editorial eliminates the bafflegab.

These [standards] were developed over a period of years by the state superintendent of public instruction’s office. Their deficiencies reflect directly on the stewardship of the superintendent, Terry Bergeson.

The first part of that review – done by six master teachers and mathematicians – is now finished. It’s alarming.

The panel compared Washington’s written standards to those of California, Massachusetts, Indiana, Singapore and Finland, all recognized as among the world’s best. The comparison is not flattering.

Stacked up against California and the others, Washington’s overall standards got the lowest score in every category the reviewers considered: depth, grade-to-grade coherence, measurability, accessibility and balance.

The 52-page report will doubtless be the basis of extended discussion. The TNT concludes.

If those WASL scores were grades, Bergeson and her office would get a “B-plus” in developing the reading and writing standards, but a “D” at best in math.

Of course it’s more complicated than that: The scores also reflect a shortage of skilled math teacher and students’ reluctance to take enough math courses. But when an independent, expert review finds so many things wrong in standards that have been under development since the early 1990s, something just doesn’t add up.

As WASL advocates say, it's all about accountability. More to come.