MATH INVESTIGATIONS: NO EVIDENCE FOR SUCCESS
With Internet speed, news travels. So it is that an Independent Survey – Math Investigations Success Stories is making its way around. Soon everyone who wants to know will know that Math Investigations lacks solid evidence for success.
For example the blogs have begun spreading the word.
In addition, the news is spreading by email. In fact, email also brought even more evidence (a government funded study) that other, more traditional curricula, works better than Math Investigations.
For your consideration….
Yet another twist in the saga of how far a small but vocal group of central district educators will go to force ideology over sound mathematics content on other peoples’ children in our schools.
For years, PWCS central staff have touted the “research” claiming superior comprehension and fantastic results of districts and states using Math Investigations. And the proof? No less than Math Investigations – Pearson Publishers’ “Evidence for Success” marketing guide. Good old marketing “research.” Well, in yet another hot off the presses expose it appears that the Pearson product is well, just more misinformation from the internet. Pearson’s “Evidence For Success” with Math Investigations claims overwhelming success of the program…but when districts cited in the booklet were contacted in support of a survey supporting PWCS Board requests for data it was revealed that the majority of schools cited in the Pearson publication have DROPPED or are in the process of dropping Math Investigations!! So why is PWCS defending this failed program so aggressively? Guess it all depends on what your definition of “success” is. Interviews with school district leaders as to why the program was dropped are telling. The attached document has apparently been provided to the PWCS Board – a copy was provided to this forum by PWC staff and is now public information.
This is especially timely in light of the fact that the US Department of Education just this month released a formal evaluation report similarly showing Math Investigations as achieving the poorest results of four elementary math programs in a US Department of Education formal evaluation study http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20094052/index.asp.IMPORTANT NOTE: Two Items are up for vote this Wed., 3/4 at the PWC School Board Meeting. One is for a choice to opt-in to traditional mathematics and the other is for a “balanced” approach (Math Investigations w/Traditional methods).
Item # 29: “Opt-In for Traditional Math (Trenum)
Item # 30: “Traditional Math [Balance] in Elementary Schools (Otaigbe)
For those who are subscribers, an article on the government funded study is available in Education Week. See Study Finds Edge for Certain Early-Math Programs.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences states the following on its website.
No studies of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® that fall within the scope of the Elementary School Math review protocol meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. The lack of studies meeting WWC evidence standards means that, at this time, the WWC is unable to draw any conclusions based on research about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space®. (from here)
Please write to your school board member now and speak on March 4th. The school board needs to hear from everyone. Ask your k-4 kids to solve some maths; see how bad it has become.
I’ve been away a bit. Did the School Board vote to provide an opt-out?
kgotthardt – The vote will be on March 4th.
Please, speak out at the March 4th meeting and email all the Board members. By saying nothing and continuing to TEACH your children at home to ensure they don’t fall behind, tells the Math dept. and PWCS Board members that you are ok with what you have been given. Your SILENCE contributes to the door closing on your children’s futures! Advocate for YOUR child, because it is obvious the administrators ‘will not’ and ‘are not’ doing that.