POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

Sure looks like the reform paradise of Florida doesn’t look very good on PISA math.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/03/key-pisa-test-results-for-u-s-students/

What I read today, it sure looks like the educators are no longer willing to teach basic math concepts to mastery. Of course they have their reasons, like this one from the lips of an educator - “In terms of math homework, I think that practising skills at home can be useful, where there is no time permitted for it at school. What I mean is that if I am teaching multiplication to a class, I want to make sure my students get the concept of multiplication as “repeated addition” or “groups of.” There will be no time left for memorizing the times tables. So students should practise that at home. The reality is there are many students who will grasp the concept of multiplication very early on, without even being able to memorize times tables.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/what-four-globe-writers-discover-when-they-try-doing-their-kids-homework-for-a-week/article15639083/

Just another confirmation of Malkin’s hypothesis - “Your children’s education is up to you and it is urgent. Don’t wait for spring when men and materials are available. Do it now.”  Three links to help parents’ go over the math lessons of the teacher. for your children, to fill in the missing math facts and knowledge that are no longer taught in the 21st century classroom. Somehow, according to the above teacher, children learned through some mysterious osmosis process that many children learned without memorization of the basic math facts. I wonder what the educator has to say about children who struggled in basic math using the fuzzy Math Makes Sense textbooks or the high school students who at this very moment are not only relearning fractions, but also mastery of the basic math facts if they want to pass grade 11 math, both not being well taught if at all in the 21st century schools and if they hope to understand quadratic equations. More misconceptions would be the rule, basing it on the evidence of the last 12 years, coming out of the mouth of this educator and many other educators.

The three math sites are excellent for parents, and they served me very well, when I was home tutoring my youngest child for long forgotten math concepts and laws and as well, well designed practice and drill sheets. Educators should be going on the sites, they might learn a few things about the properties of numbers. A real shame not to see such helpful math web sites on the schools’ and school board web sites. The math web sites would never be approved because it only shows the how-tos’ for standard algorithms. As well, the web sites come in handy to answered the really stupid questions found in a grade 3 math textbook.

The Math Page - “Never believe the math teacher” is the motto. http://www.themathpage.com/INDEX.html

The second web site hails from Europe. I fall in love with web site, and made contact with the web owners, who was kind enough to give me the password, so I could access the math lessons and practice sheets.  Here - http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm  And here - http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm

The third math web site is all about drill sheets. Well designed work sheets and all free. At Math Drills - http://www.math-drills.com/?gclid=CMab843Ak48CFSBMGgodViSJew#more

And now for more bad news - “Canada has dropped out of the top 10 in international math education standings, a decline that is raising alarms about the country’s future prosperity.”  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadas-fall-in-math-education-ranking-sets-off-red-flags/article15730663/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111391024

““When is 1,000 a large number? When is it a small number?”  I call them dumb questions of the ideological riddled pedagogy of constructivism. The PISA rankings for 2013, came to no surprise to me, and in 2015 without changes to the math curriculum, Finland and Canada will dropped in their rankings. Apparently, its more important to answer the above math riddle, that has no right answer than it is to correctly answer the problem of 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 12 in grade 3.

Its about time for parents to become militant in their activities, and start to show the educators their math methods are substandard and hurting the long-term futures of their children. How? By being show-offs that parents’ methods are superior to teachers’ methods.

The OECD PISA reports - http://www.oecd.org/pisa/

And the CMEC report – downplaying the PISA results, and it sure looks like the Ministries of Education have no intentions of turning the ship around to a 180 degree turn, to right and correct the course from fuzzy bad math to the JUMP math curriculum. http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/318/PISA2012_CanadianReport_EN_Web.pdf

Central planning has not worked for our education system any more than it did for the Soviet Union.  Perhaps a more fruitful walk for education leaders is over to Lake Ontario where they can jump in. 

This blog was likely posted before the horrendous PISA 2012 results came out.  Math scores for Ontario students have decreased by 16 points over the past nine years, from an average score of 530 points in 2003 to 514 points in 2012.

That is truly awful.  We remain above the OECD average only because that average is pulled down by truly dreadful countries like Peru.  We remain ahead of the United States, but not for long - their scores are climbing while ours are tumbling.  Continuing to leave education in the hands of our existing bureaucrats is insanity.

The solution is to remove the dead hand of the bureaucrats from the steering wheel; give autonomy to local schools and teachers, measure and publish learning outcomes, let parents freely choose the school they deem best for their child, and let the marketplace ruthlessly shut down underperforming schools.

Only the whip of competition will encourage schools to innovate, seek out superior teaching materials and invest in training their teachers.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

Canada 3Rd in real countries reading.

Canadian math scores did not fall.

http://cdnsba.org/all/education-in-canada/pisa-results-canadian-students-score-high-in-performance-canadian-education-system-scores-high-in-equity

The WISE math site put out their press release - I like their sense of humor - calling them highlights. Too funny…

http://wisemath.org/2013/12/03/pisa-2012-results/

Of course a few parents have joined up today, since the PISA results have been released and I am sure it be a busy week for WISE. Just one example - “I am the mother of two boys, grade 1 and 6. With the new so called discovery way of learning I have to teach my son their lessons at home in order to maintain their grades. This way of learning may be good for some, but not for my boys. I am very frustrated that I have to teach math including basic multiplication and division, spelling, cursive writing, typing, basic computer skills and so much more at home. And this new math has so much literacy injected into it that mathematics is getting lost in the fog. Our kids need real world skills. Sometimes I think I have become a homeschooler! I don’t put any of the blame on teachers, their hands are tied. Teachers have to follow this new curriculum and many have told me that they can see it is an issue for many kids and they agree it needs to go back to a system where rote skills are included. I think the EQAO scores are telling the story of what is happening right across Ontario. In the mean time our kids are being experimented on and will be left without the skills they need in University and in the real world.”  http://wisemath.org/join/

Wait until this parent learns that some educators want parents to continued to teach at home on the very same subjects as the above frustrated parent noted- “. I am very frustrated that I have to teach math including basic multiplication and division, spelling, cursive writing, typing, basic computer skills and so much more at home. And this new math has so much literacy injected into it.” 

Of course, then there is the educators of the superintendent kind hailing from the British system, trying to be cute and satirical but failing nevertheless. The title - Don’t feel bad, education losers. There’s always Division 2. Don’t worry being number 25 is just as good as being number 3 or 4.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/dont-feel-bad-education-losers-theres-always-division-2/article15709663/

Global TV news coverage - more of the same thing - the education establishment making excuses to justify the terrible math instruction and curriculum while the politicians and concerned citizens want change NOW! No more excuses. Stop the experimentation at the expense of the students and their futures.

And here is the OECD defending the PISA testing. In my opinion, the PISA results certainly shows what the provincial education systems are focusing on, maintaining the terrible fuzzy problem solving math curriculum, and where there is no wrong answers in maths or sometimes 2 + 4 sometimes equals 5 or 7. The PISA testing certainly reveals a window on the global data streams. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/stakes-high-in-oecd-student-testing/article15699429/

Doug, go used my links in the above posts - the OECD one - you soon learn that Canada dropped in reading, math and science. As well as having far fewer numbers in high achievers and increasing the number of low performers in level 1 and 2.

Doug do you actually read your links?  The best that can be said, is that Canada remains above the OECD average.

In the CMEC report - reading and science has dropped from 534 in the year 2000 to 523 in 2013. Doug, it is significant and clearly shows the trend of declining scores in read/science and for math as well.
http://cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/318/PISA2012_CanadianReport_EN_Web.pdf

The actual PISA report does show Canada is maintaining high equity - “Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong-China, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein and Macao‑China combine
high levels of performance with equity in education opportunities as assessed in PISA 2012.”  For Canadian students is doesn’t do much good, when the kids are sent home with the message its up to the parents to teach their children the ABCs in math because we either have teachers who don’t have the time to teach math to mastery or teachers who are ideological driven, that its up to the parents to teach their children the essentials in reading, writing and numeracy.

And Doug, if you think I am just kidding - think again, because the private tutoring outfits are making a killing across Canada due to the equity policies of the public education establishment, that really should be call the equity policies of unfairness based on the skills, abilities, income and personal knowledge bases of parents. If the equity policies riddled with ideologies of unfairness do not change, expect a further drop in PISA math achievement for 2015, in combination with the current math curriculum and instruction methods.

On a side note Doug, check out Finland - the PISA reports has some nice charts that reflects the drop for both Canada and Finland. By the way Finland is no longer in the top 10 for math, and is now sitting in the 12th position.

Doug, you are too funny.

In 2003, Ontario scored 530 in math.  In 2006, that dropped to 526.  It remained at 526 in 2009.  Now it has dropped to 514. 

Across Canada, the numbers are 532,527,527, and this year dropping to 518.  Here’s the citation for prior years: http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/10/2009_PISA_Highlights_en.pdf

I find it appropriate that you reference the Canadian School Boards Association for a congratulatory explanation for these dreadful results.  Well done all around, bonuses are surely coming.

This math discussion needs some parsing…..

I am (was) enormously dismayed at what was inflicted on my own children from grade 3 to 6.  Used to share with the teachers that with my B. Sc. and my years teaching math in secondary school——I was stymied/baffled at what my children were assigned as homework in grade 3/4/5?????!!!!!!!  I got a polite smile and no real explanation of the rationale.

I think that discussion on math efficacy may need parsing between primary and secondary curricululi.

Math curriculum experts - please advise.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

So who is going to say Miracle Florida is the latest miracle of reform to crash and burn?

Canada in reading #3-4 of real nations.

1) Korea 536 (many long hours national obsession)

2) Japan good for them 538

3) Finland 524 Canada 523 basic tie.

I don’t count totally artificial city-states Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, they are all Chinese and totally unrepresentitive of China as a whole.

If Canada could decide on its best city and enter only them now it is fair.

If I were a reformer I would be discouraged.

* spending more money matters
* paying teachers more matters
* SES is critical and the primary difference
* charters do not matter autonomy for local schools does.
* Florida bombs
* Chile the reform experiment wow.

http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/People-for-Education-2013-QUICK-FACTS-FROM-THE-OECD-PISA-2012-surveys-and-tests.pdf

Dear Mirka,
Phone Pearson or Nelson,it`s their math curriculum.

There`s also the fact that children should discover math and teachers should facilitate that discovery.
Next….

Mirka, glad to see some educators concerned about the math homework and the ‘dumb’ questions. Even my youngest who I had to re-teach the ABCs in all things math, had raise the same type of questions that Mirka has raise when she was in high school - there needs to be a serious discussion among the education establishment on math efficacy between primary and elementary curriculum. My youngest learned very early, and was grateful she had a mother well grounded in mathematics and arithmetic. Otherwise, she would not be attending university today…...

The math outcomes are mind-blogging for high school students and their futures. The K to 8 math curriculum does not do students any favours at the 9 to 12 levels. The evidence is in the student achievement outcomes and the declining number of students opting for high school courses that have a high amount of math and entering in advance math and calculus courses.

Doug is way too funny downplaying the results for Canada. Discovery learning in math is taking a toll on math achievement. In the Globe and Mail today - “The OECD report noted that the top performers had more exposure to formal mathematics, algebra and geometry than the word problems used in “discovery learning,” which advocates that children can learn math more effectively when they are given opportunities to investigate ideas through problem-solving and open-ended investigations.”  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadas-falling-math-rankings-renews-push-for-national-standards/article15755434/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111457840

Isn’t formal mathematics what the parents are clamouring for?  Apparently, not according to the CEA folks, who think that parents should take a back seat, and leave it to the experts the educators. After all can’t have rote memory entering the picture, putting in the screws to mess up discovery learning in math. http://www.cea-ace.ca/blog/michael-mcevoy/2013/10/2/past-students-we-think-we’re-‘experts’-changing-education

My youngest who is in her first year of university, had a compliment paid to her by a few Asian students who are also in their first year. The Asian students wanted to work with her, to solved a particular perplexing math problem that was posing the Asian students difficulties in solving it. My youngest, was stunned the Asian students needed her help, the dyslexic. She managed to respond why? The Asian students noted she does math in the same way as the Asian students do math, and for them, her computations made a whole lot more sense to them. Once she finished helping them, they asked her about her math skills. She responded, I would not be here, if it was not for my mother teaching me. My point is, the Asian students are exposed to formal mathematics and very little discovery learning. As a parent, I had no choice but to teach my youngest child, because of the terrible math curriculum and instruction methods that ultimately disenfranchised young students of being complement and efficient in math and numeracy. That said, the top achievers as the OECD has stated had more exposure to formal mathematics and the credit can go to the parents who are paying the freight and their time to ensure that little Johnnie has his multiplication and long division down cold using standard algorithms that is so frown upon by the education establishment of the progressive branch.

On the CEA web blog site - no wonder the kids by high school do not know how to factor, not when they are learning things back in grade 4, advance concepts that should never be taught in grade 4. ” We gathered all 50 students in an open space in the school and asked them to share conjectures about how they might define: “multiples of one.”  Hesitantly at first, we heard “any number with a one in it, every second number, every number that ends in a one.” As students saw their ideas considered and supported, momentum for participating in the conversation grew. Partial agreements about some conjectures lead to conversations about whole numbers.  The kids debated whether zero and negative numbers could be considered multiples. We looked at whether two non-identical conjectures could mean the same thing and both be completely correct.”  http://www.cea-ace.ca/blog/deirdre-bailey/2013/11/1/my-story-change-education

How about some good old fashion long division, fractions and other basic arithmetic essentials that will set the stage to learned advanced arithmetic concepts such as multiples, prime numbers and other interesting concepts in grade 6 to grade 8. Just in time to set the stage for learning the ABCs in the mathematics at the high school level. A child well grounded in basic and advance arithmetic will always do well in high school mathematics. Discovery learning does not cut it!

Yes,CEA`s famous for refusing to accept that discovery learning in all things does young children no favours.

Yes there should be distinctions between elementary and secondary curricula. Arithmetical skills attained (or on most cases, not) in the elementary level are crucial for secondary level math.

It is also interesting to note that the worst performers in Ontario are students who take applied math.  Lord help them when they have to balance their bank accounts or figure out how much interest they owe on their mortgages when they grow up.

A Bogus Dichotomy
In math, basic arithmetic skills and conceptual understanding are completely intertwined

/newsletter/archives/dichotomy.pdf

Just a few more articles of note

1.Canada’s falling math rankings renews push for national standards
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadas-falling-math-rankings-renews-push-for-national-standards/article15755434/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111457840

2. We’re on it: education ministers respond to math results
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/were-on-it-education-ministers-respond-to-math-results/article15726710/

3. No time for educational complacency, Canada
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/no-time-for-educational-complacency-canada/article15741406/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111457840

4. Quebec adds, Canada subtracts on its math scores
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/quebec-adds-canada-subtracts-on-its-math-scores/article15748296/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=The Globe and Mail&utm_type=text&utm_content=TheGlobeandMail&utm_campaign=111457840

5. On CBC radio - Is Canada Failing the Grade?
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2422113994

6. On Lang and O’Leary Exchange - Disappointing math results

Math education advocate Anna Stokke makes suggestions for improving Canadian results
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/Lang+&+O’Leary+Exchange/ID/2422036964/

Doretta..in the TDSB (and possibly in other larger boards as well), Math has four tiers in levels of proficiency: Advanced, College level, Applied and “Math for Everyday Living”!
Yes, in the last tier, a student may be able to determine just why it may take 14.4 years to bring their credit card balance with compounding interest to 0 by paying just the $10 monthly minimum!!

EQAO reports math test results for Advanced and Applied.

Hello Dear hearts,

I think we are kicking at the same turd from different directions.

What happens when a curriculum does not support good outcomes?  Who is accountable?

What happens when teachers are not qualified to deliver curriculum?  (but they are terrific coaches).  Who is accountable?

What happens when textbooks approved and on the trillium list are riddled with HUGE flaws in reasoning?  Who is accountable?

What happens when under qualified teachers who are great coaches teach what they are comfortable with disregarding the curriculum|?  Who is accountable?

ANSWER:  To date parents and students pay the cost of this lack of accountability.

Changing the curriculum and resources are a small piece of the pie - locking in accountability - real responsibility with consequences is key.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF DOUG

The successful countries moving up the ratings do not stream students.

Mirka,

You`ve become one of us:).

What happens when textbooks approved and on the trillium list are riddled with HUGE flaws in reasoning?  Who is accountable?

To date parents and students pay the cost of this lack of accountability.

Changing the curriculum and resources are a small piece of the pie - locking in accountability - real responsibility with consequences is key.

Doug,

I am constantly impressed by your familiarity of the global edu-scene.

Streaming is a bit of false leader.  The bulk of democratic countries do not stream in high school as the decision between academic and work place is made -in many countries-  before high school.

My limited experience with de-streaming was during the Ray era when grade 9 was not segregated.  IT WAS A MESS!  The policy itself had some philosophical merit BUT the implementation was ridiculous.  I signed up to put the grade 9 science de-streamed classes in motion.  WHY?  No-one, and I mean no-one wanted any part of it.  What we got was a great philosophy - no textbooks that reflected the new paradigm, no funds for resources, no access to the geniuses who came up with this brave new world.  We got large classes with only the grade 9 ACADEMIC textbook as a resource.  That was the direction from my board, and that was the sum total of the support this great new social experiment received.  Did my absolute best- but the the idea got the death it deserved.  No support, no resources, just a pie in the sky brain fart.  REALLY feel sorry for that cohort of grade 9 guinea pigs-  wrong, wrong, wrong.

Jo Anne,

love your comments-but I have been singing from the same hymnal for 20 years.  I *see* these kids every day.  It is not theory -it is personal. 
cheers.  Mirka

The next two Globe and Mail articles should keep Doug quiet for a moment or two. Doug, is just too funny, but I must say he is a pretty persistence fellow.

Why does ‘fuzzy math’ persist? It’s a bonanza for consultants, publishers

ROBERT CRAIGEN
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/why-does-fuzzy-math-persist-its-a-bonanza-for-consultants-publishers/article15763158/

In the comment section - this must have been the top complaint by parents for 2012 to 2013 school year. When parents are told not to teach math at home…......“Exactly!! In our school district we are in ‘discussions’ about the deplorable state of the curriculum, not only for math but also for ELA. We were told by the director of curriculum that math teachers are advised to NOT give any math homework because parents ‘don’t get it anyway’ and they might just have the audacity to try and teach their child math ‘the old fashioned way’. We are now, like many other parents, teaching our child the times tables at home (and our daughter is in grade 6!!) because they don’t teach those anymore in school. It is absolutely ridiculous!!”

Moving unto the second article - parents and the public can expect more of the same from the esteemed education establishment.  Why? Just take a look at this quote from an education minister - “Students are also now expected to be able to recall multiplication facts to 81 by the end of Grade 5.”  Funny, when I went to school back in the 1960s, at the end of grade 2, we knew out times table to 81, and by the end of grade 3 up to the 12 times table, two digit long division and multiplication problems and by grade 4 we hit the big time in fractions. Considering my children ages, there was no expectation of the older children learning their times tables, but I certainly did at home, along with teaching grammar and spelling rules. However for my youngest, the expectation was by the end of grade 3, 2003 to know their times table up to 5. Now the times table has been moved up to grade 5, and I am just wondering how that jives with fractions, decimals and percentages.

I feel sorry for teachers like Mirka who would like some accountability for the sorry state of students when entering grade nine math class.

Moving unto another ministry of education - “Critics view the still-vague proposal as a departure from foundational math. However, the ministry maintains students still must be strong at foundational elements – such as mathematical algorithms and memorizing times tables – but then learn how to apply those skills in real-world settings to give them context. In the near future, math students could conceivably be asked to use their skills in a hands-on project: In building a boat, for example, how does one measure the curvature of the hull?”  I confess, I cracked up laughing. What high school anywhere in Canada has students building a boat?  Last time I check, none of the high schools have the money or the equipment to properly resource a wood shop and have kids build a wooden clock, let alone a boat. Furthermore what is the point of measuring the curvature of a hull?  Isn’t that the stuff of senior high school students, who might have the foundational math to understand it much better. Or a better exercise is measuring the curvature of Earth. Oops I forgot, that has been taken out of the curriculum.

The last quote is absolutely priceless - ““We’ve plateaued because using the old models of how we deliver learning outcomes … [students] have not been able to necessarily make that direct connection to everyday living,” he said. “We’ve done everything under a system that’s been in place for many, many years. We need to transform that to something new.”

More of the same and the comments are not at all flattering.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/for-math-education-overhaul-ontario-turns-to-training-manitoba-to-tradition/article15774409/

Finn-ished?

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21591195-fall-former-nordic-education-star-latest-pisa-tests-focusing-interest?fsrc=nlw|hig|12-5-2013|7129254|36090882|NA

The Economist article that Doretta provided a link to makes it clear how wrong our direction is.  Slipping a bit doesn’t put our kids futures into jeopardy, but the leaders are getting better and opening the gap. 

We should be running flat out just to keep up.  The Finns might turn it around and move up the rankings again - they have recruited well-educated teachers and give them autonomy, the pieces are in place. 

But we’re not going to do better in the next round.  It is only two years away, and our centrally-planned Soviet education system is incapable of a quick response to turn poorly-taught 13-year-olds into champion 15-year-olds.  An extra PA day dedicated to math isn’t going to budge the needle.

Donna Quan is promising a big jump in kids passing the standardized scores next year (thanks Nancy).  The only way she can do that is by convincing the EQAO to dumb down the tests.
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/11/13/tdsb_director_donna_quan_pledges_big_increases_in_testing_scores.html

Of course, that is already happening.  The EQAO has been trumpeting triumphant math results over the same period as our PISA scores have been tumbling. Watch for more of the same. http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/13/Secondary_Highlights_2013_en.pdf

Tom,

We do not get a PD day devoted to math or anything, for that matter, that is specifically curriculum driven.

Our PD days are frittered away with busy work with no means to an end.  WHO is accountable for using funds with no impact on results?

I am exhausted teaching young teachers skills such as dissections -  that is the next challenge this month in my edu-swamp.  Young folks, hired, great coaches, do not have any experience with dissection - yet they teach biology.  To their credit they want to learn - but who can teach them?  Not the clown car at the board level.

ugh.  Mirka