Integrated Math
The Senate Education Committee introduced a bill this week to revert from the state’s current integrated high school math curriculum to the “traditional” sequence of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. “This will get us back to traditional math,” said Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph, “and I don’t know anyone who disagrees with that.”
State education leaders and teachers were quick to call Sen. Tillman’s assertion into question, with strong opinions in favor of integrated math piling up this week following introduction of the bill. State Superintendent June Atkinson cited other countries whose students excel in math and pointed to their use of a blended approach to math that is similar to ours. She said the approach, which gives students the tools they need to solve real-world problems, has largely satisfied the state’s public school teachers and parents.
On Tuesday, Trey Ferguson, a high school math teacher at Leesville Road High School, weighed in on EdNC to detail, “The case for integrated math” from a teacher’s perspective.
Previously, a consortium of superintendents and teachers from five Research Triangle districts expressed “grave concern” about the potential move away from integrated math and back to the traditional curriculum. And a commission created more than a year ago by the legislature to provide an independent review of the state’s math and English standards, considered but ultimately declined to recommend the return to “traditional math” now advocated by Sen. Tillman.
The State Board of Education voted this week to make some recommended changes to the state’s math courses, but also rejected reversion to the old sequence.
Countering this widespread support for integrated math in the education community, a small but vocal minority has urged Sen. Tillman and his colleagues to move forward with the bill.
The Senate Education Committee is due to take up the measure next week.
Sources:
Binker, M. (2016, June 1). “Senate bill takes high school math back to ‘traditional’ course.” WRAL.
Forcella, T. (2015, April 15). “Triangle High Five: A letter to the Academic Standards Review Commission.” EdNC.
Ferguson, T. (2015, June 15). “Math teachers write letter to Academic Standards Review Commission.” EdNC
The Senate Education Committee introduced a bill this week to revert from the state’s current integrated high school math curriculum to the “traditional” sequence of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. “This will get us back to traditional math,” said Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph, “and I don’t know anyone who disagrees with that.”
State education leaders and teachers were quick to call Sen. Tillman’s assertion into question, with strong opinions in favor of integrated math piling up this week following introduction of the bill. State Superintendent June Atkinson cited other countries whose students excel in math and pointed to their use of a blended approach to math that is similar to ours. She said the approach, which gives students the tools they need to solve real-world problems, has largely satisfied the state’s public school teachers and parents.
On Tuesday, Trey Ferguson, a high school math teacher at Leesville Road High School, weighed in on EdNC to detail, “The case for integrated math” from a teacher’s perspective.
Previously, a consortium of superintendents and teachers from five Research Triangle districts expressed “grave concern” about the potential move away from integrated math and back to the traditional curriculum. And a commission created more than a year ago by the legislature to provide an independent review of the state’s math and English standards, considered but ultimately declined to recommend the return to “traditional math” now advocated by Sen. Tillman.
The State Board of Education voted this week to make some recommended changes to the state’s math courses, but also rejected reversion to the old sequence.
Countering this widespread support for integrated math in the education community, a small but vocal minority has urged Sen. Tillman and his colleagues to move forward with the bill.
The Senate Education Committee is due to take up the measure next week.
Sources:
Binker, M. (2016, June 1). “Senate bill takes high school math back to ‘traditional’ course.” WRAL.
Forcella, T. (2015, April 15). “Triangle High Five: A letter to the Academic Standards Review Commission.” EdNC.
Ferguson, T. (2015, June 15). “Math teachers write letter to Academic Standards Review Commission.” EdNC
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