Countywide math scores sound alarm

Tue, Jun 24, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Video: Face to Face: What Went Wrong?
CCSD middle schoolers did better on math test (4-2-2008)
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Clark County school officials are now facing overwhelming evidence that their K-12 math program must be overhauled: 89 percent of the district’s high school algebra I students failed their final exams this month.

“We know these are poor results,” said Lauren Kohut-Rost, the district’s deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction. “We are also committed to improving and to the success of every one of our students.”

The test results have the district reevaluating how students are assigned to classes and how they are taught once they get there. A new committee, including a nationally recognized math curriculum expert, is meeting to review the district’s policies, procedures and practices, and is to recommend changes.

“We need to continue to set the bar higher,” Kohut-Rost said. “We took the initiative to say, ‘This is the content we expect students to have mastered. And if they haven’t, we need to figure out why.’ ”

School districts across the country are facing similar challenges, as U.S. students continually lag behind their peers in other developed countries when it comes to math skills.

In the Clark County School District, the nation’s fifth-largest, the challenges are compounded by an ever-growing population of at-risk students, a continued shortage of qualified math teachers and class sizes among the largest in the nation. The recent cuts to K-12 education funding — $60 million so far from this year’s budget, with projections of $130 million for the next biennium — will also mean fewer dollars for catch-up classes, tutoring and teacher training.

The district developed its in-house end-of-semester math exams with several goals in mind, including determining whether students would be ready for a more difficult high school proficiency exam that debuts in 2010. Also, the district was looking for ways to reduce the percentage of its students who require remedial classes when they arrive at Nevada’s colleges and universities.

The latest figures from across the School District show a slight improvement in scores over the test given at the end of the first semester in January, when 91 percent of the high school algebra I students failed.

Also, 56 percent of the district’s high school geometry students failed the final exam this month, compared with 88 percent on the first semester test. And 78 percent of algebra II students failed the final, compared with 86 percent midyear.

But the improvements in geometry and algebra II may be attributable to the district’s decision not to test about 4,000 geometry students and about 2,000 algebra II students who take alternative versions of the classes. The alternative classes cover the same material but teach it differently, officials say. Including those students in the first round of testing was a mistake, district officials now say. Those classes need exams written to conform to the teaching methods used, officials say.

At the middle school level, 71 percent of pre-algebra students failed the June final exam, compared with a 79 percent failure rate on the first-semester test given this winter. But about 700 students did not take the same final exam, after the district determined they should not have been tested on the first semester’s material. For the middle schools’ algebra I test, 44 percent of the students failed the final exam, compared with 53 percent on the first-semester test. The district tested about 200 fewer students in June.

Perhaps most important, middle school algebra I classes are reserved for the more advanced students, who can earn high school credit if they pass. In high school, because algebra I is a requirement for graduation, student ability in the classes varies more widely.

Kohut-Rost emphasized that the final exam scores do not mean the majority of district students failed math for the academic year. District regulation allows the final exam to count for no more than 20 percent of a student’s total grade.

That’s one of the reasons for the poor showing, said Jack Whitefoot, who will start his 14th year as a district math teacher at the new Desert Oasis High School in August.

“Kids aren’t stupid — they know how hard they have to work,” he said.

When semester and final exams came around, the high school students had already been subjected to a battery of tests, including the all-important proficiency exam.

“By the time they get to this one (test), they’re asking, ‘What are the stakes? Is this going to help me or hurt me?’ ”

“There is blame, but it’s in all different areas,” Whitefoot said. “Some of it may be teachers who don’t follow the curriculum the way they should, some of it is the test itself.”

Bonanza High School found a way to improve. After his students’ dismal January performance, Principal Bart Mangino determined his teachers needed to spend more time preparing students for the test’s format and sometimes unique vocabulary.

“It’s not just about being able to do the math,” Mangino said. “We needed to put more emphasis on reading comprehension and making sure students actually understood the questions that were being asked.”

As a result, Bonanza’s failure rate for algebra I dropped to 87 percent from 96 percent, and to 78 percent from 94 percent in algebra II. The sharpest improvement was in geometry, where 32 percent of the 297 students failed, compared with 90 percent out of 377 in January.

“We had a schoolwide effort, and it paid off,” Mangino said.

Discussion: 11 comments so far…

By jfnance32

6/24/08 at 7:44 a.m.

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The education system in the US has been on a constant decline since 1960's.

50 years ago, a high school student was only allowed to make no more than 2 spelling or grammar mistake on a paper.

Now, students are allow 100’s of mistakes and they are used Word, too.

We have honor students having to take remedial English and Math classes when they get into college.

I think no amount of money will fix this problem.

It is time to get the government out of the education business before the government completely runs it into the ground.

It is time to give it back to the people.
By thebs

6/24/08 at 8:19 a.m.

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"Now, students are allow 100’s of mistakes and they are used Word, too."

"are allow?"

100's is possessive. You mean 100s. 100s is plural.

"they are used Word, too"

Yes, Nance, thank you for demonstrating how the education system is an utter failure.
By BenDover

6/24/08 at 2:59 p.m.

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jfnance:
If you represent "the people" to whom we should give back the educational system, I'll pass. It's lamebrains like you who are part of the problem.
By DavidMorgan

6/24/08 at 3:18 p.m.

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50 years ago our country was white based, and black descriminatory. Mom's stayed home and provided the utterly irreplaceable role of educator, socializer, homemaker and family CEO.

Now, contrast that with today, and you see how completely stupid the criticism is. You can't turn America's schools into the United Nations of academia based on resources available. Can't be done. If you privatize public schools, you will get class warfare like you can't imagine. We need to put our money where our brag is...and that is in education. Either do it or zip it.
By jfnance32

6/24/08 at 5:07 p.m.

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How much money?

Give a number.

Is 50,000 per student enough?
By jfnance32

6/24/08 at 5:11 p.m.

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I bet $10,000 dollars that inner city black kids would do much better in a non-public school system and with less money than the public school gets for that student.
By ZeddyBear

6/24/08 at 6:50 p.m.

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CCSD has too many experts. Put all of these experts in classrooms, and show us all what you can do. I would almost bet that these administrators (many of whom might be ex-math teachers) decided a long time ago to leave the classrooms and settle in the big cozy chair of administration. They now spend their time telling math teachers that they are NOT doing the right things in the classrooms. It's funny. I had problems with math in high school. You know what worked for me? I stayed after school and got help from my teachers. They worked with me. Now skip to 2008..... These kids are NOT asking for extra help. Their parents are not placing these kids in summer school. They just on their fat rumps (students and parents) and blame the teachers for not teaching. Excuse me! The teachers are teaching. The kids are refusing to learn. Hey parents -- here's a novel idea ----->>>> check your kid's homework. Check their work in other classes. I would bet these rum-dumbs are failing other classes, too. I guess it must be the teachers' fault.... Yeah! Right!
By sphboc

6/25/08 at 7:38 a.m.

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One possible explanation, for such high failure rates, would be that the tests are inconsistent with course content and/or too long for the allowed time.
It would be of considerable interest to post the actual tests, and--ideally--the percentage of correct answers to each of the questions, on the CCSD website.
There were definitely a number of problems with the first-semester tests; it would be interesting to see whether these have been repeated.
By lvmachead

6/25/08 at 8:31 a.m.

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Wow. Let's look at how we taught in those wonderful bygone days. In Middle School (Jr. High) and high school students were offered many more opportunities for taking lower level math that would help them when they attended their shop and tech classes that were preparing them for real jobs once they graduated. The only students taking algebra, geometry, trig, chemistry and physics were those students who chose them as preparation to go to college. These classes were then able to be much tougher since the students wanted to be there and were motivated to work and pass the classes. Now, everyone is being required to take and pass algebra and the tech schools are only for the top students, rather than the students who would really benefit from having some reason to continue their education.
By Z287412

6/25/08 at 8:45 p.m.

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The problem is lack of motivation, playing on the internet, lack of interest for parents to oversee their kids education, check their homework and lack of family values. Too many people blame the teachers, politicians, "inconsistent tests"..etc, but these are nothing but excuses. In alot of cases, yes, parents are too busy (i.e. work) to watch over their kids, but they must sacrifice time
to help their kids get thru school. Algebra 1 is simple math that should be considered basic math. It is shocking to see such a high failure rate.

People need to understand that they will not get anywhere by blaming others and assuming that the school system will fulfill all needs. It takes self determination, studying hard, and getting help from family. Maybe the county should do research on what type of impact a gambling/drinking environment has on students. It is difficult for a young person to rely on and have confidence in their parents when they spend their time on the strip gambling instead of helping with homework. No doubt that this plays a part of the problem. People need to act now, because once you are out of highschool, there is no one to oversee your school work except the student.

It is sad to see the damage this causes to young students, because with math, when you hate it at an early age, most tend to hate it as they get older and never do well with it. So, if parents/students are serious about making corrections, here's some advice:
* Ask for tutoring help - BE persistent!!!
* Put away the PS3
* Parents stay home on the weekend to help
* Use internet for Alegbra help - good sites
* Practice problems from other Algebra books
* Seriously think about what happens in your career if you do not do well in math (forget about being a mechanical engineer)
By jfnance32

6/26/08 at 12:17 a.m.

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There are two problems.

One is that the teachers of today are a product of the system. I doubt that 50% of today's teachers can pass a 6th grade math and English test from the 1960's. This is a great limiting factor on the quality of education.

Second, there is very little spirituality being taught to the students. So, they get into sex, drugs, drinking and being lazy so easily. They are adrift and it makes them easy prey to TV, movies, bad music and bad peer pressure. They have no anchor to keep them steady on course for a good life. For inner city minority youth, they cannot see the value in education because they are distracted with all that crap. The public school system cannot provide any help in this area. Those kids are doomed to failure even if pay top dollar. Just look at the DC school system. It is the most expensive school system in the US and it is a zoo. I doubt if any of the children of Congress go to DC public schools. That also goes for cabinet members and Presidents.

If we allow the Rev. Wrights of the world to run inner city schools and allow teach them some spirituality and discipline then you will see great success for those children.