Will changing course on math lower curriculum standards?

Rigor will remain high, more students will have more options.

By John D. Barge

Two years ago, our current 11th graders entered high school taking the Georgia Performance Standards in math. The standards are much more rigorous than the old curriculum, which I applaud. However, at the same time we raised the rigor, we created the perfect storm.

We had a major shift in the way the curriculum was delivered — from a discrete approach to an integrated one. Then, the economy took its sharp decline, providing few resources for teacher professional development. A group of teachers from each school district received a few days of training, and then were expected to go back and train all of the teachers in their own district. That is not the ideal way to roll out a brand new curriculum.

While I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way for the delivery of our math curriculum, I do believe students learn differently and should be given the option of learning through a different teaching method. The integrated approach is not working for all of our students, and we are responsible for preparing all of them!

That’s why I applaud the action our State Board of Education recently took to give local school districts the flexibility to choose what is best for their students. They know their students much better than we do at the state level. With either delivery model, the rigor of the current mathematics standards will not be compromised.

The State Board also allowed students who have struggled under this math delivery to receive core academic credit for the support courses that go along with Math I, Math II and Math III.

Some would say we are retreating from the rigor by allowing credit for these support classes because our graduation rule requires students to complete at least through Math III. I can certainly see why some may think that; however, I would say this is a recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach to mathematics and graduation is counterproductive to the expectation that we prepare students to lead successful lives when they leave us, regardless of their postsecondary paths.

Our current graduation rule requires that all students earn four units of math to graduate, including Math I through Math III, and a fourth math course. On our current integrated delivery model, Math III is the equivalent of trigonometry and statistics. So, even students with learning disabilities in mathematics must complete trigonometry and statistics in order to earn a diploma. Rigorous expectations? Absolutely. Realistic expectations? No.

We currently have thousands of students in 11th grade who have one or no math credits toward the four required to graduate. Without allowing these students to earn credit for their support classes, many of them will ultimately give up on high school, simply because they couldn’t grasp the concepts of math in an integrated fashion.

Our current GPS math curriculum is far more rigorous than our previous curriculum, meaning a student who graduates with Math I and II, as well as Math I and II Support, is far better prepared in mathematics than he or she would have been under our old curriculum.

While this isn’t an ideal situation, I would rather these students have options for careers and/or another form of postsecondary education or training when they leave us.

Let me be clear, I don’t believe in just giving out a high school diploma to students that haven’t earned it. But, many of these students have shown in multiple ways that they deserve it.

The intervention we provided this week for our high school students doesn’t lower the rigorous bar we’ve set; it simply gives them other opportunities to be successful. Without this intervention, the door to the future for thousands of our young people will be closed.


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Georgia Southern University offers Advanced Placement Summer Institute for High School Teachers

New and beginning teachers of Advanced Placement (AP) high school courses are invited to Savannah in mid-July for professional development training in any of four topics: U.S. History, World History, English Language and Composition, and Human Geography.

Running Monday, July 14 through Thursday, July 17, the AP Summer Institute, sponsored by the Continuing Education Center at Georgia Southern University, will provide AP course content, teaching strategies, and program ideas and issues. All classes will be taught by College Board-approved consultants.

The College Board is approved as an authorized Continuing Education Unit (CEU) provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), an internationally recognized organization for standards and authorization for continuing education and training. Three CEUs are available through IACET for participants who attend all 30 hours of the AP Summer Institute and successfully complete the scheduled activities.

In addition, participants who hold a valid Georgia Teaching Certificate are eligible for three Professional Learning Unit (PLU) credit hours, providing they attend all 30 hours of the AP Summer Institute and successfully complete the scheduled activities. PLU credit is used by employees of Georgia public school systems who currently hold certificates in an approved field (certified teachers, school counselors, administrators, etc.) as credit toward renewing their existing certificates.

Room blocks for the nights of July 13, 14, 15, and 16, 2008 have been reserved at two hotels. Reservations must be made no later than June 13, 2008 for participants to qualify for the discounted room rates.

Each class runs daily from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305 Fahm Street. Lunch is included in the course fee.

A deposit of $100 is required with each AP Summer Institute registration. The balance of $389 is due by July 7, 2008. Space in the class is limited so preference on the waiting list will be given to students who have paid the registration in full prior to the July 7 deadline.

For more information or to register, call (912) 681-5551 or visit the Web at http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/APinstitute.html

Volunteers Needed to Participate in Evaluating Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program

The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina is looking for 130 adults who work with children and youth from schools, faith-based organizations or youth-serving organizations to help evaluate “Stewards of Children,” a child sexual abuse prevention training program for adults. This could include anyone who works with children in a variety of capacities including youth groups and little league sports teams. This 3-year, multi-site, federally-funded study will determine the effectiveness of the instructor-led and online versions of the training program.

Participants should live or work within I-285 and be between the ages of 18-65. The study will take anywhere from 1 to 3 ½ hours, and CEU credits are available. Participants will receive the actual training and materials at no cost. Compensation is provided to participants. To learn more about how to participate, call Nedra Manners, Study Site Coordinator for GCCA, at 770-942-2391 or email her at nedra.manners@innerharbour.net.