Most Trial Urban Districts Raise Mathematics Scores Since 2003, Few Make Gains Since 2007, According to Nation's Report Card

/PRNewswire/ -- The mathematics results from the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) paint a mixed picture of student achievement in the 18 urban school districts that participated in the most recent Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). Among the districts that also participated in earlier years, most showed improvement since 2003 but no significant change since 2007.

The 11 districts that participated in prior years are: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; the District of Columbia; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; and San Diego. The seven districts that participated for the first time in 2009 are: Baltimore City; Detroit; Fresno, Calif.; Jefferson County (Louisville), Ky.; Miami-Dade; Milwaukee; and Philadelphia.

Results were relatively unchanged for 4th- and 8th-graders in most TUDA districts between 2007 and 2009, though eight of the 10 districts that began participating in 2003 have made significant gains in both grades over this six-year period.

Two districts at each grade level raised scores from 2007 to 2009. At grade 4, Boston and the District of Columbia had higher scores in that period. At grade 8, Austin and San Diego made gains. No district had significantly lower scores in 2009 than in 2003 or 2007. All districts had some students performing at or above Proficient in both grades.

The results are detailed in The Nation's Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Mathematics 2009, which highlights the achievement of 4th- and 8th-graders in 18 of the nation's largest cities on the NAEP mathematics assessment, administered by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. Eighteen districts participated voluntarily -- seven for the first time -- in the representative-sample assessment, which provides an otherwise unavailable common yardstick of student achievement for these districts.

The 2009 TUDA results make it possible to compare the performance of the 18 districts to public school students nationally and in the nation's large cities (cities with populations of 250,000 or more). The report reveals that average scores in 2009 for large cities were higher at both grade levels than in 2003 and 2007. And five of the 18 districts -- Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, and San Diego -- scored above the average for large cities at both grades in 2009.

"The urban school districts that volunteer for this rigorous test should be commended for their willingness to be held to high standards," said David P. Driscoll, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP. "The report points to some leaders that have made significant strides in student achievement. While much remains to be done to increase achievement and narrow gaps between groups, we hope to learn more from these cities."

Compared with the national average, Charlotte was the only district to score higher at grade 4. Scores in Austin, New York City, and San Diego were not significantly different from the nation. At grade 8, only Austin scored higher than the nation. Scores in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego were not significantly different from the national average.

Compared to their large-city peers in grade 4, the TUDA districts with higher average scores were Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, Miami-Dade, New York City, and San Diego. The score for Jefferson County was not significantly different. At grade 8, scores were higher in Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, and San Diego. The scores for Jefferson County, Miami-Dade, and New York City were not significantly different from large cities.

Launched in 2002, the Trial Urban District Assessment is a joint effort developed by the Governing Board, the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education, and the Council of the Great City Schools.

There are large demographic differences between urban districts and the nation. For example, 48 percent of 4th-graders and 43 percent of 8th-graders were eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch nationally compared with between 46 percent and 100 percent in the participating districts. The percentages of English language learners (ELL) in the nation were 10 percent at grade 4 and 6 percent at grade 8, respectively. But the percentages of ELL students in Austin, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego were higher in both grades than the percentages in both the nation and large cities.

The 2009 NAEP mathematics assessment was administered by the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education to representative samples of between 1,800 and 4,300 4th- and 8th-graders from each of the 18 TUDA districts. The Nation's Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Mathematics 2009 and additional data collected from the 2009 mathematics assessment are available online at http://nationsreportcard.gov/.

The Nation's Report Card is the only nationally representative, continuing evaluation of the condition of education in the United States and has served as a national yardstick of student achievement since 1969. Through the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), The Nation's Report Card informs the public about what America's students know and can do in various subject areas, and compares achievement data between states and various student demographic groups.

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan board whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to set policy for NAEP.

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UGA College of Education to host math, science academy for high school students

For three weeks this summer, about 60 Athens area high school students will have a unique opportunity to learn more about mathematics and science, and possible careers in those fields, during a Summer Academy hosted by the University of Georgia College of Education.

The free, three-week program involves sessions from 8:30 a.m. to noon from July 6-24, and is open for college-bound high school juniors and seniors in Athens and Northeast Georgia.

“Students will encounter topics that they would not usually find in high school, such as electron microscopy, veterinary science and the mathematics of body mechanics,” said Corey Buxton, an associate professor in the department of elementary and social studies education. “They will have access to tools, technologies and instructors usually reserved for university students. They will gain valuable career information that should expand their understanding of the range of available careers involving mathematics and science.”

As part of the final week, students will create project presentations of their work to share with younger children from Athens-Clarke County Recreation and Leisure summer programs and the Athens Boys and Girls Club, allowing them to experience the engagement and challenge of teaching.

The program, funded by a state Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative grant is one of dozens of efforts by UGA to promote interest, enthusiasm and engagement in the fields of science and math.

Georgia faces a critical shortage of certified teachers in mathematics and science. In 2008, 14.3 percent of all Georgia math teachers were not fully certified, according to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Another 18.6 percent of physical science teachers and 16.2 percent of life sciences teachers lacked full certification, the commission said.

“Middle school and high school math and science are projected to be critical need teaching areas for the foreseeable future,” said Buxton.

For college-bound high school students, a career in teaching science and math in public schools will soon become even more enticing. The state recently approved a pay boost for math and science teachers beginning in the 2010 school year.

The measure allows new secondary school teachers with proper math or science certification to start at the salary of a fifth year teacher. That’s an increase of about $4,561, to $37,985 a year, under the state salary schedule. The teacher’s salary would then continue to rise a step every year for five years. After that, the increase would be tied to student performance.

The new Georgia legislation focuses on high schools but would also reward elementary school teachers who increase their competency in math and science by handing them a $1,000 annual bonus if they earn an endorsement from the Professional Standards Commission.

The Summer Academy will be held mainly in Aderhold Hall on the UGA campus. However, field trips and project presentations off campus will be included. Those interested in participating should contact Joe Long at drlong@uga.edu to register for this free program.

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Popular Online Contest Keeping Up Kids' Interest in Math

PRNewswire -- As national experts continue to decry the need for more science and math education, a fun math contest Web site at Columbus State University is doing its part to keep interest alive.

Hundreds of thousands of people from more than 213 different countries around the globe are finding their way to the brain-teaser site every month at www.colstate.edu/mathcontest . More than 564,000 hits were logged last year, and the counter is on track this year to double that mark.

The site also has reached the coveted No. 1 spot on Google when someone searches online for "math contest."

All this interest is inspiration for David Rock, dean of Columbus State University's College of Education and the man behind the math contest.

He has spent most of his career trying to change perceptions of math. Research has shown that combining math with technology helps the learning process. So when the Internet first hit the mainstream about a decade ago, Rock found a way to combine technology with learning.

And he made it fun. The questions are not just equations, but brain-teasers, mental slight-of-hands and real-life scenarios for different age levels.

"Too many of our kids lose interest in math as they become older," Rock said. "Perhaps it's because it's not cool or because they don't think it's relevant. But whatever the reason, we've got to do what we can to change that perception "

He and Doug Brumbaugh, a colleague at the University of Central Florida where he completed his graduate degrees and once taught as an instructor, created some online math contests long before Google or other Internet search engines went online. The pair didn't advertise or tell many about it, but people online found the site. Rock promised that everyone who answered correctly would have their name posted on the Web site.

"We never post the answers because we want it to be a teaching tool as well as a place where people have to think," Rock said. "Teachers know that if their student's name is on the site, they submitted the correct answer."

The idea took off and followed Rock as he became a professor and moved to new positions at other universities. At Columbus State University, Rock has collapsed all the math contests he's done into one mega online math contest site. He even talked the White House into including a math challenge on its Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/ .

CSU's math contest site features the Problem of the Week, plus Algebra in Action, Middle School Madness and Elementary Brain Teaser.

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Carnegie Learning Sells $5 Million in Custom Math Curricula in Georgia

BUSINESS WIRE --Sales of Carnegie Learning, Inc.’s new Georgia Mathematics 1 and 2 curricula have reached $5 million since publication of the program earlier this year, according to the company. Carnegie Learning, a leading provider of research based math curricula for middle schools, high schools, and the higher education market, reports that over 130 Georgia middle and high schools have adopted the education publisher’s customized Georgia Mathematics 1 and 2 designed, specifically, to meet new, more rigorous high school math requirements being implemented by the Georgia Department of Education this fall.

The purchasing districts receive Carnegie Learning textbooks and Professional Development services, and some districts have purchased Carnegie Learning’s Cognitive Tutor® software for Math Support which is an intelligent software program that provides differentiated instruction by adapting the learning path to each student’s understanding of mathematical concepts. Among the 55 districts implementing Carnegie Learning’s Georgia Mathematics program are Bartow, Clayton, Douglas, Forsyth, and Hall County Schools.

“Reports of declining U.S. competitiveness in mathematics and science at the post-secondary level have prompted measures in statehouses across the country to raise standards and achievement in science and math at the high school level,” said Trace A. Urdan, Managing Director at Signal Hill. “In many cases, this is reinforced by new high school graduation testing requirements. The dramatic curriculum changes in Georgia are one example of this phenomenon, but by no means the only one. Results-oriented curriculum providers that can rapidly and flexibly respond to this evolving dynamic with research-based content should be well-positioned to help educators as they respond to the public’s desire to raise the bar for math education.”

Carnegie Learning’s Cognitive Tutor research is well supported in the Learning Processes subcommittee report of the recent National Math Advisory Panel report to the President and U.S. Secretary of Education, and is cited as an example of a curriculum that has strong evidence of effectiveness and is a model for applying basic research in the classroom. Carnegie Learning is also recognized by the What Works Clearinghouse as showing evidence of effectiveness, and last year the U.S. Department of Education awarded the RAND Corporation a $6 million grant to conduct a five-year study of the effectiveness of Carnegie Learning’s Algebra I curricula in seven districts across the country.

"The higher performance standards in Georgia present an exceptional opportunity for our company,” said Dennis Ciccone, Chief Executive Officer of Carnegie Learning, Inc. “In addition to having one of the few legitimately research-based math curricula, we are committed to partnering with administrators and teachers to ensure that they receive the support and Professional Development to be successful for the long-term.”

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Georgia Department of Education Seeks Comments on Mathematics and Social Studies

The Georgia Department of Education has been receiving comments on GeorgiaStandards.org concerning proposed curriculum changes since June. The public is invited to submit your comments and feedback on:

Social Studies: 6th and 7th Grade Revisions
Social Studies: 3-5 and 8-12 Precision Review
Mathematics: K-5 Precision Review

Click here to submit your comments.

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