Commentary on the MCPS Math Work Group Report

Here is my review of the Math Work Group Report from November 2010. It is cited as a rationale for the new one-size-fits-all math curriculum being uncorked in MCPS elementary schools starting this Fall. Those of you wondering about, or struggling with, the new math curriculum may find this interesting. Report content is in bold; my comments are not.

Alan Stewart

Memorandum:

"During the past decade MCPS' mathematics program has both evolved and been strengthened. Institutional barriers limiting opportunity for African American and Hispanic students have been dismantled and expectations for all students have been raised."

No one can tell me what those barriers were and when they were dismantled. I think MCPS would make BIG proclamations about this; I do not recall seeing that.

Written Curriculum Recommendations:

This whole document is an extreme example of logorrhea. Is someone getting paid by the word? Fire the people who wrote this.
Adopt the Common Core State Standards because, well, they are common, and they are core, and they are state standards, and they are way better than what MCPS has now – enough said.

Implemented Curriculum Recommendations:

"Support the improvement of mathematics teaching through the development and use of an instructional practices rubric that includes but is not limited to fidelity of curriculum implementation, equitable practices, inquiry-based instruction, mathematics discourse, metacognitive strategies, and differentiation."

Hahahahaha, what? Translation?

"Monitor implementation of MCPS Regulation IHB-RA, School Academic Grouping Practices, which establishes standards for ongoing and flexible grouping and regrouping of students to provide instruction differentiated to meet the needs of all learners."

IHB-RA does not discuss differentiated instruction; it mandates flexible readiness grouping, which reduces the variation in student readiness and decreases the need for broad differentiation. MCPS has repeatedly told advocates of readiness grouping that this policy permits flexibility at the school level; that is; the principal and local school community determine grouping practices at each school. This recommendation does not appear consistent with IHB-RA as written or practiced. Is there a hidden agenda here?

Assessed Curriculum Recommendations:

Only CCSS is new here; if assessments are aligned with CCSS, they should align fairly well with state assessments. Otherwise – nothing to see here, move along.

Mathematics Targets and Acceleration Recommendations:

"Guiding the recommendations below is the belief that the MCPS mathematics program should be challenging and rigorous for all students and should be taught to mastery."

Belief? What happened to a "research-based approach" based on "years of research and scholarly publication"? Seriously?
Okay, no hidden agenda here. MCPS should decrease readiness grouping and increase age grouping. Only students who are really, really (yes really) ready for above grade level math get to learn new stuff. This is a triumph of pure ideology over classroom grouping practices that have worked quite well for students and teachers over many years. You gotta believe.
Again, we see that MCPS must monitor placement decisions. Who monitors? What will they look for? Will they know it when they see it? What will they do about it?

Teacher Preparation and Development Recommendations:

Nothing new, nothing to see here, move along.

Conclusion:

We spent a lot of time and money on a wordy document that merely rehashes well-meaning concerns over unequal results and offers up the pre-ordained recommendations that MCPS continue to increase age grouping and decrease readiness grouping. These changes will leave significant numbers of students bored and unchallenged, as we know that differentiation does not work in classrooms composed of students with widely varying mathematical readiness. It will leave teachers frustrated and unhappy that their students cannot learn and practice math concepts for which they have demonstrated readiness.