Math Taught Better in Public Schools?

[Anonymous]

Thoughts?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080523162916.htm

[Anonymous]

I do not doubt the conclusion.

Nearly all the privates and all the DC publics teach EDM. So children will come out equally weak around here.

[Anonymous]

What's EDM?

The article seemed to be comparing Catholic Schools with public schools. I'm not sure Catholic schools are representative of the private schools in general in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's EDM?

The article seemed to be comparing Catholic Schools with public schools. I'm not sure Catholic schools are representative of the private schools in general in this area.

EDM is Every Day Math.
They also looked at non-Catholic schools and saw no difference when compared to public.

[Anonymous]

If you are interested, the recent TIMSS study came out showing that Massachusetts students ranked as high as those in the top Asian countries in math. MA removed the fuzzy math (like EDM) from their schools two years ago.

Yes, the private schools do a very poor job with math and science. My theory is that they lean towards the arts because many of the administrators have arts backgrounds. Also, the parents don't complain.

[Anonymous]

I do often wonder why, after scrambling to get into these "top" private schools, the parents don't ask hard questions like why EDM? After paying 30K, I would insist on the best.

[Anonymous]

St. Patricks no longer uses EDM.

[Anonymous]

At the open house recently we were told that Green Acres stopped using EDM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are interested, the recent TIMSS study came out showing that Massachusetts students ranked as high as those in the top Asian countries in math. MA removed the fuzzy math (like EDM) from their schools two years ago.

Yes, the private schools do a very poor job with math and science. My theory is that they lean towards the arts because many of the administrators have arts backgrounds. Also, the parents don't complain.

Huge difference between the Asian school system and ours as far as what is expected and taught. I came to the US when I was 6 years old and was the right age for first grade so without knowing the language or having gone to Kindergarten, I was entering 1st grade. I was told by my father that in Korea, you have to know your multiplication table before you can start first grade. I made sure I knew my multiplication table forward and backwards so that I would not be behind my American classmates. I was so disappointed when I saw that they were still adding and subtracting. We're far behind the rest of the developed nations when it come to math and science. Trust me as a parent I am quite concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: We're far behind the rest of the developed nations when it come to math and science. Trust me as a parent I am quite concerned.

Me, too.

[Anonymous]

Question to all: Have you called your school to complain or discuss the math program?
I have, they get quite defensive, that's after taking my money.

Some experts believe that EDM can work, but it is very very dangerous curriculum in the wrong hands. It is not idiot proof, and unfortunately, most teachers are unaware. It is also inefficient, thus the kids work harder to learn the same thing.

PP, I agree with you about multiplication. I work with my kids starting in 1st grade. They HAVE to learn their tables forward and backward by the end of second grade. No arguments. Fractions also need to be mastered at a later date.

[Anonymous]

I have taught EVERYDAY MATH. We received the workbooks, teacher texts, ordered to teach it for three years--Then out of the blue a representative from EVERYDAY MATH comes to 'train' us. Guess what? We learned we hadn't been using the materials or texts the way they were meant to be used. Wonder how many other schools/teachers are doing the same...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have taught EVERYDAY MATH. We received the workbooks, teacher texts, ordered to teach it for three years--Then out of the blue a representative from EVERYDAY MATH comes to 'train' us. Guess what? We learned we hadn't been using the materials or texts the way they were meant to be used. Wonder how many other schools/teachers are doing the same...

This is why folks are abandoning it. Teacher training is very complex.
I wonder what Massachusetts schools use.

[Anonymous]

“It is worth noting,” the researchers write in analyzing their results, “how little variation school type really accounts for in students’ growth in achievement … Specifically, while all of the variables in our model together explained 62 percent of the achievement differences between schools, school type alone accounted for less than 5 percent of these differences, with demographic considerations accounting for a much greater share.”

Put another way by Sarah Lubienski, “school type alone doesn’t explain very much of why these scores vary … in truth, whether the school is public or private doesn’t seem to make that much difference.”

[Anonymous]

My child's Catholic school is using Saxon math. It seems to be solid; kids definitely get the concepts, but the pace moves very slowly.

What math curriculum do the area public schools use?