| Place a Classified | Subscribe today | July 10, 2009 |
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State math scores drop
POCATELLO — The results of an annual state math assessment indicate Idaho students are losing ground on the last of the “Three R’s.”
The percentage of students scoring below proficiency on the Direct Math Assessment dropped across all grade levels last year. As a result, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna is proposing a new math initiative to get students back on track. Students throughout the state took the test last November. The results were released Friday. School District 25 officials support Luna’s program, which is still in the planning process. It will be funded by $350,000 from the current state budget. “The math initiative that is proposed is an outstanding step in providing additional research-based support for students,” District 25 Superintendent Mary Vagner said. “It will include hands-on problem solving and will be time intensive as far as instruction.”
Vagner said for the initiative to work, students won’t be the only ones learning. It will also require additional training for teachers. While all grade levels performed worse on the most recent assessment, some did worse than others. For example, 45 percent of Idaho’s sixth-graders scored proficient or above on the 2006 assessment compared with 54 percent in 2005.
Melissa McGrath, State Department of Education spokesperson, said Luna hopes the math initiative will mirror the success of a reading initiative implemented in the mid-1990s, which she credited for boosting students’ reading proficiency. However, McGrath noted it is difficult to compare reading scores from a decade ago to current numbers because the standardized test given to students has changed. Luna will present the math initiative to the State Legislature for approval next year.
Vagner said for students to grow into successful adults, they need to know how to use advanced problem-solving skills in their daily lives. Article RatingReader CommentsSubmit a CommentCommenting RulesWe encourage your feedback and dialog. All comments are subject to deletion by our Web staff.
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