US lags other countries in math
Teaching methods can produce ‘math phobia’
American students struggle in math. The latest results of an international exam given to teenagers ranked the USA ninth in reading and 31st in math literacy out of 79 countries and economies. America has a smaller-than-average share of top-performing math students, and scores have essentially been flat for two decades.
One likely reason: U.S. high schools teach math differently than other countries.
Classes here often focus on formulas and procedures rather than teaching students to think creatively about solving complex problems involving all sorts of mathematics, experts said. That makes it harder for students to compete globally, be it on an international exam or in colleges and careers that value sophisticated thinking and data science.
There is a growing chorus of math experts who recommend ways to bring America’s math curriculum into the 21st century to make it more reflective of what children in higher-performing countries learn. Some schools experiment with ways to make math more exciting, practical and inclusive.
“There’s a lot of research that shows when you teach math in a different way, kids do better, including on test scores,” said Jo Boaler, a mathematics professor at Stanford University who is behind a major push to remake America’s math curriculum.
Stop ‘geometry sandwich’
Most American high schools teach algebra I in ninth grade, geometry in 10th grade and algebra II in 11th grade – something Boaler calls “the geometry sandwich.”
Other countries teach three straight years of integrated math in which concepts of algebra, geometry, probability, statistics and data science are taught together, allowing students to take deep dives into complex problems.
In higher-performing countries, statistics or data science is a larger part of the math curriculum, Boaler said. Most American classes focus on teaching rote procedures, she said.
Next year, Boaler and a research team plan to recommend that California phase out the algebra-geometry pathway in favor of integrated math for all students.
Make more room for data science
“Ninety percent of the data we have in the world right now was created in the past two years,” Boaler said. “We’re at a point in this world where things are changing, and we need to help students navigate that new world.”
Other countries are acting on that idea. Estonian students ranked first among European countries in mathematics, as well as reading and science, on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment.
Unlike other countries, Estonia teaches computer programming at all grade levels. The country is experimenting with adopting a new computerbased math curriculum.
In the USA, about 3,300 students this year in 15 Southern California school districts are taking a new Introduction to Data Science course that features data and statistics, real-life data collection and coding to analyze the data.
Students who took the new course showed significant growth in their statistical understanding.
Stop splitting up students
Over the years, some schools have sought to raise math achievement by pushing algebra down to eighth grade. High-flying students may adapt and have room to take more advanced high school classes. Hastening the curriculum can widen the gulf in achievement between lower-performing students, including those who are economically disadvantaged and racial minorities.
But as early as middle school, students are often split into “tracks” in ways that predetermine who will take advanced classes in high school. The advanced classes are often full of students who are white or Asian and attend suburban schools – while black and Latino students continue to be underrepresented, research shows.
About six years ago, San Francisco’s school leaders halted teaching algebra I in eighth grade. Students take the same three-year sequence of math courses in middle school, and everyone is enrolled in mixed-ability classrooms, said Lizzy Hull Barnes, math supervisor at the San Francisco Unified School District.
In high school, all students take ninth grade algebra and 10th grade geometry. After that, students can choose a path.
Before the change, 40% of graduating seniors in San Francisco had to repeat algebra I while in school. For the Class of 2019, the first cohort of students to follow the new sequence, just 8% of students had to repeat the course.
The changes led to a major increase in disadvantaged students enrolling in higher-level math classes as juniors and seniors, Barnes said. Boosting the success of black and Latino students did not harm the progress of high achievers.
Change up elementary schools
Improving the math aptitude of older students in the USA is connected to messages students hear about why math is important and who’s good at it when they’re younger.
“Math phobia is real. Math anxiety is real,” said Deann Huinker, a professor of mathematics education at the University of Wisconsin-milwaukee who teaches future elementary and middle school teachers.
New research suggests that when teachers improve their attitude toward math, it can help to raise student test scores. At Stanford, Boaler and her team designed an online course for teachers featuring research showing anyone can learn math.
They recruited fifth grade teachers in central California to take and discuss the course. Within a year, the participating teachers’ students posted significantly higher state math scores compared with previous years.
“A lot of research studies suggest that it takes a long time for changes to come about,” Boaler said. “In this one, it was quick.”
Education coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation does not provide editorial input.