An Update: National Math Panel

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An UpdateNational Math Panel

• United States Department of Education - MSP
  Regional Conference Miami, Florida
• Francis (Skip) Fennell, President
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Professor of Education
• McDaniel College
• Westminster, MD
• January 8, 2008

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The Presidents executive order calls for

• The critical skills and skill progressions for
  students to acquire competence in algebra
• The role and design of assessments
• The processes by which students learn
• Instructional practices that are effective
• The training, selection, placement, and
  professional development of teachers
• Needs for research in the field

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Task Groups Subcommittees

• Task Groups
• Conceptual Knowledge and Skills
• Learning
• Instructional Practices
• Teachers and Teacher Education
• Assessment
• Subcommittees
• Instructional Materials
• Research Policies and Mechanisms
• NORC Survey of Algebra Teachers

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Conceptual Knowledge Skills

• Curriculum coherence PreK-8
• Closure with topics
• Major Topics of School Algebra
• Should be the focus of school algebra however
  algebra is sliced/approached.
• Proficiency with the Critical Foundations
• Whole numbers, fractions, selected topics within
  geometry and measurement.
• Benchmarks
• Access to algebra
• Teacher background

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Learning Processes

• Preschool background
• Need for the curriculum to develop conceptual
  understanding, computational fluency, and problem
  solving
• Importance of computational proficiency facts,
  standard algorithms, and properties
• Fractions
• Role of student effort
• Diverse learners
• Readiness.

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Teachers Teacher Education

• Need for effective teachers
• Relationship between teachers mathematical
  knowledge and student achievement importance of
  content knowledge
• Strengthening teacher education and professional
  development
• Mathematics teacher specialists
• Salary incentives for recruiting and retaining
  teachers.

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Instructional Practices

• Recommendations that instruction should be
  entirely child centered or teacher directed are
  not supported by research
• Cooperative learning TAI
• Formative assessment
• Real world problem solving
• Explicit instruction with students have
  mathematics difficulties
• Software
• Calculators
• Mathematically gifted students.

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Instructional Materials

• Books are too long too much stuff
• Need for coherence states and school districts
• Mathematical accuracy needs to be ensured.

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Assessment

• NAEP and state tests represent the Critical
  Foundations
• Revise NAEP Content Frameworks
• More appropriate balance re how algebra is
  defined on NAEP
• Item quality NAEP and state tests
• Calculators should not be used on items designed
  to assess computational facility.

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Research Policies Mechanisms

• Methodologically rigorous scientific research in
  mathematics education is needed
• Agencies should fund research that involve
  rigorous research in mathematics education
• PreK-12 schools should be provided with
  incentives to become more directly engaged in
  educational research.

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And the teachers said

• Three areas of poorest preparation
• Rational numbers, solving word problems, study
  habits.
• Instructional Materials
• State Curriculum Standards
• State Assessments
• Biggest challenge Unmotivated students.

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Potential Implications

• Conceptual Knowledge and Skills
• Critical Foundations
• Benchmarks
• Major Topics in School Algebra
• Learning cognitive science perspective
• Instructional Practices
• Formative Assessment
• Real World Problem Solving
• Technology
• Assessment NAEP
• Teaching Content background, Professional
  Development
• Research Needs
• Funding, National Initiatives

Focal Points!!!
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Questions?
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f
ffennell_at_mcdaniel.edu
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Disclaimer

• The instructional practices and assessments
  discussed or shown in these presentations are not
  intended as an endorsement by the U.S. Department
  of Education.