The Math Isn't Mathing
West Valley school districts promote students into higher grades even if they're not proficient in their studies. Help may be on the way for kids who've struggled for years with Common Core standards.
The Liberty Elementary School District passed a resolution at its last board meeting making waves in the West Valley.
You see, the new superintendent, Dr. Cort Monroe, is taking transparency to a level which - we’re told - has not existed in a long time.
Instead of approaching the board and saying “Math scores are up by 10%” or “We’re seeing improvement in key areas” - he’s being brutally honest by exposing the actual numbers.
And they’re not pretty.
With such dismal numbers, the governing board met on July 31, 2024 and discussed a proposal to find a math curriculum which works for students… and parents.
In a 4-1 vote, Liberty Elementary School District resolves to the following…
THE RESOLUTION STATES:
WHEREAS, the Liberty 25 School District math proficiency has dropped to very low levels that are unacceptable…
Common Core Standards were Adopted in 2010 by the Arizona Board of Education, were piloted incorrectly, had been implemented too quickly, and as a result have produced numerous developmentally inappropriate expectations that do not reflect the learning needs of many students
In 2016, The Arizona Board of Education voted to approve new education standards to replace the Common Core State Standards
Common Core Standards - including OpenUp Illustrative Mathematics - due to the accelerated requirements, does not provide for the foundational skills development required to perform basic math skills, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in preparation for High School
Teachers find the OpenUp Illustrative Mathematics program difficult to teach, understand and implement proper timed lesson plans, requiring many hours of professional development training
Parents are unable to assist their children in OpenUp Illustrative Mathematics homework due to the abstract and logical reasoning skills required
Liberty 25 Governing Board is committed to empowering parental involvement in education and minimizing public monies on programs that are not producing high proficiency in Math
“Unacceptable” math scores aren’t just a Liberty district problem. In fact, they compare their outcomes to neighboring districts.
The competition’s numbers aren’t much better.
Visit the AZ School Report Cards website here. Type in the name of the school/district you want to research. Be sure to click through all the tabs.
Here are the 2022-23 numbers from the State of Arizona for the Liberty Elementary School District. (The 2023-24 math proficiency numbers are from our source in the district.)
The Liberty Elementary School District’s website transparently outlines its curriculum resources.
Students in LESD25 are learning OpenUp Illustrative Mathematics.
“Common Core” is known as the controversial educational standards of skills that students should have at each grade level.
Here is the description of OpenUp Illustrative Math:
Our materials are designed for full-course use as a core program to support an aligned, coherent progression within and across grades.
-Illustrative® Mathematics
WEST VALLEY ELEMENTARY MATH PROGRAMS
The math programs at West Valley elementary schools are:
Avondale Elementary School District: Nothing readily found on its website
Buckeye Elementary School District: “Using our carefully and strategically developed Buckeye Curriculum, which was built upon the Arizona Math Standards, teachers guide our students on strategic journey where skills and concepts are explored, taught, reinforced and applied in a way that is meaningful and useful. Further, BESD students develop and practice critical thinking and analysis skills that best position them for success in a rapidly changing education and work landscape.“
Liberty Elementary School District: OpenUp Illustrative Mathematics
Litchfield Elementary School District: i-Ready Classroom Mathematics (K–8) is a comprehensive core mathematics program
Tolleson Elementary School District: “At Tolleson ESD, we dedicate extensive resources toward technology-based instruction including teacher support and funding through grants.“
How are comparable districts scoring in math disciplines?
The green represents the percentage of students who are proficient in each district according to AZ School Report Cards.
Take a listen to comments at the Liberty Elementary School District. This will not be the last you hear of efforts to improve math proficiency.
JEN’S TWO CENTS
Why do taxpayers keep throwing money at dismal outcomes?
Hats off to the 4 governing board members at Liberty Elementary School District who are addressing proficiency standards. It appears this could be an uphill battle. But the students and parents deserve better. Period.
If you have a child - kindergarten through twelve - struggling with their studies, understand you can take your education dollars elsewhere. You can apply now for your Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) for the 2024-25 School Year.
Finally, I research and write these stories out of my desire for the truth to be told. I do not charge for my work to be published. I’d love for you to help me share my work with others.
I appreciate the support!
Please feel free to send me your news tips to jen@news2jb.com.