A ‘seismic shift’ is coming for math standards in Maryland schools

Maryland s State Board of Schooling has adopted a new set of standards for what students should be able to understand and their performance when it comes to mathematics More stories Thousands of books have made their way to DC-area prisons in an initiative started by a Md scholar Md lawyer legal documents you should have in order before your college-bound learner leaves Tuition Department says it will release billions in remaining withheld grant money for schools Joshua Michael the president of the Maryland State Board of Schooling and a former math mentor explained that the change to the state standards the first since put the focus on the need to improve trainee performance We ve had more comments on this agenda item than any in newest memory he mentioned at a meeting on Tuesday Michael explained that as the state pushed to raise standards trainee performance dropped Michael advised his colleagues on the board that in of eighth graders math skills in Maryland were rated at below basic and currently that number is at well above the national average He stated the poor candidate performance in math was certainly affected by the pandemic but added these trends started well before the pandemic The new standards that describe what concepts students should be able to understand include introducing probability by the time students are in fourth grade Board vice president and former Prince George s County Schools Superintendent Monica Goldson declared It is our hope that maybe what we will do is create a generation of learners that no longer say I do not like mathematics but who embrace the subject and can apply the concepts in their daily lives The standards won t go into effect in the classroom until the - school year giving a chance to each school district to integrate the new approach in their curriculum Several board members have pointed out the need to not only make the changes in the classroom but help parents understand the changes as well Board member Nick Greer noted a theme he s heard frequently and explained Math schooling seems to have changed so much since we were in classrooms ourselves as parents Greer called the changes to the algebra standards a big seismic shift Referring to the planned changes Greer announced I think we need parents behind it so that they are not at a loss and left saying I don t understand this and I don t know how to help my child At the same meeting on Tuesday the state school board also approved updates to literacy standards The changes were adopted in a unanimous vote Source