Seattle fails to Stop on-going math discrimination ... but promotes discrimination through discriminatory pratices and materials

In 2006-2007 I taught at West Seattle High School. I was totally astonished that the School Directors had made reducing the achievement Gap a supposed priority and yet in math it had expanded annually.

Now I have word that at a recent Family Engagement meeting the district experts believe that NAEP data shows WA to be on the right track in math. NO they are not talking about the NEW WA math standards but rather that the old Bergeson Reform Math is the right track. Thus justifying the continued use of EDM, CMP2, and now the unsound "Discovering Series".

Let us look at the WA NAEP data and SPS math gaps.

2007 NAEP report for WA in grade 4 and in grade 8 from 2005 to 2007 WA is classified as No significant change in math achievement. About half the states(23) showed significant improvement at grade 4 (but not WA) and about half(26) showed significant improvement at grade 8 (but not WA).

As a nation the USA is being blown into the weeds by the internationally competitive math taught in other countries. Math content counts.

The state of MA chose to be tested as a nation in the most recent TIMSS and while MA looks better than the USA. At the highest levels of proficiency MA is getting totally smoked by the really proficient math nations.

Pick up any of the adopted math texts approved for use in the SPS... the outcome is obvious as:
lack of content = poor results. duh???

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I find that WA is definitely improving in its ability to discriminate against ethnic minorities through Math materials and practices. It is reported that in a recent community meeting District Family Engagement specialists said:

In terms of assessments, NAEP, shows Washington is improving.

In fact at grade 8 from 2005 to 2007 WA NAEP scores for Whites improved 1.86 points but for Blacks dropped 1.10 ranking WA a pathetic #36 out of 41 states for gap reduction as gap increased by 2.96

For Hispanics the Gap grew by 0.96 ranking WA #26 out of 36 states.

For grade 4 from 2005-2007 WA NAEP scores for Whites improved by 1.58 points but for Blacks dropped 8.86 the Gap increased by 10.44 rank WA #43 out of 43 (dead last). Almost all Elementary schools in the State now use reform math materials. I doubt African American children are well served by this allegiance to Reform Math programs.

For Hispanics the Gap grew by 0.96 ranking WA #29 out of 43.
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Did these family engagement experts actually present data at this meeting or was it the usual results show that blah blah blah?

From his Everyday Math adoption support in 2007, I realize that Mr. Bernatek is an expert Cherry Picker of data. I was just wondering what data they showed if anything.
Now you have the most recent of the Central Office attempts to support their incredibly discriminatory Math Plan to Nowhere.

Keep in mind that at grades 4 and 8 more states are reducing gaps than expanding them.
Black 8th ...reducing 26 : expanding 15
Hispanic 8th reducing 20 : expanding 18
Black 4th ...reducing 22 : expanding 21
Hispanic 4th reducing 23 : expanding 19

In WA we expand them all, which the District's Family Engagement experts see as improvement I guess?
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Now on to SPS Reading Gaps and SPS Math Gaps.
Can you guess which one shrinks and which one expands?

The Seattle School District has significantly narrowed the achievement gaps in reading for Black and Hispanic students. A comparison of the average of the first two years of WASL testing with the average of the last two years, gives the following gaps changed:

Reading Gap
Black 10th grade shrinks by differential of 17.8 points
Black 7th grade shrinks by differential of 9.2 points
Black 4th grade shrinks by differential of 14.45 points

Hispanic 10th grade shrinks by differential of 10.05 points
Hispanic 7th grade shrinks by differential of 0.15 points
Hispanic 4th grade shrinks by differential of 7.85 points

English Lang. Learner 10th shrinks by 12.15 points
English Lang. Learner 7th grew by 1.30 points
English Lang. Learner 4th shrinks by 9.10 points

Something is seriously wrong with Seattle actions in Mathematics.
{As if you did not already know there was a serious problem. The Directors voted 4-3 to adopt a mathematically unsound text series perhaps because of the Bergeson left over OSPI blind faith math deceiver's preaching.}

Math Gap
Black 10th grade grew by differential of 13.70 points
Black 7th grade grew by differential of 11.70 points
Black 4th grade grew by differential of 6.35 points

Hispanic 10th grade grew by differential of 6.30 points
Hispanic 7th grade grew by differential of 16.60 points
Hispanic 4th grade grew by differential of 7.80 points

English Lang. Learner 10th grew by 6.30 points
English Lang. Learner 7th grew by 21.00 points
English Lang. Learner 4th grew by 1.95 points

Current Gaps for Spring 2008
..................Reading : Math : Math Gap greater by
Black grade 10 .. 21.70 : 52.30 : +30.6
Black grade 7 .. 34.80 : 48.60 : +13.8
Black grade 4 .. 31.00 : 46.30 : +15.30

Hispanic grade 10 .. 18.30 : 29.90 : +11.60
Hispanic grade 7 .. 35.10 : 47.70 : +12.60
Hispanic grade 4 .. 27.20 : 40.40 : +13.20

Eng Lang. L grade 10: 43.60 : 48.80 : +5.20
Eng Lang. L grade 7: 56.80 : 66.50 : +9.70
Eng Lang. L grade 4: 48.50 : 56.10 : +7.60

Soon to find out: if access to a decent math education is a civil right or not?

You can read the National Math Advisory Panel's final report "Foundations for Success" and find out how far off the tracks Seattle and those Four Directors are located.

I suppose that the SPS and OSPI will have already discounted the NMAP report as biased for it fails to support their ongoing discriminatory math lunacy.
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This Mathematical catastrophe had been predicted and could easily have been avoided.
Here is a short article on PFT:
http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/honestft.htm
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WA NAEP data changes from 2003 to 2007 in regard to achievement Gaps:
Black grade 8 increased by 4.02 ranking #39 of 41
Hispanic grade 8 increased by 5.93 ranking #36 of 37

Black grade 4 increased by 6.50 ranking #43 of 43
Hispanic grade 4 increased by 4.46 ranking #42 of 44