Leaving TERC for Math Connects

New k-5 Math Materials at Clover Park School District are performing well. Congratulations to all involved at CPSD in making it happen.

In school year 2009-2010 Clover Park began using McMillan/McGraw Hill Math Connects.

In 2007-2008 Seattle began using Everyday Math.

Both districts used TERC/Investigations prior to adoptions.
Clover Park had officially adopted TERC several years earlier.
Seattle had TERC in widespread use but it was not an official adoption.

Despite expanding math class time to 75 minutes per day Seattle saw math achievement gaps increase for all non-white demographic groups the first two years of EDM.

Washington State switched to the MSP in 2010, which tests our new (2008) math standards for the first time.

Did Clover Park's selection of OSPI's top rated Math Connects make a difference? Sure did. Take a look at the cohort comparison from grade 3 to 4 and for grade 4 to 5.

Compare CPSD with state cohort groups and with Seattle's Everyday math trained cohorts.

See this letter.

Math Connects is working a whole lot better in CPSD than Everyday Math is doing in Seattle.

In Spring 2010 grades 3 through 8 were tested on the new math standards for the first time. One year ago Clover Park adopted the math texts recommended by the State for grades k-5.
Note: The ratio of change in scores from grade 4 in 2009 to grade 5 in 2010 for Clover Park bettered Seattle’s ratio for every demographic group.

CPSD ratios bettered Seattle’s ratios for:
All by 0.09; White by 0.04; Black by 0.20; Hispanic by 0.32; Asian Pacific/Islander by 0.18; American Indian by 0.01; Limited Income by 0.12; Limited English by 0.20

Seattle's claimed concern about the math achievement gaps seems very superficial as the SPS continues on with their marginally-functional and expensive reform math agenda.