As an engineering student, I’ve always been enrolled in lots of math and science classes. When I came to Bucknell, I found it interesting to see that there was a varying degree of ability when it came to knowledge of math and science, or STEM as it is widely referred to which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The reason for this is the varying curricula that school districts use for teaching topics in STEM. In a Washington Post article titled “Education Reform is the new New Math” (June 2014), Matt Polka describes how types of math problems is becoming a common topic of discussion amongst education reformers, including President Obama, Jeb Bush, and Arne Duncan.
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has been conducting surveys, starting in the early 2000s, which determine how students are performing in different countries. This allows the education systems of different countries to be compared and reveals who is on top of their game in terms of educating youth. In recent years the studies have shown that the US has been falling behind other countries, so much so that Arne Duncan called it “an absolute wake-up call for America…we have to get more serious about investing in education.”
This renewal of interest in asserting ourselves atop the global hierarchy of education is very similar to when this occurred in the 1950s. Russia had just launched Sputnik in 1957 and we began to compete in the “Space Race” which we viewed as a way to assert ourselves as the most advanced country in the world. Statistics taken from 1909 to 1955 showed that the number of students enrolled in algebra, geometry, and trigonometry classes were all decreasing. This prompted the idea of New Math, a policy part of which was dedicated to increasing the difficulty of math topics covered in primary and secondary education. Among experts in STEM topics, New Math was received poorly as many thought that it would discourage students from studying these difficult topics.
A comparison can be drawn between Sputnik and the PISA results in that both have caused the realization that our education system is falling behind. For a country that prides itself in freedom and citizen rights, not being able to provide our citizens with the best education possible is definitely something that needs to be addressed. The government should use the results of the PISA research to motivate a dedication to reforming education, particularly in the STEM topics.
Technology has been an important factor in making the US such a great country. It is implemented in communication, the military, the power grid, transportation and in many other ways. The result of continuing to neglect our place in the world in terms of STEM education could be catastrophic, especially considering our political ties and stances. I think it is not only a matter of pride but future national security that we make a strong and conscious effort to reclaim a spot near the top of education with respect to the global community.
Comments
3 responses to “New Math: then and now”
You raise some very important issues in this post. The PISA test scores have been discussed often in the press and as you note, there is concern that we are falling behind other nations. There are multiple opinions on this question and I will simply share a different perspective as a means of extending the conversation. According to Gene Glass and David Berliner (two educational researchers) we need to remember that scores reflect the average performance of the nation and this can reasonably be linked to issues like child poverty which is much higher in the U.S. than in many of the other nations in the comparisons. Here is brief quote from their new book, “In the United Sates, if we look only at the students who attend schools where child poverty rates are under 10%, we would rank as the number one country in the world, outscoring countries like Finland, Japan, and Korea.” It would appear that we do have the know how to produce high scores — and that the problem might be bigger than the performance of our public schools alone.
In light of your point concerning average test scores of students in the US being brought down by students in impoverished areas, it is also important to note that it was revealed by Tom Loveless (a senior fellow with the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution) that China had consistently tested only its best students. In conjunction with the fact that our average scores included students from impoverished areas, this fact discourages the idea that we are far behind other countries in terms of education standards. This is a prime example of the press and/or the public overreacting to a report without examining the details of the research. It appears that we are not as far behind as was first suggested.
While high scores in math and science can be a great goal as a country, I do not believe that they affect our national security or are even an important measurement when we compare the United States to over countries. For individuals, I believe a strong base in math and science are important, but the tests typically cover more than the “basics.” Most Americans will go into professions that do not need higher mathematics or involved sciences. In these cases, I do not see the need for extremely strong performance in STEM topics. If students are not given the opportunity to succeed and pursue a career in STEM, that is different and should be addressed in our “land of opportunity.”