Illinois’ draft Comprehensive Numeracy Plan starts with a strong statement that, “every student, in every classroom, deserves instruction that empowers them to be confident and capable mathematical thinkers.”
It also has a clear definition, noting that, “Numeracy begins with strong foundational skills in both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, applied with accuracy, flexibility, and reasonableness.”
That’s all good. Except, the 144-page document is relatively light on the actual math. It shows data from the Illinois state report card suggesting that math proficiency rates decline over the grades. The graph below is a clean version I pulled from the state report card. As the green bars indicate, math proficiency rates top out at 49.2% in 3rd grade. They fall throughout elementary and middle school, and reach a low of just 32.6% among 8th graders.
Another way to say this is that two-thirds of Illinois students are not proficient in math by the time they reach high school. For low-income students, it’s more than four out of five.
Illinois is not unique in this regard, and students in most states exhibit this same pattern of slowly falling behind in math. But it’s an urgent problem, and one that demands early action. Illinois’ numeracy plan doesn’t have any sort of clarion call for early interventions.
The plan aims to strike a balance between conceptual and procedural understanding, but it doesn’t actually speak much to the procedural component. It mentions math facts only glancingly, and doesn’t urge teachers to make sure that students master those to a level where they become automatic. It also doesn’t suggest multiplication tables or timed practice or homework as a way to reinforce student learning.
The document nods toward universal screeners but never takes the next step about what they should be used for, either to accelerate students who are ready via automatic enrollment policies or to support kids who are behind. The authors do note that, “Early screening is important to identify students at risk and those with specialized education needs who may need evidence-based supports.” However, with less than half of all 3rd graders proficient in math, Illinois educators should be using screeners to identify a lot more kids in need of a lot more help.
Ultimately, Illinois’ new plan is a missed opportunity. It declares its intended audience to include, “all educational partners, including students, caregivers, educators, and educational leaders.” But for such a broad audience, it should have struck a more urgent tone. Students are slowly falling behind in math, and they need everyone in the system to understand the situation and treat it like the crisis it is.
You can read the plan yourself here, or submit comments through March 27 here.
Illinois’ “Comprehensive Numeracy Plan” Has Very Little Math In It
Illinois’ draft Comprehensive Numeracy Plan starts with a strong statement that, “every student, in every classroom, deserves instruction that empowers them to be confident and capable mathematical thinkers.”
It also has a clear definition, noting that, “Numeracy begins with strong foundational skills in both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, applied with accuracy, flexibility, and reasonableness.”
That’s all good. Except, the 144-page document is relatively light on the actual math. It shows data from the Illinois state report card suggesting that math proficiency rates decline over the grades. The graph below is a clean version I pulled from the state report card. As the green bars indicate, math proficiency rates top out at 49.2% in 3rd grade. They fall throughout elementary and middle school, and reach a low of just 32.6% among 8th graders.
Another way to say this is that two-thirds of Illinois students are not proficient in math by the time they reach high school. For low-income students, it’s more than four out of five.
Illinois is not unique in this regard, and students in most states exhibit this same pattern of slowly falling behind in math. But it’s an urgent problem, and one that demands early action. Illinois’ numeracy plan doesn’t have any sort of clarion call for early interventions.
The plan aims to strike a balance between conceptual and procedural understanding, but it doesn’t actually speak much to the procedural component. It mentions math facts only glancingly, and doesn’t urge teachers to make sure that students master those to a level where they become automatic. It also doesn’t suggest multiplication tables or timed practice or homework as a way to reinforce student learning.
The document nods toward universal screeners but never takes the next step about what they should be used for, either to accelerate students who are ready via automatic enrollment policies or to support kids who are behind. The authors do note that, “Early screening is important to identify students at risk and those with specialized education needs who may need evidence-based supports.” However, with less than half of all 3rd graders proficient in math, Illinois educators should be using screeners to identify a lot more kids in need of a lot more help.
Ultimately, Illinois’ new plan is a missed opportunity. It declares its intended audience to include, “all educational partners, including students, caregivers, educators, and educational leaders.” But for such a broad audience, it should have struck a more urgent tone. Students are slowly falling behind in math, and they need everyone in the system to understand the situation and treat it like the crisis it is.
You can read the plan yourself here, or submit comments through March 27 here.
Chad Aldeman
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