OSPI Actions Raise Conflict of Interest Concerns Regarding the Review of State Math Standards

Recent actions of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are undermining the intent of the Washington State Legislature to objectively review and revise math standards and curricula in Washington State. In September, OSPI announced that it had selected the Dana Center of Austin, Texas to revise Washington math standards. Unfortunately, the Dana Center has serious conflicts of interest and a history of promoting failed reform math approaches.

For example, in 1997 Dana led the revision Texas math standards; the results were so deficient that the Fordham Foundation gave these new standards a C, a decline from its previous evaluation. While revising standards in Texas and other states, the Dana Center has promoted deficient, reform curricula such as the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) and Everyday Math series. These curricula and the standards that support them have been heavily promoted by OSPI and the current Superintendent of Instruction, even though they lack the subject matter and rigor of a world-class mathematics education.

Uri Treisman is executive director of the Dana Center and has been chosen to head the Washington revision team. Treisman is on the advisory board for Connected Mathematics 2 (CMP2) and an outspoken supporter of Everyday Math. His intimate relationship with reform math publishers and his consistent promotion of this type of unchallenging math curricula raises serious questions regarding his objectivity.

Equally disturbing is OSPI’s creation of the Standard’s Review Team, which was to be both representative of math interests around the state and a partner with the hired contractor in creating the new state math standards. Instead of selecting a balanced committee that could meaningfully address Washington State math problems, OSPI has packed the group with supporters of reform math, including some with little or no background in math or mathematics education.

In contrast, no individual who was clearly critical of current math standards, such as members of Where’s the Math?, a statewide organization of concerned parents and educators, was included. Many applications from Where’s the Math? members were mysteriously lost or found to be incomplete, and the list of members of the review team has not been reported, even as the group begins its business.

It appears that OSPI is attempting to frustrate the intent of the State legislature to insure a proper evaluation and amendment of state math standards.

Background Material

Based on the poor mathematics performance on the WASL and other objective measures, the State Legislature passed House Bill 1906, which dictated the comprehensive review and revision of state math and science standards and curricula. As part of 1906, the State Board of Education (SBE) was required to establish a math panel and hire an outside contractor to evaluate Washington math standards.

SBE hired consultant Strategic Teaching to review our existing math standards and make recommendations for raising them to the level of the highest math performing states and countries. Strategic Teaching is an independent organization of mathematicians and teachers without conflicting interests. Their recommendations, strongly supported by a representative state math panel and found on the SBE website at www.sbe.wa.gov. (Washington State Mathematics Standards Review & Recommendations), were a sweeping critique of Washington math standards, which earned the worst possible evaluations in each area of review.

Specifically, the SBE report called for increased clarity, specificity, depth and rigor; with a balance of comprehension and computational skills. The SBE findings are consistent with a recent evaluation of the Fordham Foundation that awarded an overall failing rating (F) for Washington State math standards.

The next step in the mandated 1906 process, placed in the hands of OSPI, was to select an outside contractor to rewrite the standards, in concert with a Standards Review Team representative of interested parties from around the state. As documented above, OSPI appears to have selected these groups with one purpose: to maintain the current “reform”, non-rigorous mathematic standards and curriculum that are the foundation of current problems.

Summary

Math education in Washington State is at a crossroads. Parents, teachers, and our elected representatives recognize that current standards and curricula are deficient, and that world-class math is within our reach. Such improvements require a highly objective review and revision of state math standards and curricula.

The State Board of Education has done an excellent job in highlighting substantial problems and where WA State standards lag those of states and countries where math performance is far higher. OSPI appears to be undermining the critical final phase in an attempt to maintain the weak, “reform” math standards that it has promoted for many years. This opportunity to give our children improved math standards and curricula should not be squandered.

Parents, educators, and other interested parties should contact their state legislators, the Governor, and OSPI to make clear that our children’s needs must not be compromised by those ideologically opposed to change.”