Blaine schools alter approach to math

Method aims to involve community

KIRA MILLAGE

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BLAINE — Most of us learned how to subtract twodigit numbers by stacking the higher number on top of the lower number and working in columns, “borrowing” if needed.

But some mathematic education professionals are saying teaching students that problemsolving method doesn’t give them an idea of what the numbers mean — it only teaches the rote steps of how to do it.

“Kids don’t have a sense of numbers,” said Deb Cummings, the curriculum, instruction and assessment director for Blaine School District. “A person should be able to look at an (answer) and know if it’s similar to the right one.”

FOR MORE

The Math Education Collaborative is trying to make sure all students are taught math in a way that they understand the concepts and how they can use math in the world around them, rather than just going through the motions to get the correct answer to a problem.
The collaborative works in partnership with school districts on mathematics initiatives to make sure a wellinformed public can make decisions about math education. MEC provides opportunities for teachers, parents, community members and others to learn about mathematics methods.
The collaborative was formed in 1999 and has partnered with more than 40 school districts in 14 states.
For more information, go to www.mec-math.org.

IF YOU GO

Find out more about the Math Education Collaborative and how you can help local students excel.
The event is open to all Whatcom County parents, teachers, education leaders, community members and students, in fourth grade and older.
When: Monday.
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Blaine School District Performing Arts Center, 975 H St.
Other information: A pizza dinner is available for $1 per person from 5 to 5:45 p.m. in Blaine Middle and High schools’ cafeteria. Supervision also will be available for children in third grade and younger.

In an effort to make sure students are receiving the best math education possible, the Blaine School District has partnered with the Mathematics Education Collaborative, a nonprofit Ferndale-based organization working to increase student performance by changing teaching methods.

The collaborative, which works based on a communityengagement model, calls for parents, teachers, community members and local business leaders to work together to make sure students are receiving the best math education possible.

“If there’s going to be success with kids, you need parents, community members and schools to work together,” Cummings said.

To get everyone to work together, MEC requires partnering districts to offer two community math nights each year, provide several days of professional development each year for teachers on a “math support team” and administrators, and create an advisory committee of parents, educators and community and business leaders.

Through all the community sessions and professional development, school officials can tweak the math curriculum to make sure students are learning in a way the community understands and feels is efficient and necessary.

“You can see how there is a great model out there, but it’s personalized to the community level,” Cummings said.

The first way to reach the community is through the math nights. Blaine will host its first one Monday. It will feature an interactive discussion with Ruth Parker, one of the directors of the collaborative.

At math nights, MEC members lead discussions about teaching strategies and math concepts, giving parents and community members an inside look at what and how students are learning.

By the end of the five-year partnership, Cummings hopes to see 80 percent to 90 percent of the district’s students passing the math portion of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Between 40 percent and 56 percent of Blaine students tested in 2007 passed the math test.

“To have major student success in math, they need a strong sense of numbers and a (district) supported teacher,” Cummings said. “And parents have to understand math and be committed to partnering with the school and providing feedback.”