EQAO PART 1

I feel compelled to write about the recently released math scores for students in Ontario.

It would appear that EQAO math scores on last year's provincial tests for Grade 3, 6 and 9 students were quite discouraging; in particular scores at the Grade 6 level where only 48% of the kids were working at or above the provincial standard. Reminds me of my son's comment last year that his Grade 5 math lessons had to be modified in some way for about half his class. As well, scores for the majority of students in applied Grade 9 math classes have been below the provincial benchmarks since EQAO tests first began in 1997.

That there is a problem I have no doubt. What to do about it is unclear although I think data from other provinces and countries would help us to see if this more than just an Ontario dilemma.

When I began high school in the 1960's, my Grade 9 math class was called Business Practice and it was all about practical matters like interest rates and work with percentages. In Grade 10, the entire year was devoted to Euclidean geometry....talk about boring.

Then came the US- Russia space race and all of a sudden, the high school math curriculum took a sharp turn into analytic geometry, algebra and trigonometry. The "new math" had arrived, all the way from California. As well, in the early 70's, Calculus, once the mainstay of university math programmes, was introduced in high school.

"New math" carried on reasonably well for about 25 years until the Ontario government abolished the fifth year of high school in 1993 forcing a curriculum face lift. I was part of the Ontario panel that drew up the new high school math curriculum, a panel that was strongly influenced by two university professors.

"We want Calculus to be taught in high school," they claimed although I couldn't for the life of me understand why. In fact, from reports from my own students attending university, the entire high school Calculus syllabus was usually re-taught by universities anyway.

When the high school math curriculum was reconfigured to fit a four year time frame, I believe many students were introduced to topics like the quadratic formula well before they were ready. I am the first to admit that some of the curriculum changes were excellent, in particular the Advanced Functions course which was a beautiful lead-in to Calculus. As well, the discovery method of teaching math was introduced, a technique borrowed from a Japanese model. Ontario's minister of education recently called this method "a flawed approach in pedagogy." I strongly disagree. The discovery method is a wonderful technique but to be successful, the Japanese realized that the math classroom would need more than one instructor, something not feasible in Ontario.

Also at the time of the transition to a four year high school, applied level math courses were created for students who were not going to pursue math at the university level. Unfortunately, topics chosen for the grade 9 and 10 applied classes were beyond the abilities and interests of most of these students as reflected in their dismal EQAO scores.

In fact, I would estimate at least half of all incoming Grade 9 students do not have the tools to be successful in high school mathematics.

I'm not an expert on mathematics at the elementary school level but having reviewed some of the texts used at this level, I am pleased by the rich learning experiences they provide but I am appalled by the scarcity of practice questions to go along with most topics. As well, new approaches to such procedures like multiplication and division has left most parents anxiously on the sidelines of their child's learning. It's hard for a youngster to be enthusiastic and engaged by something his or her parents don't even begin to understand.

Last year I tried to help my granddaughter with some Grade 2 homework questions on three dimensional geometry. The questions were very challenging and seemed well beyond the purview of her teacher, let alone my 7 year old granddaughter. When I asked Isla how the teacher handled taking up the homework the next day, she said, "Oh, she just skipped it."

Talk about creating undue anxiety.