On Tuesday, members of the House Ways and Means Education Committee and the House Education Policy Committee held a joint meeting where they received an update from the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) on the progress of implementing the changes in elementary math education that the Legislature ordered during the passage of the Numeracy Act.
Dr. Karen Anderson is the director of ALSDE’s Office of Mathematics Improvement (OMI). She previously worked with ALSDE’s Office of School Improvement.
“We are gearing up to prepare for NAEP in 2024,” Dr. Anderson said. “We are hoping to gain and improve on our stance when NAEP is given (in 2024).”
Anderson said the goal is to ensure third-grade elementary students are at or above grade level in math.
“An elementary school teacher should not engage in any practice that minimizes sense making and understanding of mathematics concepts,” Anderson said.
“When a student is identified as having a deficiency in math, immediate action is taken,” Anderson said of the new teaching standards for math.
Anderson said that the LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) program used to improve reading performance is excellent, but “we are still searching for that equivalence in math.”
Anderson said it establishes elementary and postsecondary mathematics task forces and provides mathematics coaches and training.
Anderson said her office has had difficulty finding vendors for their new program.
“We put out an RFP (request for proposal) for a fractional reasoning screener, and we got no response,” Anderson said. “Two companies said that they would develop one for us.”
The Office of Mathematics Improvement has released another RFP seeking a qualified vendor.
Anderson said the act also establishes the Alabama Mathematics Summer Achievement Program.
“There are 18 OMI regional coordinators,” Anderson said. “Coordinators are assigned where the need is greatest.”
Anderson said that currently, OMI has 83 schools receiving full and limited support.
“The numeracy act provides very specific instruction for what instruction looks like in the classroom,” Anderson said. Specifically, that means there will be 60 minutes of instruction for Tier 1.
“Math is not just a sit-and-get strategy,” Anderson said. “There is a real focus on classroom discourse and problem-solving. It should not be 100% sit and get.”
“Immediate intervention is to be received if a math deficiency is identified,” Anderson said. “They are immediately provided with multi-tiered support.”
Anderson said that she often hears folks say that they simply don’t like math.
“That has really upset me,” Anderson said. “I am appalled to hear that.”
Anderson said that some parents say, “I can’t do math. My father could not do math, and my son probably will not be able to do math.”
Anderson said that OMI is “working to change that (mindset). Everyone can learn math.”
“This is the first year that every student identified with a mathematical deficiency was invited to attend a math camp,” Anderson continued. “Thank you for providing that funding.”
“Grades K-3 should have their mathematics embedded in their reading instruction,” Anderson explained.
Anderson extolled the benefits of the Fun Zone program.
“Fun Zone is comprised of 8 different tasks,” Anderson said. “We have trained more than 800 teachers in Fun Zone. Those that implemented Fun Zone as it was designed to be used saw improvement across the board.”
“Thank you for the funding of math coaches,” Anderson said. “205 schools in all 11 regions will have math coaches. Math coaches trained by AMSTI. The Alabama coaching framework is foundational to all of the training.”
“There are a number of external partnerships that we are working on,” Anderson explained. “174 areas require data under the Alabama Numeracy Act.”
“We have gone across the state to provide professional development,” Anderson added, “Regional coordinators have been invited to provide a framework for what is in the law.”
Anderson said there will be repercussions for schools not achieving the ALSDE goals.
“If not successful after four years, even more strict consequences will be imposed,” Anderson said. “By fall of 2027, all K-5 schools will have a math coach in the school.”
The House Ways and Means Education Committee is chaired by State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville).
“We have to make sure that we are implementing the Numeracy Act,” Garrett said. “How is the task force functioning? Is there any areas of dissension or disagreement that we should be aware of?”
Anderson replied, “No. We do have very spirited conversations, but I find those spirited conversations very uplifting.”
“I have heard from people who were against the Numeracy Act to begin with who are concerned with how things are going,” Garrett said.
“There is always a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking,” Anderson said. “Things are not going as quickly as I would have liked. We are getting things recommended as quickly as we can.”
Anderson said that she has issued an RFP for intervention materials.
“Twelve vendors have submitted packages,” said Anderson.
“Are you comfortable then that there is the urgency that we seek? At this point, what do you look at to see if we are on track?” Garrett asked.
“I don’t have a lot of data,” Anderson said. “The coordinators just came on in January. They have been working on building relationships.”
“Is the state department ready for (school) interventions in 2025?” Garrett asked.
“If we were expected now, we are not ready, but we are on track to be ready,” Anderson said.
“I think we have a very good law and a very good plan,” said Garrett.
Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) asked about the tools available to implement the plan.
“NUMBERS is not even close to LETRS,” Anderson said.
Collins asked about OGAP (Ongoing Assessment Project.
“OGAP is pretty sophisticated training,” Anderson said. “We have many teachers working on emergency certificates. We need to make sure that teachers have the proper pedagogy to be ready for OGAP.”
“We have got ongoing meetings with our IT team,” Anderson said. “We are building structures as we need them.”
Many legislators were at the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) in Charleston, South Carolina, last week.
Rep. Allen Baker (R-Brewton) said, “For those who weren’t present at SLC, Dr. Anderson- she is a rock star.”
Alabama was one of the first states to adopt the Numeracy Act, though it is a hot topic in legislative circles.
“We are one of the early pioneers trying to search and scrape to make progress,” Baker said. “This is more than adding math coaches. We are working to change the culture. It is not going to be easy.”
“Yes, math is math, but you can still provide differing solutions,” said Baker. “Parents and grandparents want to refer to the old math that they learned. It is a new methodology. Some of those opposed to the Numeracy Act is due to a misunderstanding. Without those core skills, it is very hard for students to progress as they go up to the next levels. I am very excited about where we are headed.”
Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) asked how many schools are receiving full support in math instruction.
“There are only a handful of full support schools,” Anderson said. “Nineteen full and sixty-four limited. This is based on the scores from those schools in 2022.”
Anderson said she has not had a chance to review the 2023 numbers yet.
Anderson also explained that there has been some pushback from superintendents concerned that hiring math coaches makes staffing competent math teachers more difficult.
“They say we are struggling to make sure that all of our schools are fully staffed,” Anderson said. “You are pulling our best math teachers. Just because someone is a great teacher does not mean that they will be a great math coach.”
“Some of these elementary teachers are not as comfortable teaching math as other subjects, and some of them are not spending the time on math instruction as they should,” Baker said. “Are the coaches able to model proper instruction?”
“The coach is able to model and then gradually release until the teacher is able to teach that on their own,” Anderson said.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) asked, “What are the qualifications of the actual coaches? It says master’s degree or approved professional development.’
“That is another topic that the task force has discussed,” Anderson said. “Simply having a bachelor’s degree is simply not enough to serve in this role.”
“Nothing against a master’s degree. I have two master’s degrees in education, but there are people who have taught for years and taught math well. A master’s degree, in my mind, should not be the only factor used to determine whether or not you should be a coach. Someone with a number of years of teaching experience may have more pedagogical knowledge of teaching than I do.”
“We have been counseling districts,” Anderson said. “We are advising districts to look at the totality of experience.”
“Those who have been successful teaching in hard-to-staff schools have the experience to coach others in how to succeed,” Daniels said.
“At this point, retreat is not an option,” Garrett said.
“We are going full speed ahead,” Anderson replied.
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