Number sense, applied math emphasized in draft Nebraska school standards

The first draft of new math standards for Nebraska schools is a tweak, not an overhaul, of existing ones, according to state education officials.

The draft, which went out for public comment this spring, would put greater emphasis on number sense, data and statistics, but don’t expect sweeping changes, they said.

Instead, the standards are a refinement on the 2015 set they would replace.

“We didn’t want a dramatic shift,” said Matt Blomstedt, the state’s education commissioner.

Standards are what students are expected to know and be able to do in an academic subject.

State law requires the Nebraska State Board of Education to adopt standards every seven years in core areas, including math. Within a year after adoption, local districts must either adopt the state standards or their own of at least equal rigor.

Local districts select their own curriculum — books, online resources and other materials — to teach the standards.

Blomstedt said the state has been encouraging districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials aligned with state standards and didn’t want to introduce a dramatically different set of standards.

Instructional materials are an important part of improving math achievement statewide, he said.

“We didn’t want a major shift because we started that work after the last standards adoption,” he said. “We see more improvements where people use the adoption of those instructional materials in alignment with our standards.”

The pandemic has disrupted state testing, making it difficult to gauge how the state’s kids have been doing in math the last couple of years. A World-Herald examination found math achievement took a hit.

A national math test, the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, provides insight on how Nebraska kids measured up to peers in other states before COVID-19.

The test measures both mathematics knowledge and the students’ ability to apply their knowledge in problem-solving situations.

In eight states, fourth graders had a better average score on NAEP math than Nebraska fourth graders. In eighth grade, 15 states scored higher.

Forty-five percent of Nebraska fourth graders scored proficient or above on the test compared to 40% nationwide.

Thirty-seven percent of Nebraska eighth graders tested proficient or above, while 33% did so nationwide.

Blomstedt said he believes that the draft standards reflect the proper level of rigor in each grade, and that the state is not pushing too much content into lower grades.

Teachers have sometimes complained that the youngest students are getting overwhelmed by the academic demands.

Cory Epler, the department’s academic officer, said the writers of the initial draft wanted to make sure that data, probability and statistics were included in K-12 math, not just high school.

That’s done in an age-appropriate way, for instance, asking kindergartners to simply sort and classify objects by size, shape and color. An example, he said, would be putting all the triangles together.

Another emphasis in the draft is “number sense,” making sure that foundational skills are mastered in elementary and middle school, Epler said.

Number sense can be described various ways: knowing what numbers mean, the ability to see patterns and relationships between numbers, how number systems work.

In K-5 grades, Epler said, it would include basics like counting, understanding base 10, and area and perimeter.

Under the draft, a student who has a conceptual understanding of the K-8 standards should be ready for algebra I in high school, he said.

A student who masters algebra I skills should be ready for more advanced math, he said.

“We don’t think every kid needs to be learning calculus,” Epler said. “We do think students need to be learning things like statistics and probability and, some might say, the more applied courses in mathematics.”

Heather Phipps, associate superintendent of education services in Millard Public Schools, said the 2015 standards were a step up in rigor and the draft is at least as rigorous.

Phipps said the standards are more concise, which will help teachers understand them.

Asked if the standards will make Nebraska kids better at math, Phipps said having rigorous standards are just part of what’s needed.

Districts must ensure they have quality instructional materials aligned to the standards, she said.

Students have to be regularly tested on their progress to determine which students have mastered the standards and who needs more instruction.

“All of those things working together will help Nebraska kids be better at math,” she said.

Nebraska educators from prekindergarten to postsecondary, including public and nonpublic schools, helped develop the draft. Approval is expected in the fall.