As a math teacher for the past 28 years, I am often asked why students in the United States continue to lag behind students in Asia and Europe in math. Teaching elementary mathematics for nearly three decades has given me a pretty good idea why — lack of focus.
Before Common Core, mathematics frameworks delineated many more topics and outcomes per grade level than other top performing countries. For example, Singapore covered an average of 15 topics per grade level compared with New Jersey’s 50.
Let’s take a look at the textbooks used in both countries. Based on an analysis of most commonly used third-grade textbooks, Singapore had 42 lessons and an average of 12 pages per lesson. Compare that with a third-grade Scott Foresman textbook, with 164 lessons and four pages per lesson. Singapore had much greater mathematical focus at each grade level. I have seen how the pace and coverage of too many topics and repetition have resulted in too little retention and understanding.
For example, the same students ask me the definition of median in the second, third, and fourth grade. Common Core introduces statistics in grade 6. Now, lower grades can focus on numbers and operations of both whole numbers and fractions in greater depth.
The Common Core replaces a curriculum that was a “mile wide and an inch deep.” I feel it is the best way we can begin to close the gap between the top performing countries and the United States.