How would I get school curriculum changed?

[Cadam]

Has anyone had any experience with this? My SD uses TERC investigations, which I detest. I have talked to a few teachers at the school and they don't seem to like it either.

At some point these things must come up for review, right?

My thought is that if I got enough parents together, that we might be able to influence to district to switch to Singapore at their next review/change.

Is this a little nuts?

[Lawana]

Even though I don't afterschool, and can't help with ideas about how to request a curriculum change, I did want to comment about switching to Singapore math. Dd used SM through 6B and half of NEM1, and ds is currently in 6A, and we love love love it.

The local school district has recently switched to Singapore Math, and while it is too early to tell the long term results, there has been quite a bit of touble with the switch itself. It seems the teachers have not had sufficient training, and there have been quite a few disgruntled parents. The schools have asked the parents to *not* help with math, since they don't want the students confused. So those parents that care feel shut out of the loop. But not all students are getting the concepts, and there doesn't seem to be adequate assistance for them.

The point I'm trying to make is that a good curriculum by itself is not enough─it's about the implementation. If you do succeed in getting the school(s) to change its math program, lobby for good training for teachers and parents, too.;)

[Caroline]

I agree with the above poster that you need training for the teachers for a paradigm shift in curriculum.


Textbooks come up for review at regular intervals in most school districts. I think we do it every four years. Each year a core subject is reviewed. Here is the way it works in our district:

1. A committee of teachers, parents, and the county curriculum person get together to figure out which companies we want samples from. We contact those companies and they send samples.

2. The samples are on display in the schools and at the county office. The general public is given the opportunity to review the materials and give their opinion in writing.

3. The original committee gets together to do a careful review of the materials and opinions.

4. A reccomendation is made to the school board. The school board votes to approve the reccomendation.

[Ellie]

You do need to understand that "curriculum" is not the same thing as the instructional materials that a school uses. "Curriculum review" and "textbook review" are different.

"Curriculum" is the content of what will be taught in a certain subject at a certain grade level. Schools choose the instructional materials/textbooks/whatnot that will allow them to meet the requirements of the curriculum.

[Caroline]

You do need to understand that "curriculum" is not the same thing as the instructional materials that a school uses. "Curriculum review" and "textbook review" are different.

"Curriculum" is the content of what will be taught in a certain subject at a certain grade level. Schools choose the instructional materials/textbooks/whatnot that will allow them to meet the requirements of the curriculum.

You are right. She may not need a curriculum change in order for a change to Singapore Math to occur. Just a textbook change, as long as it meets the standards of the state.

The first step would be to look up the state math standards and see how they align with Singapore Math.

[MBM]

Has anyone had any experience with this? My SD uses TERC investigations, which I detest. I have talked to a few teachers at the school and they don't seem to like it either.

At some point these things must come up for review, right?

My thought is that if I got enough parents together, that we might be able to influence to district to switch to Singapore at their next review/change.

Is this a little nuts?

No, you're not nuts. Get as much solid, convincing information as possible. Be well prepared. Parents and even a few outspoken teachers attempted to do something similar in our district but to no avail. You never know, though. You'll certainly learn a lot about the process.

Good luck!

[Sara R]

Check out the Kitchen Table Math (http://kitchentablemath.blogspot.com/) blog. There are lots of parents who have worked to lobby for higher-quality curricula in the schools.

[Momling]

I would start by reading these links: http://nychold.com/terc.html Some are about local activism.
Good luck!

[dmmetler]

Well, first of all, you need to find out if Singapore is even on the adoption list for your state. In TN, at least, if a textbook is not on the adoption list, a school can use it, but cannot use state funds to purchase it-which means that it just plain doesn't happen. And that's assuming the district would allow a school to go off the district approved curriculum-which is not a given. In order to change textbooks, you really need to advocate at least at the district level, and ultimately at the state level.

Most universities that have Ed schools have a room somewhere with a copy of every single textbook currently approved by the state. You can't take these materials out, but you can review them. If Singapore isn't on the list, you're better off advocating for something that is, but is better than Investigations (Most states do have Saxon on the list, for example, and I've even seen MUS on a few, albeit usually for special ed).

[EmilyK]

I agree with the above poster that you need training for the teachers for a paradigm shift in curriculum.


Textbooks come up for review at regular intervals in most school districts. I think we do it every four years. Each year a core subject is reviewed. Here is the way it works in our district:

1. A committee of teachers, parents, and the county curriculum person get together to figure out which companies we want samples from. We contact those companies and they send samples.

2. The samples are on display in the schools and at the county office. The general public is given the opportunity to review the materials and give their opinion in writing.

3. The original committee gets together to do a careful review of the materials and opinions.

4. A reccomendation is made to the school board. The school board votes to approve the reccomendation.

Caroline would know better than I do, but this seems right for where I live. I know Seattle has had quite a to-do about math. Beaverton here in OR had a parent push for adoption of Singapore. Portland seems pretty wedded to TERC. Where are you in the NW? From what I know of the local adoption procedures it is very hard to parents to have a major influence. But not impossible.

[msjones]

It's worth a try.

But these things can take a long time and there may not be money to buy new books and provide new training -- especially if TERC Investigations was just adopted. Money for new books and and time for new training is not easy to come by. Textbook adoption committees usually meet for at least a year prior to making a choice.

You'll probably get quicker results by pushing for materials to supplement the gaps in TERC. Likely, someone on the math adoption committee is quite familiar with the gaps. They should also be familiar with what other districts may have done to supplement.

I've taught TERC and we had excellent results -- but our staff did put in quite a bit of work to supplement it. It should come as no surprise to folks at your district office that there are some gaps that need fillin'.

[talexand]

Emily, didn't Beaverton recently adopt Everyday Math? I know that wasn't a popular choice after the fact. Are people trying to turn that over? Or maybe I have my facts wrong.

I've been involved in the math adoption process here in Hillsboro (neighbor to Beaverton in Oregon) trying to make sure they do not adopt Everyday math or Terc. Or at least if they adopt one of these that they do it with their eyes open. Last year they set the criteria that they were judging curriculum against. My constribution was to make sure the criteria included what is best for families. If the children can't get math help from their parents because the algorithms are nontraditional then it is not good for families. Everyday Math is like this. I think Terc is too. They ended up putting the math adoption decision making on hold because of budget problems. Now its on hold another year for the same reason. With teacher training and all other aspects the adoption will cost at least a million dollars regardless of the choice. Its a large school district though.

I got involved through the school district web site. If there is no place there I would ask a school board member how to get involved. Keep in mind that curriculum choices are often made at a school district level, not per individual school.

[EmilyK]

I think you are right:

http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/03/beaverton_board_adopts_new_mat.html

I'm not in Beaverton but knew some parents who were trying to get them to adopt Singapore math. I think they failed with the district but some of them got a charter school going with it. I obviously haven't followed it recently. I was more interested when I had a hope of getting math instruction changed in PPS. :001_smile:

I have really mixed feelings about TERC. It was *not* good for my older son, who is gifted and doesn't like playing board games and the like. He could be farther along in math if he had been taught at his level. For a while I afterschooled a bit, tried to volunteer math at school etc. I think I did enough to keep him liking math (it was so boring to him at school, he would really dislike it) but not enough to move him where he should be. He's not in PPS anymore. My younger son is OK with it -- he loves games.

I think even the teachers would agree it is not a good curriculum for differentiating with gifted kids, and the school was philosophically opposed to ability grouping for math (either within or across classrooms). It also isn't good for kids who don't need a lot of repetition or sweetening the pot with games. It is also not good for parents helping out with homework, or for volunteers.

But there are kids it works well for.

[Cadam]

I'm south of y'all. I would love to start a charter some day using WTM ideas. I would not be a good administrator, but I would love to set up the curriculum and work on teacher training in classical methods.

[amey311]

The best place to start is probably either with the principle or the board of education. you need to know what the process is and how the public (or parents) can be involved in the process. and then you need to STAY involved and stay on top of the process - find out if you can be on a committee, find out when meetings are that you could attend, etc. but really: you need to commit to being involved in the goings on of your BOE.

so says the woman who has a teacher friend in an eastern state whose Superintendent (for her school district, not the state) was picking their phonics/LA curriculum based on who took him out to the nicest lunch/dinner. For reals.

[Alessandra]

You could google 'Ridgewood Math Wars'. I haven't followed this for awhile, but there were some fierce battles, parents vs TERC, etc. There might be a few tips you could use.