SUSD adopts Common Core math track, concerning some parents

The Saratoga Union School District (SUSD) Board of Trustees approved new math courses that focus on Common Core concepts and methods during a meeting on Feb. 25, resulting in a new math track for younger students. This math track, however, has caused some concern from parents. 

Effective next year, the change will affect incoming sixth graders.  In order to adapt to Common Core, the set of standards adopted by all California schools, district officials said these changes strive to encourage a deeper understanding of subjects by having students interpret questions and answer with responses that show their thought processes.

The switch to Common Core is not only affects California.  Forty-five other states have also adopted it. 

Students will end up taking one of three math pathways. The first option is to take Common Core 6 in sixth grade, Common Core 7 in seventh grade and Common Core 8 in eighth grade. The second is to take Common Core 6/7 in sixth grade, Common Core 7/8 in seventh grade and then Algebra 1 in eighth grade. For the upcoming year, the students who score highest on the placement test will take the third path: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 and Geometry, the current accelerated track.

After the 2015-2016 school year, students who score highest on the test will take a hybrid path that will strive to combine Common Core 6, 7, 8, Algebra 1 and Geometry in a three-year period, according to superintendent Lane Weiss. 

Students in SUSD as well as in other local schools, such as Los Gatos and Cupertino, will be required to take a math placement assessment at the end of fifth and sixth grade, as they already have this year. 

“[The students’] performances will act as a snapshot of the school for the staff, showing them what their students are capable of,” said SUSD educational director Roberta Zarea.  “It will also show the staff the student’s areas of weaknesses, and how to make adjustments in order to meet the student’s needs.” 

Using the information from this test, as well as other information relevant to the student, such as a diagnostic test (MARS Test) score, the staff will then place the student on the track that best fits his or her level of math.

Work to do

The district staff has an overall idea of what they would like to do in the new world of Common Core, although they still need to gather the materials, figure out technology and train their teachers. 

“We have a lot to do,” Weiss said. “But I don’t see not changing as an option. The reason for this is because staff and students will be held accountable for performance on the ‘Smarter Balanced’ assessment in grades 3-8 and then grade 11.”

Another reason is the science behind methods of learning, he said.  In 1995 through 1997, when the pathway most parents and students are accustomed to now was introduced, not much information about how the brain learns or processes information was known. 

“When more research was conducted, ideas about how to craft curriculum to fit learning processes were thought of,” Weiss said.

Another part of adding Common Core had to do with being college and career ready, Weiss said.

Concerns from the community

Some parents have expressed concerns about these changes, particularly about students' ability to accelerate in math.  This is mainly because they see it as a step backwards from the original math track, and because many people believe it acts as a national agenda to “tell people what to do.”

Parent Cynthia Miller is among those parents who have expressed concerns with Common Core.

“We have a community that is very math and science focused,” Miller said. “They tend to want more math and science for their children’s education, and what they saw was less.”

She said adopting Common Core in California may be a step backwards, considering that California had previously adopted a set of math standards that had students completing Algebra 1 in eighth grade, which was a more accelerated pathway than most other states.

Weiss, while understanding this concern, has a reason for the changes.

“What is misunderstood is the fact that Common Core in itself is more advanced,” Weiss said.  “Because students are required to show so much understanding, Common Core can be harder and more rigorous.”

Perhaps the most controversial topic has been whether most students will be able to reach calculus during their junior year, as many currently do.

Considering the California framework, taking Algebra 1 in eighth grade and thus taking calculus as a senior is considered an accelerated course, according to Weiss.

Weiss said that compared to other schools, the Saratoga schools are “double accelerated.” If the students want to take calculus their junior year, however, qualified students will continue to have.

The district staff isn’t sure what kids will get into which track yet, especially because this is the first year that students have taken the assessment. Reaching calculus in junior year, however, is a viable option.

Rishi Kumar, another parent who has expressed concern, said an accelerated math track is essential for a better opportunity to get into an elite university.

  “Students will not only have the chance to raise their GPA if they perform well in that class, but also show a more rigorous course load when applying to college,” Kumar said.

Weiss said that in order to have the option of taking calculus as a junior available, the district originally proposed having two math periods for students on that track.  It was simply one of the many ideas that weren’t finalized, but this one in particular caused major fallout.

“The problem is that in the most accelerated track, we are attempting to fit five years of math into three years,” Weiss said. “This will cause a lot of cramming, and extremely fast-paced paced learning. With two periods, we thought we could space it out, but it would cut out an elective.”

The loss of an elective was a tentative idea proposed by the administration, which many parents also protested against.

However, this the district staff is confident that the new system will work out, even if not everything has been decided upon yet.

“The bottom line is that we want our students to succeed in the future,” SUSD board president Arati Nagaraj said. “Education is constantly changing, and Common Core is part of that change.  I believe that if we work together, Common Core can be a great tool in furthering our children’s education and preparing them for the future.”