US students lag other countries in math. The reason probably lies in how schools teach it

The latest results of an international exam given to teenagers ranked the USA ninth in reading and 31st in math literacy out of 79 countries and economies. America has a smaller-than-average share of top-performing math students, and scores have essentially been flat for two decades.Classes here often focus on formulas and procedures rather than teaching students to think creatively about solving complex problems involving all sorts of mathematics, experts said.

Next year, Boaler and a research team plan to recommend that California phase out the algebra-geometry pathway in favor of integrated math for all students – something she pitched to education leaders across the state. The podcast Freakonomics featured an episode in October about the peculiarities of America’s math curriculum. Hosted by University of Chicago economist Steve Levitt, it highlighted Boaler's work and garnered significant feedback, given the specificity of the topic, Levitt told USA TODAY.

Other countries act more quickly on that idea. Estonia students ranked first among European countries in mathematics, as well as reading and science, on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment. Many factors may have helped: The country offers high-quality early childhood education to all kids, class sizes are small, and there's little high-stakes testing, leaving more time for instruction.

Students who took the new course showed significant growth in their statistical understanding over the year, studies show. Students said they felt learning to code was a valuable skill. About six years ago, San Francisco’s school leaders sought to tackle the problem. They halted teaching algebra I in eighth grade. Students take the same three-year sequence of math courses in middle school, and everyone is enrolled in mixed-ability classrooms, said Lizzy Hull Barnes, math supervisor at the San Francisco Unified School District.

Change the way elementary teachers think about mathImproving the math aptitude of older students in the USA is connected to messages students hear about why math is important and who's good at it when they're younger. They recruited fifth grade teachers from a county in central California to take and discuss the course. Within a year, the participating teachers' students posted significantly higher state math scores compared with previous years. The jumps were particularly significant for girls and low-income students, Boaler said.

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