Math Engagement and Math results:
With the upcoming math engagement almost here, we wanted to bring your attention to an important report on math that was recently released by Kids Come First showing concerning data about the performance of math at the Calgary Board of Education vs. Calgary Catholic (CCSD) (www.kidscomefirst.ca).
The data reveals:
- CBE now has more children failing grade 6 than achieving excellence – a complete reversal over the last few years.
- CBE’s math failure rate for grade 6 is 58% higher than CCSD.
- CBE’s math failure rate for grade 9 is 46% higher than CCSD.
- There is a significant difference in performance by quadrant. In the northeast, 93% of schools in CBE are below the provincial average, vs. 47% for CCSD. This is a serious social justice issue that must be addressed.
The report points to high administrative and support spending relative to CCSD as one of the culprits, as well as the aggressive move to discovery/inquiry based math at CBE. These same concerns were raised by CAPSC in a letter to the Chief Superintendent almost a year ago.
At the COSC meeting in January, CBE acknowledged a 5-year decline in math, so we were hoping they would be presenting solutions this spring instead of a consultation. There are many good mathematicians and resources who have solved these issues elsewhere and hopefully CBE will be working with them to implement immediate solutions. CBE’s response to the report has been clarified by Kids Come First and can be found here.
The report identifies 5 solutions that can make a difference immediately, and we encourage you to take a look!
Education Advocacy
This fall we continued our advocacy on issues as they came up in the media, including our thoughts on the need to reduce school fees, the need for more transparency in the curriculum review, and the importance of report cards that provide a fulsome picture of our children’s progress.
CAPSC asked to participate on the Curriculum Working Groups last fall, but was not accepted. We also asked Minister Eggen last year for a meeting to discuss parental concerns, and hopefully we will hear in the near future about his willingness to hear from Calgary parents.
STEM Education & STEAM Education
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is of growing interest to many parents. If your school has a good project/resources/information, let us know and we would love to share it!
Here are a few graphs from the Kids Come First math report for your review!
