Petition to Remove TERC "Investigations" K-5 Math Curriculum From Prince William County Schools (PWCS)
-
Author:
n/a -
Send To:
Prince William County School Board and Superintendent of Schools
-
Sponsored By:
-
More Info at:
In 2006, PWCS mandated countywide implementation of a controversial reform math program known as TERC Investigations in Number, Data, and Space. This mandate makes Investigations the only allowable K-5 core elementary math instruction program in PWCS. Instead of teacher-led instruction for math mastery using quality traditional texts and materials, reformist programs like "Investigations" abandon proven approaches to the teaching of fundamentals and instead promote self-discovery of math concepts by children. Renowned mathematicians, university professors, engineers, scientists, parents and individuals who use, advance, and rely upon mathematics in their careers and daily lives have condemned programs like TERC Investigations which abandon teaching of proven math fundamentals to elementary school children.
Of all the elementary school math programs listed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Investigations least adequately supports the Virginia mathematics Standards of Learning (SOLs) and is excluded by VDOE for Grade 5 due to its inadequacy. Investigations has an ongoing record of failure across the United States. Math experts from Harvard and Stanford University assess such reformist math programs as falling short of giving students the essential mathematics skills to reason accurately, and regard Investigations as especially deficient resulting in children falling roughly two years behind where they should be by the end of fifth grade (as referenced through the website: http://www.pwcteachmathright.com).
DOCUMENTED DEFICIENCIES OF Investigations:
DOES NOT teach proven standard, simple efficient and effective methods of solving mathematics problems.
DOES NOT promote mastery of basic arithmetic facts.
DOES NOT teach mastery of multiplication tables.
DOES NOT teach simple long division.
DOES NOT provide sufficient practice for children to master math concepts and applications.
DOES overemphasize the use of calculators.
DOES rely on group think and discovery by children vice individual mastery through teacher instruction and quality materials.
DOES progress at a remedial pace.
The overwhelming majority of Prince William County elementary school students were excelling in traditional mathematics prior to implementation of Investigations. This is evidenced by PWCS annual average grade 3 and 5 SOL scores for the last several years and the nearly 50\% of all PWCS elementary school students who, in the last two years running, scored high enough in annual SOL testing to qualify for advanced/extended mathematics programs in middle school (http://www.doe.virginia.gov).
PWCS abandoned a successful, proven traditional approach to math education and replaced it with Investigations. PWCS continues to invest tax dollars in an experiment on the countys elementary school children. Given the nationwide failures of Investigations and programs like it, we are not willing to allow PWCS to gamble with our childrens mathematics educational future.
For the benefit of our children, our school district, and our community, we, the undersigned parents and citizens of Prince William County, Virginia, hereby formally request PWCS remove Investigations from PWCS core elementary mathematics instruction. We specifically request that PWCS:
Stop adoption and/or further implementation of Investigations beyond the current 2007-2008 school year.
Remove "Investigations" as the core PWCS elementary math program no later than the start of the 2008-2009 school year.
Allow PWCS parents to opt out of Investigations immediately and be provided with an appropriate traditional mathematics education for their children in every PWCS elementary school using either the legacy PWCS traditional core mathematics courseware or any of the top four recommended traditional elementary math text/materials series approved by VDOE (Harcourt Math, Houghton Mifflin Math, Scott-Foresman Addison Wesley Mathematics, or Saxon Math).
Offer immediate summer remediation for students whose parents assess their children have not received sufficient and appropriate grade level instruction in basic math facts and standard arithmetic algorithms under Investigations so PWCS children have an opportunity to "catch back up" in math to where they would have been under a sound traditional math program.
Of all the elementary school math programs listed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Investigations least adequately supports the Virginia mathematics Standards of Learning (SOLs) and is excluded by VDOE for Grade 5 due to its inadequacy. Investigations has an ongoing record of failure across the United States. Math experts from Harvard and Stanford University assess such reformist math programs as falling short of giving students the essential mathematics skills to reason accurately, and regard Investigations as especially deficient resulting in children falling roughly two years behind where they should be by the end of fifth grade (as referenced through the website: http://www.pwcteachmathright.com).
DOCUMENTED DEFICIENCIES OF Investigations:
DOES NOT teach proven standard, simple efficient and effective methods of solving mathematics problems.
DOES NOT promote mastery of basic arithmetic facts.
DOES NOT teach mastery of multiplication tables.
DOES NOT teach simple long division.
DOES NOT provide sufficient practice for children to master math concepts and applications.
DOES overemphasize the use of calculators.
DOES rely on group think and discovery by children vice individual mastery through teacher instruction and quality materials.
DOES progress at a remedial pace.
The overwhelming majority of Prince William County elementary school students were excelling in traditional mathematics prior to implementation of Investigations. This is evidenced by PWCS annual average grade 3 and 5 SOL scores for the last several years and the nearly 50\% of all PWCS elementary school students who, in the last two years running, scored high enough in annual SOL testing to qualify for advanced/extended mathematics programs in middle school (http://www.doe.virginia.gov).
PWCS abandoned a successful, proven traditional approach to math education and replaced it with Investigations. PWCS continues to invest tax dollars in an experiment on the countys elementary school children. Given the nationwide failures of Investigations and programs like it, we are not willing to allow PWCS to gamble with our childrens mathematics educational future.
For the benefit of our children, our school district, and our community, we, the undersigned parents and citizens of Prince William County, Virginia, hereby formally request PWCS remove Investigations from PWCS core elementary mathematics instruction. We specifically request that PWCS:
Stop adoption and/or further implementation of Investigations beyond the current 2007-2008 school year.
Remove "Investigations" as the core PWCS elementary math program no later than the start of the 2008-2009 school year.
Allow PWCS parents to opt out of Investigations immediately and be provided with an appropriate traditional mathematics education for their children in every PWCS elementary school using either the legacy PWCS traditional core mathematics courseware or any of the top four recommended traditional elementary math text/materials series approved by VDOE (Harcourt Math, Houghton Mifflin Math, Scott-Foresman Addison Wesley Mathematics, or Saxon Math).
Offer immediate summer remediation for students whose parents assess their children have not received sufficient and appropriate grade level instruction in basic math facts and standard arithmetic algorithms under Investigations so PWCS children have an opportunity to "catch back up" in math to where they would have been under a sound traditional math program.
1476 Signatures
-
Robert G. Barlow
- Street (house number not required)
- Breeze Way
- Zip Code
- 22025
- Comments or Remarks
- To those of us with children affected by the dismal performance of this program, this issue is of the utmost importance and priority!!
-
Karen L. Barlow
- Street (house number not required)
- Breeze Way
- Zip Code
- 22025
- Comments or Remarks
- My 3d grade son is being left behind in math because of this program.
-
Lori Sealy
- Street (house number not required)
- 8077 Stillbrooke Rd
- Zip Code
- Manassas Va 20112
-
Lee Franz
- Street (house number not required)
- 4913 Breeze Way
- Zip Code
- 22025
-
Nicholas Kendra
- Street (house number not required)
- Breeze Way
- Zip Code
- 22025
-
Zackary Kendra
- Street (house number not required)
- Breeze Way
- Zip Code
- 22025
-
Michael Price
- Street (house number not required)
- Darnley Rd
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Donna Lee Hecht
- Street (house number not required)
- 5738 Moonbeam Drive
- Zip Code
- 22193
- Comments or Remarks
- As an active duty military family who moves every one to three years, this cirriculum is leaving my 2nd grade son and soon to be kindergartener behind. What are my son's to do when they are thrown into a traditional math cirriculum. PWCS have missed the boat with "Math Investigations"!
-
Catherine C. Peters
- Street (house number not required)
- Candlestick Court
- Zip Code
- 22025
- Comments or Remarks
- This new math is going to lead to dependancy on paper for the children to do their math--it does not teach abstract thinking at all. A huge disadvantage to our children.
-
Adam J. Peters
- Street (house number not required)
- Candlestick Ct
- Zip Code
- 22025
- Comments or Remarks
- My daughter has reverted from knowing math facts and principles to solving each problem by counting her fingers since moving here this summer. I enjoy participating in my daughters education, but do not feel that I should have to create my own curriculum so she doesn't get left behind.
-
Veronica Price
- Street (house number not required)
- Darnley Road
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Stephanie and Clay Lyle
- Street (house number not required)
- 12117 Derriford Ct.
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Tonia Evans
- Street (house number not required)
- Illinois Ct
- Zip Code
- 22191
-
Grace Williamson
- Street (house number not required)
- Derriford Court
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Rhonda M. Rehard
- Street (house number not required)
- Catrock Sluice Way
- Zip Code
- 20112
- Comments or Remarks
- Everyone needs to know a case fact that an S+ student in Grade 2 when moved from the county equals a C student in grade 3 where real math is being taught.
-
Glenn Hecht
- Street (house number not required)
- 5738 Moonbeam Drive
- Zip Code
- 22193
- Comments or Remarks
- This petition is one step in getting the singular voice of the many who are protecting the future of their children...children who are counting on their parents to guard them from a demon that they are not old enough to fight themselves.
-
Connie Jiang
- Street (house number not required)
- Berwick Pl
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Please give our children proven, quality education!!!
-
Nicole Hicks
- Street (house number not required)
- Larkin Drive
- Zip Code
- 22026
-
Susan Hensley
- Street (house number not required)
- Swan Point Rd
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Don't experiment with my child!! This program has already proved it's not effective!!
-
Kristie Koegler
- Street (house number not required)
- Inverness way
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Math Investigations curriculum is does not work. Please don't make our kids suffer through the rest of there lives never having learned addition and multiplication.
-
Sutton Family
- Street (house number not required)
- Marsh Overlook Drive
- Zip Code
- 22191
-
Harold Donner
- Street (house number not required)
- 11246 Ramrod Road
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Valerie Schutz
- Street (house number not required)
- Occoquan Overlook
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Paul Jiang
- Street (house number not required)
- Berwick Pl
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Nicole A Hardin
- Street (house number not required)
- Occoquan Overlook
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Alison Trimble
- Street (house number not required)
- 4106 Bancroft Lane
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Charles Adams
- Street (house number not required)
- 15872 Pebblewood St
- Zip Code
- 22025
-
henry bennett
- Street (house number not required)
- parkgate
- Zip Code
- 20181
-
Pam Tripp
- Street (house number not required)
- Wellesley Drive
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- We need a *proven* math program.
-
Stephen Bodolay
- Street (house number not required)
- Occoquan Overlook
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Let's get back to proven basics.
-
Melissa Carlisle
- Street (house number not required)
- 5710 AMelia Springs Circle
- Zip Code
- 20169
-
Alexis Miller
- Street (house number not required)
- Occoquan Overlook
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- My kids used to love math but now with Investigations, it breaks my heart to see my children now struggling with math and telling us they can't do it and they don't like it any more.
-
Jessica Hoops
- Street (house number not required)
- 11736 Batley Place
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- I think the program is lousy and so do allot of teachers I have spoken with.It just helps to make the case that PWC schools are not on the same level as the counties surronding us.How are our children supposed to compete with kids from other counties if they can't even work a simple equation w/o the aide of a calculator.Please put an end to this before our children are done any more harm!!!
-
Charles and Heather Hornick
- Street (house number not required)
- Beaufont Spring Ct.
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Please help our military families that move often.
-
Casi Borrelli
- Street (house number not required)
- Nates Place
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Evelyn Hickey
- Street (house number not required)
- Jonathan Ct
- Zip Code
- 22025
- Comments or Remarks
- Investigaitions, is for exploration and discovery for preschooler's. As for everyday math computation, proven methods must be used. Investigaitions in not a building block for middle and high school math. Investigations will not prepare them for business math, or everyday living where math is required. Do not put our elementary children at risk, or put our county back into the failing colume for the state/nation. You may even be affecting your own child. Go back to what we KNOW teaches our children the proper tools for everyday life.
-
Timothy J Nicholson
- Street (house number not required)
- 12711 Inverness Way
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
carl l. hickey
- Street (house number not required)
- jonathan ct.
- Zip Code
- 22026
-
Michael Hoops
- Street (house number not required)
- Batley Place
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
N.Iber
- Street (house number not required)
- Gentle Wd Ln
- Zip Code
- 22026
- Comments or Remarks
- В
-
Lori Post
- Street (house number not required)
- Cricket Lane
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- Just because a "significant investment" was made in the TERC program by the county doesn't mean our kids should be made guinea pigs for your bad business decision.
-
Winnifred Warren
- Street (house number not required)
- Barrows Lane
- Zip Code
- 22192
-
Kristi Ellison
- Street (house number not required)
- Birch White Ct
- Zip Code
- 22193
-
Jill Zeto
- Street (house number not required)
- Satterfield Dr
- Zip Code
- 22193
-
Kristin Lohfeld
- Street (house number not required)
- Lanyard Lane
- Zip Code
- 22192
- Comments or Remarks
- I have heard of some PWC parents already having to use private tutors or tutoring companies to supplement math instruction where "Investigations" falls short. Why burden this addl. cost on residents with elementary-age children? Please discontinue program.
-
Michael Clawson
- Street (house number not required)
- Colonial Village Loop
- Zip Code
- 20112
-
Troy Uhlman
- Street (house number not required)
- Battery Hill Circle
- Zip Code
- 22191
-
CHRISTINE ROBERTS
- Street (house number not required)
- 15081 GALAPAGOS PL
- Zip Code
- 22193
- Comments or Remarks
- I have a 3rd grader who is suffering with math right now and I directly attribute his problems to "Investigations". I have worked very hard to teach all 3 of my children math and reading at home. It is very discouraging when they come home with some ridiculous way of doing math problems. My children are not guinea pigs for the county to play with. I think it's very unfortunate this is what the county school board thinks our children are worth. In the real world "Investigations" will not help them. When they hit high school and even college, how will they asimilate?
-
christine morrison
- Street (house number not required)
- 5420 quantas pl
- Zip Code
- 22193
- Comments or Remarks
- This is a horrible program my third grader has no idea of borrowing and carring when doing basic math problems. My kindergartener is even worse off. She is so far behind they are already talking about retainment.
-
Steve Morrison
- Street (house number not required)
- quantas pl
- Zip Code
- 22193
-
1476
Signatures! - View Signatures
- Sign Petition