Math instruction hasn't been as much of a lightning rod for other Washington area school boards. Montgomery County is reviewing curriculum standards for core courses, including math, said Leah Quinn, the district's math supervisor. A pilot program at four schools uses techniques borrowed from Singapore, which consistently scores at the top of the Third International Math and Science Study test. Singapore's math approach has also generated interest in Fairfax. In Loudoun County, teachers emphasize basic arithmetic as well as problem-solving skills, said Cheryl Wimer, the district's math supervisor.
Kids learn differently.
The board is to choose textbook lines in December, and principals will select from that list early next year. The texts now used were adopted six years ago. Like so much about education in Virginia, the issue may be decided by the Standards of Learning and the state's battery of high-stakes SOL tests, which will determine whether high school students in Virginia will receive their diplomas and whether schools will be accredited. The textbooks, everyone agrees, must correlate with the SOLs. It may be one of the few areas of consensus.