Mr. Mitchell does not believe the state should compare urban schools with wealthy suburbs. He believes there is a connection between poverty and low math achievement. With various social issues, parental support is difficult. Mr. Mitchell also believes there are reasons that students statewide continue to have difficulty with math. He sees a polarizing of the scores statewide with more students moving into the advanced and proficient level and large numbers remaining in the failing category.
People seem to either love it or hate it.
Ms. Koot, the math chairwoman in Dartmouth, acknowledges that different students grasp math at different rates. But she fears when students decide they are not good at math. And if they decide this early on in their education, it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If their children are having trouble, call the teacher. If a parent can't help, there are other ways to get help.