PA Secretary of Education Stresses Importance of Newly Released Report by National Mathematics Advisory Panel

The National Mathematics Advisory Panel recently released its much anticipated findings on the best available scientific evidence related to the teaching and learning of mathematics.  

This important and enlightening report should be read not just by education leaders such and you and me, but also by all members of our communities, from students and parents to teachers and business leaders. It should serve as a call to action as we prepare our children for the challenges of the 21st Century global economy.   

The national math panel is advocating many of the approaches already used in Pennsylvania’s classrooms – approaches that should be commonplace in all classrooms across the commonwealth.   

Most notably, the math and education experts who conducted this comprehensive study stressed the value of teaching math concepts early, giving students the confidence that they can build math skills through effort despite ability, and ensuring students comprehend the concepts of algebra. These ideas mesh well with the overall approach Pennsylvania has taken.   

It contains an important message for parents in particular. When it comes to learning math, it’s about effort, not genetics. Too many parents have come to believe the misleading claim that if they were not adept at math, their kids cannot be either. We know this is not true, and these national math findings offer further proof!   

The panel also found merit in building a curricular framework that focuses on basic math concepts and competencies – in essence, taking a deeper, more focused approach to mathematics essentials. PDE’s Standards-Aligned Systems initiative is consistent with this approach of developing a curricular framework around the “Big Ideas.”   

In other words, we already are doing what the experts endorse as a best practice for mathematics instruction!     

It is my hope that you will join with me in bringing the report’s findings to the public’s attention. Please consider publishing the report on your school district’s Web site, referencing it in newsletters and other district communications and bringing it to the attention of your local business leaders, higher education officials and others who have a stake in our collective future. The full report can be found at the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site at www.ed.gov.   

We must take the report’s findings to heart and act upon them for the sake of our children and our commonwealth. Together, we can make the vision of proficiency for all of Pennsylvania’s students a reality.

Sincerely,

Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.
Secretary of Education