New math curriculum benchmarked by grade

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published March 14, 2008

The state Legislature approved new state math standards last week that create core areas students should master at each grade level, such as counting to 100 and reading numbers in kindergarten, basic multiplication in fourth grade and solving basic algebra equations in seventh grade.

The math benchmarks set by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel are similar to the ones proposed by the Washington Mathematics Standards Revision, though the grade levels have slight variations.

The state standards will undergo a final revision by the state Board of Education before they are adopted by Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction through the spring and summer.

The state board reported this week that K-8 standards are almost ready to be adopted, and that high school standards will need more work on content but are expected to be ready by late September.

On Wednesday, the Legislature approved money to phase out the Washington Assessment of Student Learning’s comprehensive 10th-grade math test in favor of tests students take at the end of each high school-level math course. The change will be made by 2014.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has stated support for the change. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson also has supported the change because the “end-of-course tests” are better aligned with the new state math standards, department spokesman Nathan Olson told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Washington’s standards are posted on OSPI’s Web site, www. k12.wa.us.