OPINION
Classroom instructional materials have a deep impact on the quality of a child’s education. During my first year as a public school teacher, I had to create my own materials from scratch. I found myself among the ranks of teachers that spent week nights and weekends searching for material and building lesson plans, trying to do right by my students.
While some of my lessons were incredibly effective, some left me feeling like I did my students a disservice. It was an issue of consistency.
In my current role at Texas 2036, a non-profit non-partisan think tank, I work on building and promoting long-term, data-driven strategies to secure Texas’ prosperity and improve student outcomes through our bicentennial of 2036 and beyond.
Earlier this year, we released a report providing an analysis of math achievement in the state and solutions to increase student scores. While Texas’ math academic standards are rated some of the best in the nation, trends in student math achievement should give us all cause for concern.
The data speaks for itself: Less than half of Texas students are graduating ready for college-level math courses.
Only 41% of students are testing on grade level in math on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
However, only one in 10 parents believe their child is performing below grade level in math.
Rigorous, high-quality curriculum; resources for parents; and differentiated supports for students have all emerged as promising solutions to address this decline in math achievement. The state is currently planning for the adoption of freely and publicly available curricular resources to support teachers in ensuring their students are learning the math curriculum at grade level.
These and other high-quality instructional materials hold great promise in moving the needle of mathematics proficiency in Texas. The Texas State Board of Education has the opportunity to approve these new materials as part of efforts to boost student achievement and to set the next generation of Texans on the path to being college or career ready by the time they graduate from high school.
As the state goes through this process, we should keep in mind two things: How can we ensure that the teachers are properly trained and supported to use the materials? The best tool in the world can still not be effective if not used as designed. In-service training in how to use these tools will be vital for success.
How can we ensure that the state can continue to refine these open education resources and add additional support for teachers and different learners along the way?
These materials hold so much promise for Texas teachers, students and families. And while Texas may not see all of the returns on this investment for a few years, it is one of the strongest steps the state can take to provide rigorous math instruction for all students.
Gabe Grantham is an education policy advisor for Texas 2036, a nonprofit public policy organization building long-term, data-driven strategies to secure Texas’ prosperity.
