Everyday Math has not Panned out in Salem

Everyday Math has not panned out in Salem.

Years ago Salem adopted Everyday Math as the standard curriculum in our elementary schools.  Since then test scores have been flat. 

There is a problem with this.   Expecting Everyday Math to improve mathematics instruction per se does not hold up to scrutiny.   Even in large-scale research on curricula such as the Clackmannanshire study and Project Follow-through there were large variations in the data.  Some curricula are better than others.  Curricula matter particularly the depth of the curricula.  But they are not as strong an influence on education outcomes as teacher quality and probably strongly influenced by how frequently the students are tested and quizzed. 

But some schools do much better than others even with Everyday Math.  One solution many employ is to use the best teachers in math to teach math even in the lowest grades.  Teachers can switch off classes when it comes to math and only the best teachers in math would be teaching it.   Many schools south of the border that use Singapore Math employ this strategy as have for many years a number of the best charter schools.  And it works.

Raising teacher quality in math by putting the best math teachers teaching all elementary students has made a difference elsewhere.  Perhaps it can is Salem as well.