Math standards update could be delayed by five years

It’s well known in education circles that Minnesota’s K-12 students are near the top nationally when it comes to proficiency in standardized math tests.

Rep. Abigail Whelan

This accomplishment has led the Department of Education to express its support for HF638, sponsored by Rep. Abigail Whelan (R-Anoka), which would postpone until the 2020-21 school year any review of the state’s math standards.

Under the statutorily prescribed cycle for reviewing and revising the state’s academic standards, the commissioner of education is required to review and revise the state’s math standards every five years. The next required review would be at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.

But due to the demonstrated success of Minnesota students across many age and ethnic/racial demographics in math testing, and because Minnesota’s math standards are regarded as some of the most rigorous in the nation, a break from another review and new standards is needed, Whelan told House Education Innovation Policy Committee members Thursday.

She said the review process before updating standardized testing for a subject like math can be long, cumbersome and costly for everyone involved, from the department, to school districts to the classroom.

“We want to ensure our teachers can continue to focus on teaching students, and not have to focus on implementing new teaching plans for what are already very rigorous standards in math,” she said.

The bill was held over for possible omnibus bill inclusion. Its companion, SF434, sponsored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes), awaits action by the Senate Education Committee.

Teachers and students have been working with the current set of math standards since 2011, said Adosh Unni, government relations director for the Department of Education.

Unni said Commissioner Brenda Cassellius supports the five-year delay, noting Minnesota is already among the top states in the nation on its math standardized testing of fourth graders and eighth graders that are already considered rigorous among all other state’s math standards.