New math gets scaled back in PA

NORTH PENN School District Superintendent Bob Hassler discusses a controversial middle school math program Thursday with parents at a school board meeting.

LANSDALE – New math nearly became extinct math at the North Penn School Board meeting Thursday night after a recommendation by North Penn School District Superintendent Bob Hassler on the much-debated Connected Mathematics curriculum.

Connected Math‚ which takes a different approach by embedding math skills in the context of problems‚ was used in seventh grade last year‚ but numerous parents have complained that their children are not learning math basics.

Hassler’s recommendation‚ which is based on the work this summer by the middle school math department‚ will use traditional textbooks as the foundation and base of the math program next year.

“From recent meetings with positively every math professional‚ we feel at this point we need to take a step back and see where we are before moving forward‚” Hassler said.

Connected Math will be used as supplementary material and will make up about 10 to 15 percent of the math program.

A summer tutoring program is being proposed for students‚ and during the school year pre-testing and math support assistants will be available for students.

Although scaled back considerably‚ parents against Connected Math want it gone completely.

Trish Gallagher of Montgomery Township said final exam test sores of students show Connected Math has failed. The board’s action proves the point‚ she said.

“It is my understanding that these scores are the lowest they have been in North Penn in the last 10 years‚” Gallagher said.

Board President Donna Mengel said the district has received much information on the program and the recommendation reflects what parents wanted.

“Most of the board members agreed with the assertion and the information of our administration. They were all told to go back to the drawing board‚” Mengel said. “From what I see‚ the parents have been beyond effective. I’ve never seen a wholesale curriculum change like this in my time.”

Sharon Rost of Montgomery Township wanted the board to rescind the adoption of the Connected Math program to ensure it is not the district’s approved math program.

The board did not think that was necessary given the recommendation.

“Before we proceed any other year‚ we will take this through committee. There is nothing up my sleeve to say it is only for one year‚” Hassler said. “There is no given of the direction we are going after this year. We are not going to say we are not going to use Connected Math.”