THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	James A. Kadamus
COMMITTEE:	Full Board
TITLE OF ITEM:	Mathematics Standards
DATE OF SUBMISSION:	March 9, 2005
PROPOSED HANDLING:	Approval
RATIONALE FOR ITEM:	Review of Regents Policy
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY:

 

The Mathematics Standards Committee issued its first report to the Board of Regents in November 2004.  That report recommended that the proposed learning standard for mathematics and its respective performance indicators be sent out to the field for public comment.  Over 2,000 comments were received.  The Committee reviewed all of the comments and revised the material where it felt this was appropriate. 

 

In January 2005, the Board accepted two of the three recommendations presented by the Co-Chairs of the Mathematics Standards Committee, William Brosnan and Theresa McSweeney.  The Board approved the revised standard and performance indicators for pre-kindergarten through grade 8 and the continuance of the Committee's work on the high school level content and process indicators.

 

Attached is the Second Addendum to the Committee's November 4, 2004 report that contains the high school level performance indicators  (revised after reviewing field comment), alignment modifications to the pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 performance indicators, and recommendations for graduation requirements.  In this Addendum, the Committee makes the following recommendations:

 

Recommendation 1.  The Committee recommends that high school mathematics programs in New York State include three one-year courses of instruction, with the course titles to be "Algebra," "Geometry", and "Algebra 2 and Trigonometry." 

 

Recommendation 2.  The Committee recommends that the performance indicators for Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 and Trigonometry courses be adopted, along with the alignment modifications to pre-kindergarten through grade 8.

 

Recommendation 3.  The Committee recommends that a Regents examination be developed and administered for each of the three courses.

 

Recommendation 4.  The Committee recommends that the mathematics graduation requirement for a Regents diploma be the passing of one Regents examination in mathematics, and the passing of three units of credit of high school mathematics.  The Committee further recommends that the credit granted for the Algebra course be limited to two units.

 

Recommendation 5.   The Committee recommends that the mathematics graduation requirement for a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation be that students take and pass the three courses of high school mathematics, and:

§         that the first two cohorts pass two of the three Regents examinations in mathematics; and

§         that subsequent cohorts pass all three Regents examinations in mathematics.

 

Recommendation 6.  The Committee recommends that ways of rewarding students for taking and mastering more than the graduation requirements be explored and implemented.  The Committee members offer to assist in this effort.

 

            Department staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve Recommendations #1 and #2 above, and that the Board consider the Committee's additional recommendations #3-6 at a later date.   Although the Board of Regents approved the performance indicators for pre-kindergarten through grade 8 in January, the Mathematics Standards Committee has identified some modifications that need to be made.  Attachment A is a chart depicting alignment modifications for pre-kindergarten through grade 8.  Attachment B is the full revised text containing the pre-kindergarten through grade 8 mathematics standards, content strands, process strands, bands within the content strands, and grade-by-grade performance indicators.  Department staff recommends that the Regents accept these modifications.

 

            VOTED:  That the Board of Regents approve Recommendations #1 and #2 of the Mathematics Standards Committee as presented in the attached report, Mathematics Standards Committee Second Addendum to November 4, 2004 Report to the New York State Commissioner of Education, which includes the high school level performance indicators and modifications to the pre-kindergarten through grade 8 performance indicators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachments