Math profs say math portfolios don't add up
Mathematicians from across the state question state math tests
From Kentucky Citizen Digest, Jan, 1998

In the midst of all the horn-tooting and pom-pom shaking by state education officials about the progress of Kentucky students, a dissonant chord is being sounded by a group of mathemeticians.

The Council of Partners, a group of mathematics headed by faculty members from Northern Kentucky University and Thomas More College but including mathematicians from other state universities, issued a report in November recommending the elimination of math portfolios and revisions in the math section of Kentucky's Core Content for Assessment. The Core Content document is said by state officials to be the basis for the state's KIRIS test, although the connection between the two has been questioned.

Kentucky's "Core Content"

"There is a dramatic difference between what the Kentucky Department of Education wants all students to know by the end of grade 11 and what we think students should know to be successful in college," says the report.

The report raises concerns about the direction of mathematics instruction in Kentucky. According to the report, Kentucky's math curriculum (such as it is) is designed for students who plan to end their academic career with a high school diploma. Kentucky's program is not designed to prepare students for college-level mathematics.

In addition, there are many topics covered in Kentucky's elementary and secondary program which are not essential for college-level mathematics.

“In summary," it says, “we feel that the core content contains too many topics covered in too little depth. We believe that college-bound students in particular are not being well served by a curriculum based on the core content guidelines.”

Portofolios

The members of the group are no less withering in their criticism of the state's math portfolio program. “... we do not believe portfolios give reliable information about what students know. So in this sense we consider them irrelevant.”

Part of the report questions whether the portfolios are even measuring the work of students. “... it is unclear whose work is being evaluated when student portfolios are graded and it is also unclear whether any mathematics is being learned in the process.

Setting the stage for a major battle in the state legislature, a state task force has released two sets of strongly differing recommendations for changing several of the state’s education reform programs. The Governor’s Task Force on Public Education released both majority and minority reports, showing where battle lines are likely to be drawn in this year’s General Assembly.

Whereas the majority report calls for a new program of studies, a national test to be used in conjunction with the KIRIS tests, more emphasis on basic skills and content in the tests and individual student scores, the minority report calls for more sweeping changes.

The minority report calls for a moratorium on KIRIS testing until problems with the controversial statewide system are resolved. It also recommends that KIRIS be replaced with a nationally standardized test, the removal of portfolios from the accountability system, hold state school officials accountable for the performance of schools they have taken over and take management functions of the test out of the Kentucky Department of Education and place them in the Office for Education Accountability, where elected legislators would have more direct oversight.

The majority recommendations were supported by Democrats on the task force as well as by representatives of the Governor. The minority recommendations were supported by several Republicans on the Committee and Martin Cothran of The Family Foundation, who co-authored the report. The minority report was signed by Cothran, Rep. Stan Cave and Sen. Gex (“Jay”) Williams.

The recommendations have no force in law, but will undoubtedly shape the debate.
 

Key Family Foundation Contacts: Kent Ostrander, Executive Director Martin Cothran, Senior Associate Policy Analyst