How to Improve Math Achievement in School Systems

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In the late 90s, a mentor at LSU and Baton Rouge came up with an idea to improve math achievement in schools. He suggested that instead of spending all this money on special education services for children who were failing, maybe we should intervene at the class level. In 2002, he started rolling out his new program across Arizona's entire school district. It became the first experimental study of RTI; it is still my most cited article. The number of children made eligible under the category of learning disability went from 6% to 3.5%.

Join math professor Anna Stokke as she interviews Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, a leading expert in using evidence-based methods to improve math instruction in schools. Dr. VanDerHeyden is a co-founder of The Science of Math, a group of experts advocating for evidence-based math instruction.

Dr. VanDerHeyden shares the origins and goals of the Science of Math movement, as well as addressing common misconceptions. Do timed tests cause math anxiety? Do standard algorithms hinder understanding? Is explicit instruction only helpful for struggling learners? The discussion also covers what happens when kids fall behind in math, among other topics.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in education, especially teachers and parents.

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.annastokke.com/ep-3-resources

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Intro and Outro music by Coma Media - Catch it

Transition music by Podington Bear – Camp

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

http://www.annastokke.com/ep-3-transcript

Website: www.annastokke.com

Twitter: @rastokke