Better elementary math scores hinge on improved teacher preparation

Elementary students struggle to learn math because their teachers are not adequately prepared to teach it, according to a new study by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) . No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics  examines the entrance and exit requirements of teacher preparation programs, course syllabi, textbooks, tests, and state licensing exams of 77 elementary educator preparation programs in 49 states.

The conclusion: just ten of the teacher preparation programs studied did a good job of preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics. The two Texas education schools in the study, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and West Texas A&M University, would have received the top ranking if they required elementary teachers to complete another math content course.

Given that math skills rely on cumulative knowledge, building strong foundations during the elementary years is especially important. The study contends that education schools fall short for the following reasons:

1. Few cover the math content that elementary teachers need. Particularly lacking is algebra content.
2. State guidelines for math preparation are confusing, inadequate, or nonexistent (Texas does have requirements pertaining to the foundations of math, algebra, and geometry).
3. Most education schools use textbooks that are deficient in teaching one or more of four critical areas of math: numbers and operations, geometry and measurement, data analysis and probability, and, most often, algebra.
4. Almost anyone can get in. Most aspiring educators take a basic math skills test to get into educator preparation programs. Some programs don’t require any type of math test. Just one school in the study sample had an adequate entry requirement: high school-level proficiency.
5. Program completion requirements are also lax. Teacher licensure exams either don’t report a score for the math portion of the test or the math score is not a factor in determining who passes. No state requires aspiring elementary teachers to pass an exit exam to show that they know the math content they will need.
6. Elementary math coursework fails to focus on methods. Practice teaching does not emphasize how to capably convey math concepts to elementary students.
7. Too often, the math teachers of prospective elementary teachers are not up to the task.
8. Almost anyone can do the work. Elementary math courses are not demanding in terms of content or expectations of students.

To correct the noted deficiencies, NCTQ contends that elementary teacher preparation programs need to do the following:

• Provide students with a deep, conceptual knowledge of the subjects they will teach (numbers and operations, algebra, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability).
• Insist on higher entry standards for program admittance. Aspiring teachers should be able to demonstrate high school-level math skills.
• Require education students to pass an exit exam to show that they understand the concepts that they will have to teach. No such exam exists at present.
• Teach elementary content courses in coordination with elementary math methods. Students should have a number of opportunities to practice teach with elementary students to ensure they can convey math content. UTEP was lauded in the study for being one of the six schools that puts a high priority on the practice teaching of math.
• College and university math departments should be responsible for teaching math content to aspiring elementary teachers.