Although historically math has been an area where students have the most trouble, that is changing. Student scores are improving all over the map, regardless of race or gender. However, gaps still exist. White and Asian/Pacific Islander students tend to outscore their black, American Indian and Hispanic peers, while boys continue to outpace girls all through elementary and secondary school. Similarly, children of educated parents continue to do better than those whose parents have less schooling. Several educational trends seek to fix these disparities.
Increasingly, teachers and policymakers have realized the importance of giving students a fully realized math education. This means not only teaching them rote facts and ensuring they score well on standardized testing, but imparting math skills that allow them to deeply understand concepts and apply them in a variety of real-world situations. For teachers and parents, this involves helping students with math in a way that encourages critical thinking, problem solving and creativity rather than simply gaining mastery over techniques.
For too long, mathematics was a dry subject that did not vary in approach. Teachers, parents and policy-makers are now realizing that improving students’ math abilities relies heavily on understanding the starting point of each and every student. This involves formative assessment to see which concepts individuals need help with, creating a plan for how to tackle those areas and following through with both instruction and practice time. The important point with a student-centered approach is that it is his needs dictating the plan, not the needs of the class.
When students fall behind in math and are left to fend for themselves, chances are excellent that the trend will continue. The gap between them and their peers will continue to grow throughout elementary and secondary school. Trends toward intervention help ameliorate this problem. By catching students when they lag and spending one-on-one time with them -- at least 10 minutes in each intervention session -- you can help prevent stagnation or a backward slide.