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Education Math

Curricula From Bill Gates-Backed 'Illustrative Math' Required In NYC High Schools (nyc.gov) 90

New York City announced a "major citywide initiative" to increase "math achievement" among students, according to the mayor's office.

93 middle schools and 420 high schools will implement an "Illustrative Math" curriculum (from an education nonprofit founded in 2011) combined with intensive teacher coaching, starting this fall. "The goal is to ensure that all New York City students develop math skills," according to the NYC Solves web site (with the mayor's office noting "years of stagnant math scores.") Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: The NYC Public Schools further explained, "As part of the NYC Solves initiative, all high schools will use Illustrative Mathematics and districts will choose a comprehensive, evidence-based curricula for middle school math instruction from an approved list. Each curriculum has been reviewed and recommended by EdReports, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization."

The About page for Illustrative Mathematics (IM) lists The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a Philanthropic Supporter [as well as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation], and lists two Gates Foundation Directors as Board members... A search of Gates Foundation records for "Illustrative Mathematics" turns up $25 million in committed grants since 2012, including a $13.9 million grant to Illustrated Mathematics in Nov. 2022 ("To support the implementation of high-quality instructional materials and practices for improving students' math experience and outcomes") and a $425,000 grant just last month to Educators for Excellence ("To engage teacher feedback on the implementation of Illustrative Mathematics curriculum and help middle school teachers learn about the potential for math high-quality instructional materials and professional learning in New York City").

EdReports, which vouched for the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum (according to New York's Education Department), has received $10+ million in committed Gates Foundation grants. The Gates Foundation is also a very generous backer of NYC's Fund for Public Schools, with grants that included $4,276,973 in October 2023 "to support the implementation of high-quality instructional materials and practices for improving students' math experience and outcomes."

Chalkbeat reported in 2018 on a new focus on high school curriculum by the Gates Foundation ("an area where we feel like we've underinvested," said Bill Gates). The Foundation made math education its top K-12 priority in Oct. 2022 with a $1.1 billion investment. Also note this May 2023 blog post from $14+ million Gates Foundation grantee Educators for Excellence, a New York City nonprofit. The blog post touts the key role the nonprofit had played in a year-long advocacy effort that ultimately "secured a major win" ending the city's curricula "free-for-all" and announced "a standardized algebra curriculum from Illustrative Mathematics will also be piloted at 150 high schools."

As the NY Times reported back in 2011, behind "grass-roots" school advocacy, there's Bill Gates!

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Curricula From Bill Gates-Backed 'Illustrative Math' Required In NYC High Schools

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  • 420 high schools (Score:4, Insightful)

    by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Saturday July 06, 2024 @03:42PM (#64605563)

    I clearly went to high school in the wrong place.

  • I have a feeling this will only fare as well as all of the other new and improved curricula that were designed to improve students reading and math skills. None of it really works, but it gives the school districts something to spend money on.
    • I'm skeptical but it might work. It'd be nice if there was a way to test these things in a way that doesnt ruin a kids education before applying it wholesale.
      • I don't think it will. I don't think it will be worse either though. It'll probably be the same because there is no silver bullet and learning mathematics (or any other subject) is a a matter of time spent. I suspect that it would go a lot better if primary and secondary schools separated kids based on aptitude because mathematical capabilities are normally distributed and teachers are going to teach to the middle. The smartest kids will be a bit bored, but will get through the class easily enough while the
      • I'm skeptical but it might work.

        Look at the curriculum for the final years of school: they are doing quadratic equations, congruent triangles etc. This is all stuff I did in the first two years of high school. There is no calculus or linear algebra to be seen. All this curriculum seems to be doing is codifiying the already low maths standards in high schools and removing material to do it. The one positive note was including complex numbers which is a simple to grasp topic that shows why algebra is so important.

        If you want to improve

    • by matmos ( 8363419 )
      None of this works as long as parents value watching TV over their kids or getting ahead at work by working 5 hours at night when they get home. Or as long as sports teams and stadium sized/equipped gyms/fields are more important than the three Rs.
    • I have a feeling this will only fare as well as all of the other new and improved curricula that were designed to improve students reading and math skills. None of it really works, but it gives the school districts something to spend money on.

      My son was in school during common core math times. While helping him with his homework, it was weird - I'd look, I'd mentally calculate and have the answer in a couple seconds. But all of the strange intermediary steps turned the problem into something unnecessarily difficult, and time consuming.

  • Translation (Score:2, Insightful)

    by The Cat ( 19816 )

    "Evidence-based" implies all previous attempts to teach math were flawed or imaginary or both.

    You know, all those classes that taught people how to build things like Saturn Fives and SR-71s and the integrated circuit and the Grand Coulee Dam and the USS Nimitz.

    Those students' classes weren't "evidence based" enough.

    The arrogance of these people is breathtaking. So evil.

    • Citing previous accomplishments in order to argue that we've already obtained the best possible results in education is a fallacy. And easily countered by comparing the US to its peer nations. We should be at the top or nearly so given how much we spend on education.

      • by sjames ( 1099 )

        The issue is, we have in the past managed the great successes, then education got the flavor of the week disease and has under-performed ever since even while spending well more than other countries. THAT is the evidence.

        Perhaps we need to define not even trying as true stupidity and making it fair to call people who don't even try as truly stupid. I don't expect every kid entering elementary school to become a math prodigy, but if they're getting low grades AND not paying attention in class AND not doing a

        • The first serious problem is children of single parents who don't have time and don't care enough to help their kids. The second serious problem is schools built like prisons and day care centers. The third problem is teachers no longer being able to punish students in any way. The fourth problem is curricula designed to keep girls ahead of boys even if it does all students an injustice. But none of the solutions to these problems involve giving billions of dollars to billionaires and none of them have pat
          • by matmos ( 8363419 )
            Talk about that Jordan Peterson koolaide...
            • It's funny because I don't watch Peterson. Maybe we're both observing the same problems? Didja think about that? Or are you just going to use a teamism and a thought limiting cliche to avoid addressing any of my points?
        • The issue is, we have in the past managed the great successes, then education got the flavor of the week disease and has under-performed ever since even while spending well more than other countries. THAT is the evidence.

          Perhaps we need to define not even trying as true stupidity and making it fair to call people who don't even try as truly stupid. I don't expect every kid entering elementary school to become a math prodigy, but if they're getting low grades AND not paying attention in class AND not doing any of the homework, it may be that they're stupid. There will be some who pay attention, study, and yet don't get good test grades. They are at least trying, so not stupid. There may be some that get good test grades, read ahead to the end of the book, do no homework, and doodle in class. Also not stupid.

          Now look at the candidates for the stupid label. If they are not encouraged by parents, then they are neglected or their parents are stupid (possibly both).

          It may not be "nice" to call someone stupid, but sometimes the shoe fits.

          No need for "stupid"; just acknowledge that aptitude is a real thing. Some people have an aptitude for math, some don't.

          • by sjames ( 1099 )

            No, that's the fuzzy thinking that needs to go away. Yes, aptitude is real and CAN explain doing well in math, particularly algebra and above. But basic arithmetic is reachable by most anyone without a moderate to severe intellectual challenge. Failure to do so while working at it is either the disability or an extremely low aptitude but isn't stupidity. Failure while not trying is stupidity on the part of the student and/or parents. Possibly neglect from the parents.

            • Part of the problem, I think, is that we previously expected such students to drop out and not get a high school diploma. Now we expect 99% or so graduation rates. This means that either standards need to be lowered, or a lot more effort put into those marginal students.
              If the school can figure out a way to get them the knowledge without the parents pushing, that's a great success, I'd argue.
              Sometimes you can't just blame the student and parents - because the goal is getting the kids educated, and you hav

              • by sjames ( 1099 )

                One issue is motivation. There is way too much anti-intellectualism running around, both in the adult world and in school age kids. In some social groups, getting good grades is ridiculed. Perhaps if the anti-intellectualism was actively shamed there would be less of that. I'm not suggesting shaming low abilities, I'm suggesting shaming poor choices.

        • The issue is, we have in the past managed the great successes, then education got the flavor of the week disease and has under-performed ever since even while spending well more than other countries. THAT is the evidence.

          So, what are the other countries doing that the United States isn't, especially the top performers, like Singapore, Japan, and Korea [oecd.org]?

          Well, here's a few highlights:

          1) A centralized national curriculum developed by a central government authority consisting of educators;
          2) Rigorous standards f

          • So, what are the other countries doing that the United States isn't, especially the top performers, like Singapore, Japan, and Korea [oecd.org]?

            Nothing. They are doing nothing different that matters.

            Children from Singapore, Japan, and Korea who immigrate to America do just as well as those who stay at home.

            It's the kids and families that are successful, not the education policies of the countries.

            • by sjames ( 1099 )

              That would be item 3, strong cultural and community support. And why I advise making it politically OK to call people not on board with that stupid.

          • by matmos ( 8363419 )
            And stop wasting money on elite sports arenas, stop acting like a basic level of reading, arithmetic, and writing skills is "unattainable for certain groups", learn from other nations who are at the top of the game instead of all these "not-invented-here-lets-try-something-new" BS. other countries have it figured out, humans are humans, apply the principles, if parents don't like it give them a voucher for their kids to fall behind in some Nat C charter school, because you can't save them all.
          • by The Cat ( 19816 )

            So, what are the other countries doing that the United States isn't, especially the top performers, like Singapore, Japan, and Korea?

            Don't care. We solve our own problems here.

            A centralized national curriculum developed by a central government authority consisting of educators;

            Centralized power = graft, corruption and failure. The curriculum should be up to the teachers.

            Rigorous standards for teachers;

            Becoming a teacher is a Mount Everest-sized pain in the ass already. The requirements chase away all the people who should be teaching and replace them with people who are good at navigating bureaucracy. They bore the children to tears and make them hate learning.

            Strong community and cultural support for schools and teachers.

            We had that 70 years ago.

        • The issue is, we have in the past managed the great successes, then education got the flavor of the week disease and has under-performed ever since even while spending well more than other countries. THAT is the evidence.

          Perhaps we need to define not even trying as true stupidity and making it fair to call people who don't even try as truly stupid.

          Time for my slide rule tale.

          After getting into my second Algebra class, I started falling behind. It didn't help that the teacher was a female version of Ben Stein, the teacher in "Wonder Years" very boring. So I was both bored, and not getting it. But luck was going to intervene.

          In my electronics class, I was in the last year of students learning to use the slide rule. The second I performed the first calculation, something clicked and clicked hard. Suddenly exponential notation clicked - it has to wi

          • by sjames ( 1099 )

            Yes, the teacher got it wrong and doesn't sound like a very good teacher.

            My wife always thought she was terrible at math. But when curiosity got the better of her, I was able to at least teach her some algebra and trig.

            By the time I was in school, slide rule wasn't taught at all. But I found my dad's old slide rule (abandoned in the early '70s when decent scientific calculators became reasonably affordable for professionals) and learned to use it just for curiosity and to better understand engineering in th

      • by The Cat ( 19816 )

        Citing previous accomplishments in order to argue that we've already obtained the best possible results in education is a fallacy.

        Nobody said it was the best possible result and it is not a fallacy.

        And easily countered by comparing the US to its peer nations.

        The US has no peer nations.

    • Out of the combined population of Europe and the USA (you have to combine them since the lead designer of the Saturn V had a European education and many of the engineering concepts in the SR-71 were European origin like jet engines for example). How many people were designing Saturn Vs and SR-71s?

      • Translation: how many GERMANS were designing...

      • by The Cat ( 19816 )

        Out of the combined population of Europe and the USA (you have to combine them since the lead designer of the Saturn V had a European education and many of the engineering concepts in the SR-71 were European origin like jet engines for example).

        Bullshit. Nobody in Europe built anything remotely comparable to either the Saturn V or the SR-71.

        How many people were designing Saturn Vs and SR-71s?

        Don't know. But they all learned math just fine, obviously.

        • Bullshit. Nobody in Europe built anything remotely comparable to either the Saturn V or the SR-71.

          Erm...

          The chief architect of the Saturn V was... Werner von Braun.

          Just where do you think he got his education?

          Don't know. But they all learned math just fine, obviously.

          Then there's no problem now, either. I'll bet there are a few thousand kids in the US getting a good education. It's all you need.

          • Bullshit. Nobody in Europe built anything remotely comparable to either the Saturn V or the SR-71.

            Erm...

            The chief architect of the Saturn V was... Werner von Braun.

            Just where do you think he got his education?

            Well, if we're answering the question directly, The nasties created the basic form of modern liquid fueled rockets. A fuel, an oxidizer, a turbopump, all mixed together in a nozzle and burnt.

            Upon losing the war, this technology was a spoils of war technology. That the US and Russia decided to appropriate the technology made a lot more sense than just ignoring it. So the technology and its technologists went to a new country.

            That doesn't make Nasty Germany and its axis allies smarter. Indeed, there are

            • You've jumped into the middle of a thread, so I can see where your got that reading of it.

              The original claim was that education in America was better before because America could build the Saturn 5 off that education. But that of course falls flat as an argument since the lead designer wasn't educated in America.

              That's all.

              There wasn't a significant technological gap between the powers, each had various advancements over the others.

              • There wasn't a significant technological gap between the powers, each had various advancements over the others.

                This is true.

        • Out of the combined population of Europe and the USA (you have to combine them since the lead designer of the Saturn V had a European education and many of the engineering concepts in the SR-71 were European origin like jet engines for example).

          Bullshit. Nobody in Europe built anything remotely comparable to either the Saturn V or the SR-71.

          Exactly. The funny thing about "How stoopid the fat lazy 'Murricans are, and how we wouldn't be able to do anything if not for your betters coming over and doing it for you" meme is, those who utter it are being stupid. Trying to claim Country X's superiority because "so and so came from country X". is hard to digest because it is bullshit.

          Yes, Von Braun was a pretty brilliant guy. But in the end, he was one person in a sea of really smart people. Yes, the Nasties in Germany created the basic form of liqu

    • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

      Ah yes, if you want an SR-71 or Saturn V you just need to grab a random American and ask.

      Or...

      https://www.wyliecomm.com/2021... [wyliecomm.com]

      It's hard to tell for numeracy, but numeracy generally correlates reasonably well with literacy, which has been dropping recently but is still considerably higher than it was in the seventies.

    • > The arrogance of these people is breathtaking.

      It's worse, it's called the soft bigotry of low expectations!
    • "Evidence-based" implies all previous attempts to teach math were flawed or imaginary or both.

      Well, it actually doesn't imply that the current attempt is perfect either. If it is "evidence based", that simply means that they have taken a deliberate look at how previous attempts worked, failed, or muddled along, specific strong points, weak points, etc... Tried at least a few variations to find the best.

      That's the wonder of science, of evidence-based work. This attempt itself is going to provide information, more evidence, so that the next attempt might be better yet.

      You know, all those classes that taught people how to build things like Saturn Fives and SR-71s and the integrated circuit and the Grand Coulee Dam and the USS Nimitz.

      For example, take this. We ca

  • by zkiwi34 ( 974563 ) on Saturday July 06, 2024 @05:23PM (#64605709)
    513 schools should be enough for anyone.
  • Why is this News? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Thelasko ( 1196535 ) on Saturday July 06, 2024 @05:29PM (#64605713) Journal
    Is it because Gates is involved? My kids' school switched to Illustrative Math a couple years ago and it's been going great! Things have come a long way form the "drill and kill" days when we were in school.
    • What was wrong with "drill and kill", also known as "practice will improve a skill"?

      • What was wrong with "drill and kill"?

        Drills focus on "doing arithmetic" rather than solving problems.

        One of our warehouse workers knew that the volume of boxes was calculated from the width, length, and height. But instead of W*L*H, he ordered boxes based on W+L+H.

        He knew how to add. He knew how to multiply. He didn't know when to use which.

        • I will say that through all the math I took in high school, I don't think, even one time, a teacher EVER said why what we were learning was important or what one would use it for. Ever. It was just "ok, sin(x) + 3X^3 - 3Y^2 = 17" or whatever. Not once was there any informative given as to why anyone should give a fuck.

        • What was wrong with "drill and kill"?

          Drills focus on "doing arithmetic" rather than solving problems.

          One of our warehouse workers knew that the volume of boxes was calculated from the width, length, and height. But instead of W*L*H, he ordered boxes based on W+L+H.

          He knew how to add. He knew how to multiply. He didn't know when to use which.

          I don't really find someone messing up volume calculations to be a refutation of drilling and memorization. The warehouse guy didn't know how to calculate volumes. If he had memorized the formula, he would have known.

      • Well, for one, it almost held me back in math.

        Because the rule was that I had to pass the time tables for addition and subtraction before moving on to multiplication and division. I could do the work, I just wasn't fast enough.

        Finally, in frustration, they let me do the multiplication test. I passed the first time. Then I passed the division test. 3 days later, I finally passed the addition and subtractions (backwards, of course).

        I'm the type of learner where understanding the practical benefits makes it

        • Well, for one, it almost held me back in math.

          Because the rule was that I had to pass the time tables for addition and subtraction before moving on to multiplication and division. I could do the work, I just wasn't fast enough.

          Finally, in frustration, they let me do the multiplication test. I passed the first time. Then I passed the division test. 3 days later, I finally passed the addition and subtractions (backwards, of course).

          I'm the type of learner where understanding the practical benefits makes it a lot easier for me to learn the stuff. Tell me to determine the volume of a cylinder is a bit abstract. Tell me to calculate the dimensions of a cylinder to hold enough water for 100 cattle that need 20L each per day, for 30 days, and even though it's technically harder, I actually find it easier. And being able to figure out the latter is much more useful in real life.

          Here's an experiment to try - since your approach to math isn't quite standard. Neither is mine, which is why I ask. Get a slide rule if you can, then learn it. For me, it blew my mind with its using mechanics to solve math and advanced calculation problems. Changed my entire outlook towards math.

          Or maybe I'm just a latter day Rain man! 8^) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

          • Here's an experiment to try - since your approach to math isn't quite standard. Neither is mine, which is why I ask. Get a slide rule if you can, then learn it. For me, it blew my mind with its using mechanics to solve math and advanced calculation problems. Changed my entire outlook towards math.

            I'm not objecting to the slide rule idea - it just wasn't necessary for me. I'm the type I can do quadratic equations in my head but had the misfortune to go to the "blue collar" school in my area. They didn't really know what to do with me. The time table thing was back in elementary. They had me doing all the computer work for the teachers, on Apple-IIe and earlier. I remember doing programming work involving moving a little turtle around the screen.

            I now have a Master's in computer science and a min

      • What was wrong with "drill and kill", also known as "practice will improve a skill"?

        This!

        I find that gaining a deep and abiding concept of 9 times 7 to be a waste of time. It's 63 for gawd's sake. You can do it in your mind after memorization.

        I have more important things to do with using math than investigating the nuances of the times tables.

    • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      Probably because the current common core math is a joke that even parents can't figure out how to work things out with.

      So a whole state going with something new is likely going to start a sea change in switching the math curriculum around.

      Sure "drill and kill" taught you math, but it never really taught you applications of math. It's how we end up with cashiers who if they mistype a value on the register, cannot calculate the proper change without searching for a calculator (or worse yet, have no idea what

  • IM’s problem-based curriculum [illustrati...atics.blog] has an intentional lesson design focused on independent, group, and whole-class instruction. A typical lesson has four phases”:

    * a warm-up
    * one or more instructional activities
    * the lesson synthesis
    * a cool down or “Look-fors”

    At each of these phases, there are opportunities for educators to facilitate entry points designed to maximize access for all students. The curriculum’s built-in suggested supports can guide an educator
  • by manu0601 ( 2221348 ) on Saturday July 06, 2024 @06:22PM (#64605805)
    Many countries manage to teach maths to children, without the money that billionaires did not pay in taxes.
  • Been tutoring all age groups for a couple decades. First fail is, considering the huge variety of individuals, there is no monolithic curriculum, and as a student progresses, it also changes. Second, as humans walking around in the world, we already innately do all sort of very complex math without noticing, just nobody has every put a label on it for us. Third is discover the compelling application that can provide metaphors for the math involved, like cooking, athletics, music, whatever. Fourth is realizi
  • A motivated student with average abilities and a supportive family and community will do fine with any of these curricula.

    • I'm not so sure. My school district introduced the New Math when I was in 7th grade. In 9th grade, those of us from that school district joined kids from several other districts to go to high school. All but one of those districts had the New Math as well. Guess which students were a year behind? That's right, the students from the New Math districts had to start with a subject (Algebra 1) that the other students had already learned.

      One of my high school math teachers had me take two math courses in my

      • I'm not so sure. My school district introduced the New Math when I was in 7th grade. In 9th grade, those of us from that school district joined kids from several other districts to go to high school. All but one of those districts had the New Math as well. Guess which students were a year behind? That's right, the students from the New Math districts had to start with a subject (Algebra 1) that the other students had already learned.

        Not surprising at all. Taking simple math and purposely making it way more complicated then needed is going to slow student's down.

        Yes, I memorized the times tables back in the day. Yes my son had that whacky math that turned simple things into a many step process. A process that worked against committing the calculations to memory.

        And in the end, the common core students understood less than the people who memorized simple math.

        And in the end, if it worked, we'd have a generation of math wunderkins.

  • I'm goddamned tired of people with a "Better Idea" experimenting on children's education.
    When my kids were in school, they were having trouble with math one year, and I was told that I couldn't help them because the teacher wanted them to do it "this way".
    I sat down with their math teacher who explained how they wanted them to do long multiplication. It was the most convoluted mess of a system I've ever seen, filled with "do this step, but you don't need to understand why". As an Engineer, I kinda felt li

    • I posted something before I read your post, but I think I agree 110%. (I know, agreeing 110% is a math error :).) My post is currently just above yours, but if you're curious you can ^F for Feynman.

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      The "Peter principle" was originally discovered to apply to "educators". They are routinely not very smart, with notable exceptions.

    • I even went to the Illustrative Mathematics website to see how it had performed. There's lots of persuasive pages, lots of presentations on how it works, lots of "...a comprehensive suite of math curricula and professional learning offerings designed to encourage engaging and affirming math instruction and support the development of positive mathematical identities", but not a single study of students who've been exposed to it. No peer review, no pros v. cons, just "Do it our way, trust us". I'm too old and cranky to do that, thank you very much.

      Just checked scholar.google.com and I'm not seeing such studies ether.

      Though you do have some confounding factors:
      1. Teachers teaching by a new system tend to do better just because it's a new system. It's almost like a placebo effect. I've said before that maybe we should change up the systems every 3 years or so just to keep this going. Just as long as it is new to the teacher.
      2. Different schools have different populations. What would work in a middle-class school that is filled mostly with Asian i

  • Most people are not smart enough to "develop math skills". Trying to force them to is futile.

    • But you also get people who are "bad at math" who can calculate RBIs and such, things they're interested in, without appreciable effort.

      I think it's kind of like creating a weight loss diet. The hard part isn't dropping the calories necessary to lose weight. It isn't even creating one that provides all the other nutrients. The real trick is managing to do so while keeping the diet such that a person won't cheat all the benefits away, can keep it up long term, and don't feel starved by the diet, which mak

    • Depends on the country. Americans aren't even in the top 10. We tie with Italy at #28.
  • If they are using Illustrative Mathematics in high school, it seems their math system has failed already ! But we're talking about New York City.....so !
  • now in session.

  • ...have bazillion conspiracies attached to it. If he didn't have all that money, people wouldn't touch his ideas with a 640 ft. pole.

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