PHOENIX — Some education officials worry that the way math is taught in Arizona’s public schools may be contributing to students’ poor performances on state science tests.
An analysis of science test scores from the Arizona Department of Education found that very few schools saw the majority of their student body excelling on the AIMS, AIMS A and ACT Science exams in 2019.
That year, 17% of Arizona schools had over 80% of their students pass these exams. Only 45% of schools saw 60% or more of its student body passing the tests.
What do these numbers say about the state of math education in Arizona?
The numbers aren’t surprising to Neena Bhakta, the director of Kumon Phoenix-Happy Valley and Kumon North Central. She attributes the data to a lack of focus on basic math skills.
Bhakta said students are often pushed to the next grade before they’ve properly grasped mathematical fundamentals, which sets them up for failure when it comes to learning science.
“Sometimes, when they do bring in their homework, they don’t know how to do 2 + 2. So, then, it’s really hard for them to explain what 2 + 2 is or break it down,” Bhakta said.
Other reasons why science, math education is lacking in Arizona
Lisa Neilson, a K-6 STEAM teacher at the Tanque Verde Elementary School in Tucson, said science is often pushed aside in favor of other subjects.
“I’m not seeing a lot of time for the instruction of the building blocks of science. So, by the time students get to middle school, they’ve only had a handful of science lessons,” Neilson said.
Students often aren’t given the context they need to fully understand science, which sets them up for failure when they learn more in-depth concepts later on, she added.
“Students have gaps in the learning from one grade level to the next,” Neilson said. “Instead of teaching them what they need to know at this level, I have to kind of go back a little bit, so they have those skills in order to engage in the science.”
What can parents do to strengthen their child’s math, science skills?
According to the Arizona Department of Education, in 2017, 40% of Arizona students were proficient in math. In 2021, that number dropped to 31%.
Bhakta said various other factors play a role in the state’s poor performance in terms of science and math education, such as the ongoing teacher shortage and the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic.
There’s one silver lining: the basics of math skills can be learned at home, Bhakta said.
“Practice math facts. Even five nights out of the seven, in the car while you’re driving, practice facts. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. If those four operations are solid, they can do so much advanced work,” Bhakta said.
How can teachers help students bolster their knowledge in math and science?
One thing teachers can do to improve their students’ test scores is incorporating real-life examples into their lessons, Neilson said.
“Too often in education we take the learning out of context,” Neilson said. “So, we take the math out of context, and we give them a worksheet, or we take the science out of the context, and we give them just an article to read.”
Taking the extra step of contextualizing how a lesson will help a student can do a world of good, she said.
“It’s really important kids have the time to get hands-on and connect back to the real world, so they understand how it how it all comes together,” Neilson said.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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