Students aren't the only ones who are having trouble with math; aspiring teachers struggle too.
More than 600 Massachusetts teacher candidates took a new math exam to earn their elementary school state license in March, but only about 27 percent of them passed, according to results released May 19. The Boston Globe reports that the state changed the testing requirements because teachers previously could earn a state license without solving one math question correctly on the general curriculum exam. Now that math is scored separately, their weaknesses are coming to light.
"While we have a lot to be proud of in Massachusetts about student math achievement, not all our students are receiving a strong math education, particularly in elementary school grades and particularly among students with disabilities," said Mitchell Chester, the state's commissioner of elementary and secondary education. "This test is designed to ensure our workforce, our teachers, have a strong understanding of math if they are going to teach math."
To improve teacher training, colleges throughout the state are beefing up their math requirements and developing new courses. The state has also called for aspiring teachers to take three to four college courses in math.
For the complete story, visit The Boston Globe.
