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<p>Dear Curriculum Directors/ Education Leaders: The purpose of this message is to communicate the High School Mathematics Core/Comprehensive Instructional Materials Final Recommendations, pursuant to 2007 House Bill 1906. The state Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in consultation with the State Board of Education (SBE), to recommend no more than three basic mathematics curricula at the elementary, middle and high school levels. RCW 28A.305.215 (7)(b) proscribes the following process for the Superintendent to make his curricula recommendations: “Within two months after the presentation of the recommended curricula, the state board of education shall provide official comment and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the recommended mathematics curricula. The superintendent of public instruction shall make any changes based on the comment and recommendations from the state board of education and adopt the recommended curricula.” The recommendations serve as a guide to school districts in the state of Washington regarding which curricula are most aligned with the revised K-12 mathematics standards. Superintendent Dorn’s final high school recommendations are based on both the work of OSPI and the SBE as directed by statute. The final recommendation for high school is: Holt Mathematics. Please note that OSPI has recommended the math curricula as per the legislated requirement. It is not the role of OSPI to direct which curricula a school district may or should select. It is not a state requirement for any district to specifically use the recommended curricula. It is the position of Superintendent Dorn that the SBE and OSPI recognize that additional study and a review of the current recommendation may be appropriate in the next few years after curricula publishers have had sufficient time to make revisions to better align their products with Washington State’s mathematics standards. BACKGROUND On January 15, 2009, Superintendent Dorn made initial High School Core/Comprehensive Instructional Materials recommendations to the SBE. Those initial recommendations were Holt Mathematics, Discovering Mathematics, and Core-Plus Mathematics. The SBE was required to \"provide review and formal comment on proposed recommendations\" to OSPI regarding math curricula. SBE made their comments and recommendations to OSPI during the March 13, 2009 SBE meeting. The board recommended additional work be done to reconcile differences in two different reviews conducted by OSPI and SBE. In light of unprecedented budget shortfall, funds for continuing this work are not currently available and no further study was possible. As districts are making adoption decisions, excellent information is available from OSPI and SBE. OSPI’s High School Core/Comprehensive Instructional Materials review and report can be found at: http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/publishernoticesMathematics.aspx. The final results of the SBE’s review of the mathematics instructional materials are posted on the SBE website: http://www.sbe.wa.gov/documents/2009-3-8WAHSCurriculumStudy.pdf. ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS It is important to note that successful mathematics programs may exist with virtually any of the reviewed curricula. While instructional materials matter, other factors contribute to the success of students learning mathematics in Washington State. Those factors include quality of instruction, parent involvement, available supports, and numerous other aspects. The results of the mathematics basic curriculum reviews is coupled with the results of our recently completed K-12 mathematics supplemental materials review, to build a system of support for districts using any mathematics curricula. This supplemental materials report can be found at: http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/publishernoticesMathematics.aspx. In addition, OSPI is working closely with the regional Educational Service Districts to convene “like-user” groups for review of the various curricula in use across the state and to determine what supplemental materials are being used and/or need to be developed to ensure better alignment with our new math standards. Regarding the revised K-12 mathematics standards, there are no immediate plans to revise these newly adopted standards. However, we will continue to monitor nationwide efforts to develop a consistent set of standards that would be commonly used across the country. School districts should move forward with strong implementation of the new mathematics standards. Questions concerning this communication may be directed to the Teaching &amp; Learning Mathematics Office at (360) 725-0437 or Greta Bornemann, Mathematics Director for Teaching &amp; Learning, at greta.bornemann@k12.wa.us. The agency TTY number is (360) 664-3631. EXECUTIVE SERVICES Ken Kanikeberg Chief of Staff K-12 EDUCATION Alan Burke, Ed.D. Deputy Superintendent RD:kc</p>
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