Committee approves bill to assess math teacher prep programs, student performance

A national assessment shows Indiana students have not made significant gains in math in recent years. Lawmakers are taking steps to ensure they don’t fall further behind. The House Education Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would establish requirements for math screeners, evaluation and intervention.

HB 1634 tasks the Indiana Department of Education with reviewing teacher preparation programs to ensure they teach a conceptual understanding of math, procedural fluency and real-world problem solving.

It also requires schools to screen students in kindergarten, first and second grade. Older students' math proficiency will be determined by a statewide assessment like ILEARN. If students in kindergarten through eighth grade are not proficient in math, schools must provide those students with intervention and support.

These proposed interventions are similar to what lawmakers approved last year in an effort to boost low reading scores. Lawmakers went as far as retaining third graders who do not pass the state's third grade reading test.

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The bill would also automatically enroll proficient fifth, sixth and seventh graders into an advanced math class.

An amendment to the bill would also consider those students’ grades, class rank and quality of coursework when considering whether to automatically enroll them in advanced classes. Parents would be able to opt their child out.

The bill now heads to the full House.
 

Kirsten is Indiana Public Broadcasting's education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.