Math scores add up with best worldwide

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Students at Hammarskjold Middle School rank with the top five countries in the world on one of the most important math and science barometers

According to a presentation made by district officials at the Jan. 27 Board of Education meeting, Hammarskjold students’ scores, when measured against the international standard, are on par with the scores of students in Japan and Singapore. That’s well above the United States as a whole, which placed 36th worldwide in the Third International Math and Science Study.

The report was part of a larger study done by the East Brunswick mathematics department to evaluate how students in the district are doing in math. Not only was test performance measured, but students, faculty and parents were asked questions about the district’s math classes. Christopher Herte, supervisor of mathematics and basic skills, wrote the report.

Herte attributed the program’s success to the well-defined curriculum, which is written by staff and the administration.

“We also have fantastic parents who are very supportive of math programs and education in general,” he said.

In the evaluation, which led to the report, the district sought to learn if it has the right programs for its students, if the curriculum was taught in a way to provide all students the chance to learn, and if students were meeting program goals.

The study found the curriculum is “well-aligned with the state and national standards,” the report said. In some grade levels, students have even surpassed that.

It was also learned that there are no gaps in what East Brunswick students learn and what the state and national standards stipulate, the report said. Scores on required state and national math tests also were high.

The district also was pleased to learn of the classroom grades achieved by students across the board.

For instance, a vast majority of students are earning either A’s or B’s in math courses. At the elementary level, 87 percent scored an A or B; at Hammarskjold, 84 percent had A’s or B’s; at Churchill Junior High School, the percentage of students scoring A’s or B’s was 59 percent; and at East Brunswick High School it was 57 percent, the report found.

But the district was also pleased with students’ perceptions of the math classes. For instance, at the elementary level, 92 percent of students said they feel successful in mathematics, compared with 91 percent at Hammarskjold, 79 percent at Churchill, and 72 percent at the high school, the report showed.

Student SAT scores also have been high, as 50 percent of high school students scored 600 or higher, as compared to only 26 percent nationwide. The report showed that 79 percent scored 500 or higher.

Regardless, some students required extra help. According to the report, 39 percent of students at Hammarskjold reported needing extra help in math, and about 10 percent required private tutoring.

At Churchill, 43 percent needed extra math help, and 17 percent had private tutoring. At the high school, 42 percent of students got extra help and 20 percent were privately tutored.

Herte said the district uses hands-on projects to make math more digestible and fun to learn. He also said the district is continually evaluating and revising methods.