SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pearson, the world's largest educational publisher, today applauded California educators for results of a recent study showing a significant improvement in math test scores among the state's eighth grade students.
According to the study, 53 percent of California eighth graders are doing better in Algebra than they were five years ago. The data is contained in "Math and Science Education for the California Workforce: It Starts with K-12," conducted by EdSource, a Bay Area education research group.
Major factors contributing to the success, researchers said, have been the California Board of Education's decision to mandate algebra as a requirement for high school graduation. It also said encouraging more students to complete algebra by the eighth grade was also a catalyst.
"We credit the state for setting higher expectations for math," said Vicky Bush, Pearson's vice president for California. "Furthermore, we're seeing that teachers have developed a deep understanding and appreciation for the effectiveness of our textbooks, which are used by more than half of all of California's seventh and eighth graders. A strong and familiar curriculum is now in place and is clearly playing a supporting role in the progress California is making in math."
Bush noted that the continued use of these widely used programs -- based on Pearson Prentice Hall's algebra and pre-algebra instructional materials, which have recently been updated and enhanced -- suggests there is no need for school districts to revamp programs that are already working. She also said that staying the course with proven programs has budgetary benefits because it reduces costs associated with new program implementation.
"What we're hearing from the schools is that they don't have the funding required for the professional development required when switching to new math programs," Bush said. "That reality, coupled with the fact educators intimately know our program and its proven track record, is giving them a measure of stability and confidence during this time of fiscal restraint."
Bush said the EdSource study also suggests middle schools should focus resources on new algebra readiness programs to provide the necessary foundation for future success. The flip side of the EdSource study is that despite the positive direction California is heading, far too many students are still scoring below proficient on the state exam, Bush said, citing a statistic from the EdSource study that 60 percent of eighth graders are falling short on the California algebra exam.
"Continued stability through our core algebra programs, along with a new emphasis on resources for algebra readiness instruction, will help drive sustained academic progress for districts," she said. "We are privileged to be working closely with them to help support California math teachers boost algebra performance for all middle school students."
About Pearson in California:
Pearson, the world's leading education publisher, has been providing education materials to California schools as far back as the 1800s. You may know us individually as Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Longman, SuccessMaker, NovaNet, AGS, Pearson School Systems, Pearson Assessment, Learning Teams, Achievement Solutions, and so many more -- names in the world of education that are recognized and respected across the State and the globe. In fact, most teachers in California have learned their profession by studying with Pearson's Merrill or Allyn & Bacon textbooks, and many have benefited from our professional development programs. Today, nearly a thousand Pearson people are living and working in the State, providing educational materials that cover the gamut from birth through professional learning. Whether in science, math, social studies, music, middle/high school language arts, foreign languages, English as a Foreign Language or AP courses, hundreds of thousands of California's preK-12 students are learning with our Pearson products every day. In addition to Education, Pearson's other major businesses include The Financial Times Group and The Penguin Group. For more information, go to: http://www.californiareading.com/ or http://www.pearsonschool.com/.
