The PISD School Board recently voted to adopt the controversial Connected Mathematics Project textbooks for implementation in all Middle Schools in the Fall of 1999. When these textbooks were reviewed for compliance to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills elements by the Texas Education Agency, they failed to address an average of 47.5% of those elements at each individual grade level. The teaching of Connected Math is characterized by:

The Texas Education Code section 26.003 states:

Rights Concerning Academic Programs "A parent is entitled to request, with the expectation that the request will not be unreasonably denied, the addition of a specific academic class in the course of study of the parent's child in keeping with the required curriculum if sufficient interest is shown in the addition of the class to make it economically practical to offer the class."

In sworn testimony before the House Public Education Committee on March 30, 1999, PISD Deputy Superintendent Keith Sockwell said of the math controversy in Plano, "If we need to re-look at it, we certainly are very willing to do this." Representative Hochberg commented, "It has continued to amaze me that the concept of customer service doesn’t seem to have every sunk into enterprises like school boards in general." In addition, Representative Gruisendorf questioned Mr. Sockwell regarding parent rights in section 26.003 of the Texas Education Code, "And I think it was some of our intent when we passed this statute that the parents would have this right. And it says, ‘shall not be unreasonably denied’. So, the question is, do these parents have that right--even though you may disagree with them?" Mr. Sockwell replied, "If that is certainly the interpretation, you know, if we have not interpreted that properly, certainly they may have that right."

Connected Math is in its third year of experimentation at Armstrong, Wilson, Haggard and Bowman Middle Schools. The following information is from the CMP website at http://www.math.msu.edu/cmp/Index.html:

FURTHERMORE, ON THE SAME WEBSITE, THE DEVELOPERS OF CMP ALSO ADDED:

"BECAUSE THE CURRICULUM DOES NOT EMPHASIZE ARITHMETIC COMPUTATIONS DONE BY HAND, SOME CMP STUDENTS MAY NOT DO AS WELL ON PARTS OF STANDARDIZED TESTS ASSESSING COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS AS STUDENTS IN CLASSES THAT SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME ON PRACTICING SUCH SKILLS. WE BELIEVE SUCH A TRADE-OFF IN FAVOR OF CMP IS VERY MUCH TO STUDENTS’ ADVANTAGE IN BOTH THE WORLD OF WORK AND IN CONTINUED STUDY OF MATHEMATICS."

PISD has decided a change is needed at the middle school level to improve scores on the end-of-course algebra exams - A STANDARDIZED TEST. There is absolutely no evidence that Connected Math will help Plano students do that since the students participating, in many cases unwillingly, in the pilot have not yet completed the curriculum and advanced to algebra. There are no test results to back up this claim. In addition, evidence from programs used in California similar to Connected Math have failed to demonstrate the effectiveness of this reform mathematics philosophy.

If you want an alternative math class, using the Mathematics: Applications and Connections textbooks published by Glencoe/McGraw Hill, sign this petition. These are highly rated textbooks and have been adopted in many of our neighboring districts. They were found to conform to all the required Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills elements when evaluated by the Texas Education Agency. The books use traditional instruction methods and have been found to have a high level of mathematical content. They are also part of the series of books that leads up to the Glencoe Algebra I textbook currently being used in 9th grade. By requesting this alternative, you are not asking for another class/teacher to be added. You are asking that a CMP class be replaced by the alternative you are requesting IN YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL. Therefore, there is no economic impact to the district.

This petition is for the addition of a specific academic class in the course of study of math for the parent or

guardian’s child named (print full name)_________________________that is entering _________th grade in

______6th grade .....Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Division, Mathematics: Applications and Connections, Course 1, Texas Edition.

______7th grade......Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Division, Mathematics: Glencoe Pre-Algebra: An Integrated Transition to Algebra and Geometry, Texas Edition, 7th grade.

______8th grade.....Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Division, Mathematics: Glencoe Pre-Algebra: An Integrated Transition to Algebra and Geometry, Texas Edition, 8th grade.

Your Printed name _______________________________________

Printed City, State, Zip _______________________________________

Phone _______________________________________

e-mail (join our mailing list) _______________________________________

Signature _______________________________________ Date __________________

_____I would agree to purchase the required textbook, if necessary (approx. cost about $40) so there will be no economic impact to the district. (If there is no economic impact to the district, the district may be more inclined to offer the choice.)

Please mail your signed petition to MATH CHOICE, c/o 3809 Glover, Plano TX 74074-4024.