At its June 4, 2014 meeting, the Seattle School Board voted 4-3 to adopt Math in Focus as its math curriculum for K-5 schools starting in the 2014-2015 school year.
Math in Focus is adapted from Singapore’s My Pals are Here Maths for the North American market.
Previously, most of Seattle’s schools 59 elementary schools had used Everyday Mathematics.
A Math Adoption Committee (MAC) reviewed many options and recommended the adoption of enVision Math from Pearson.
The Committee discounted Math in Focus because it wasn’t aligned to the Common Core State Standards and had a higher cost than enVision.
For many years, a community-wide, grass roots coalition has pushed for consideration of Singapore Math® materials in Seattle. One Seattle school, Seattle’s Schmitz Park Elementary, has successfully used Primary Mathematics under a waiver of District requirements for many years.
On June 4, several school board members justified their support for Math in Focus rather than enVision by citing:
- the program’s clarity and rigor,
- how its visual approach works for struggling readers and English language learners,
- backing from teachers and the community, and
- their view that Math in Focus was worth the higher price.
The Board considered, but rejected, a proposal for a dual adoption of both enVision and Math in Focus. Ultimately, the Board voted to adopt Math in Focus on a 4-3 vote.
Interested in reading or hearing/watching more? Here are some links to coverage of the Seattle School Board’s decision:
- KUOW.org: In Surprise Move, Seattle Schools Approve ‘Singapore Math’ (includes audio story)
- Melissa Westbrook’s Seattle Schools Community Forum: Melissa live blogged during the June 4 meeting and has plenty of post adoption news.
- Seattle Times: Seattle School Board must find extra cash after it picks pricier textbook
About Cassy Turner
