Nearly half of the undergraduate teacher education programs in Kansas have earned an F grade in preparing future educators to instruct students in math.
Six of the 16 undergrad programs at Kansas colleges and universities earned the failing grade — several of them at schools known for their education programs — and none earned better than a “B” in the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) latest national study of math education.
Emporia State, Friends University, Kansas State, Newman, Ottawa, and Southwestern College are graded “F” by NCTQ. Baker University, Benedictine College, MidAmerica Nazarene, Pittsburg State, the University of Kansas, Washburn, and Wichita State earned a “B.” Fort Hays State and the University of St. Mary received a “C,” and Sterling College got a “D.”
Both graduate programs evaluated by NCTQ — Emporia and Kansas State University — are rated “F.”
The study evaluated how many instructional hours are spent on five topics: numbers and operations, algebraic thinking, geometry and measurement, data analysis and probability, and math pedagogy. (Math pedagogy is defined as “the practical and theoretical practice of teaching and learning mathematics.)
According to the NCTQ study, the grades are determined by the amount and distribution of instructional time.
- A+ Program requires at least 150 instructional hours across the five topics and 100% of the recommended target hours for each topic
- A Program requires at least 135 instructional hours across the five topics and at least 90% of the recommended target hours for each topic
- B Program requires at least 120 instructional hours (80%) across the five topics
- C Program requires at least 105 instructional hours (70%) across the five topics
- D Program requires at least 90 instructional hours (60%) across the five topics
- F Program requires fewer than 90 instructional hours (<60%) across the five topics
Emporia State, for example, spends zero hours on any topic except “math pedagogy,” which gets ten and a half hours of instruction. K-State spends about the same amount of time on pedagogy — 10.7 hours — at the undergraduate level.
Overall, Kansas received a “moderate” grade for teacher math education, slightly above the national average.
NCTQ says Kansas receives a “moderate” grade on setting specific, detailed math standards for teacher prep programs. The state received “strong” grades for reviewing teacher prep programs to ensure they are providing strong math instruction and for adopting a strong elementary math licensure test.
However, Kansas was graded “weak” in requiring districts to select high-quality math curricula and supporting “skillful implementation.”
Kansas also received a “moderate” grade on providing continuing math education to teachers.
This study comes as the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress scores show 60% of Kansas 4th graders are not proficient in math.
Indeed, 24% of 4th graders lack basic math knowledge, 37% are ranked “basic,” and just 40% are either “proficient” or “advanced.”
Indeed, the latest NAEP scores show a decline in math proficiency since 2003.
In 2003 41% of 4th graders and just 34% of 8th graders were rated “proficient.” That increased to just over 50% of 4th graders and about 40% of 8th graders by 2007, before declining sharply starting in 2013. There were slight gains between 2015 and 2017 before another severe drop in the 2019-2022 time frame. In 2022 approximately 35% of 4th graders and about 23% of 8th graders were “proficient.” While scores increased in the 2024 testing; 40% of 4th and 26% of 8th graders were proficient; the numbers are still well below their — still low — 2007 peaks.
The NCTQ study says, “Mathematics knowledge is highly cumulative in nature, meaning that students who struggle to learn foundational math concepts are likely to continue to struggle well into middle and high school,” the study notes. “A student who struggles in math early on may never catch up.”
