Instead, this math problem is a more basic one: getting students to understand how important the study of mathematics is to their futures and to the country’s future.

“You never hear people say, ‘My mom couldn’t read, and I just can’t read either’,” said Lou Maynus, mathematics coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Education. “But you do hear people say, ‘I can’t do math,’ and it seems to be acceptable.”

State and county education leaders in the state are working hard to change the math mindsets of students, parents and even some teachers, Maynus said. The students’ future and the future of the state and country depend on them accomplishing that goal.

Stumbling Blocks

The mathematical process itself causes much of the problem with getting students interested in studying math, Maynus said.

“In math, unlike many other content areas, there are places where you’re going to get stuck,” Maynus said. “It’s very normal. It’s going to happen.”

In fact, math teachers count on it happening, she said.

Figuring out how to work through math problems is part of the teaching process. But getting students to understand that point isn’t always easy, said Toni DeVore, math and science curriculum supervisor for Wood County Schools.

“It’s not just important for the students to understand. It’s important for the parents to understand, too,” she said. “There is no math gene. We need to get that through to them.”

And testing data reflects those difficulties. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education, West Virginia lags behind the rest of the nation and the rest of the southern region in math achievement in most respects.

According to the data, in 2005 25 percent of West Virginia’s fourth-grade students were below the basic level. That is compared to 21 percent for the country and 20 percent for the south. Meanwhile, 50 percent of the state’s fourth-graders were at the basic level, compared to 44 percent for the nation and 46 percent for the country, the data shows.

But 24 percent of the state’s fourth-graders scored “proficient,” compared to 30 percent for both the country and the south.

The data also shows that in 2005, 2 percent of West Virginia fourth-grade students were advanced, compared to 5 percent nationally and 4 percent for the south.

By 2007, the numbers for fourth-graders had changed somewhat, the data shows. In that year, 19 percent of the state’s students were below basic, compared to 19 percent nationally and 18 percent regionally. But 49 percent of West Virginia students were at the basic level, compared to 43 percent nationally and 46 percent for the south, according to the data.

Bleak Outlook

Those numbers mostly reflect improvements from 2005 to 2007. Results from the state’s eighth-graders, however, show significant losses, the data shows. In 2007, 39 percent of eighth-graders in the state were below basic, compared to 30 percent for the nation and the south.

In West Virginia, 43 percent were basic, compared to 39 percent for the country and 41 percent for the south. But 16 percent of the state’s eighth-graders were proficient, compared to 24 percent nationally and 23 percent for the south.

According to the data, 2 percent of West Virginia eighth-graders were advanced, compared to 7 percent for the nation and 6 percent for the south.

Those numbers were up marginally from 2005, according to the report.

The problem has become so significant that the state recently started a new transitional math program for college-bound high school students, said Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Education.

Under the program, high schools in West Virginia must have four math credits to graduate, she said. Beginning in all schools in 2012, one of those classes can be the transitional math course.

“We have an online version of the course for schools that want to start offering it now,” she said.

For the new course, educators would evaluate each student’s standardized testing scores to determine whether he or she should enroll in the transitional course, Cordeiro said.

“If they need extra help, they are required to take it,” she said. “They can take (other courses) or the transitional course.”

The goal is to better prepare students for college-level math studies, Cordeiro said. The courses would be designed to accommodate students with different math skill levels.

Opening Doors

So why is math so important? There are a lot of reasons, Maynus said.

“People don’t realize how much they use (math),” she said.

Everything from calculating a tip in a restaurant to computing the fuel mileage for a vehicle involves math, Maynus said.

One recent survey showed that 78 percent of adults are unable to calculate the percentage of interest on a loan, she said.

A better understanding of mathematics also will improve the range of job and career options open to students, Maynus said. A study by the National Science Board recently showed the growth rate for math-intensive jobs is outpacing the overall jobs growth rate by a ratio of 3-to-1.

“Even those who go to work in an auto plant when they graduate from high school are going to have to know math,” she said. “Jobs (that require math) are growing exponentially.”

For some jobs, the need for math education is obvious: Astronomers, computer engineers, accountants and physicians all need strong math skills.

But math education also can benefit those preparing for other professions. The American Bar Association and numerous law schools recommend that pre-law students take math classes to help them learn to think critically and sharpen their reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Because math education can have such a huge impact on students and their career choices, the state is putting an emphasis on improving math scores, Maynus said.

Leading the Way

At the core of the state’s efforts are math leadership teams that were established in each county, Maynus said. “At the elementary level, we’re focusing on professional development,” she said. “… We brought in 50 of the best elementary math teachers in the state and asked them, ‘What would a model lesson in elementary math education look like?’ We decided to videotape them. It took a whole year.”

Those videos are used to show the best methods for teaching math, Maynus said. Part of the work is changing ideas about what a math class should be.

“We want to show them that a math classroom isn’t stagnant,” she said.

Some counties in West Virginia are working on a separate project designed to improve math education, Cordeiro said. At this time, 18 counties are using money from a Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation grant to purchase Carnegie Learning Cognitive Tutor software. The software helps students with subjects like Algebra I.

In Kanawha County Schools, the pilot project is totally online and focuses on Algebra Support and Algebra I, Cordeiro said.

It’s all geared toward changing our mindsets about mathematics — a subject in which United States students have lagged behind the rest of the world for years now. Students, parents and teachers must realize the importance of math in our futures, DeVore said.

“Math is just as important as reading,” she said. “In this high-tech world … math is one of the most important subject areas.”