COMMUNITY FEEDBACK REQUESTED BY NCDHHS – ADD MATH

November 19, 2018

The NC Department of Health and Human Services released a draft statewide Early Childhood Action Plan and is asking for community feedback in writing by November 30^th. The goal of the plan is to improve early childhood outcomes across NC for children ages 0 – 8. Ten high level goals range from improving housing and hunger to health and academics. While it is encouraging to see reading included in the plan, (goal #10 is stated as “Grade Level Reading: Young children across North Carolina will read on grade-level in elementary school.”), it is surprising that math is not currently included as a goal. This document should ideally drive action across the state and so what is included (or excluded) matters.

Photo credit: www.cvcsd.stier.org

Here are some reasons it is important to include math in efforts to improve early childhood outcomes:

• School-entry math skills are predictive of later achievement in both math and reading – with an even higher correlation than school-entry reading skills. (Greg Duncan, et. Al, 2007)
• Only 40% of fourth graders in North Carolina are on grade level in math. (2017 NAEP)
• Math at age 7 impacts socio-economic status at age 42 (Source: Ritchie & Bates, Enduring Links From Childhood Mathematics and Reading Achievement to Adult Socioeconomic Status, 2013)

The Early Childhood Action Plan can be found here: https://files.nc.gov/ncdhhs/ECAP-Draft-11.01.18.pdf

Community members are invited to go on record requesting that math be incorporated as a high-level goal along with reading (“Grade Level Reading AND Math”) by emailing ECAP@dhhs.nc.gov.

EXAMPLE FEEDBACK:

Dear NCDHHS –

I saw a copy of the Early Childhood Action Plan and want to urge you to include math in goal #10 (“Grade level reading and math”). Math is critical to academic confidence, high-school graduation, and post-secondary and employment options, and skills must be developed early. Here are some additional stats:

• School-entry math skills are predictive of later achievement in both math and reading – with an even higher correlation than school-entry reading skills. (Greg Duncan, et. Al, 2007)
• Only 40% of fourth graders in North Carolina are on grade level in math. (2017 NAEP)
• Math at age 7 impacts socio-economic status at age 42 (Source: Ritchie & Bates, Enduring Links From Childhood Mathematics and Reading Achievement to Adult Socioeconomic Status, 2013)

In early years, math and literacy skills are closely tied (executive function skills, language that organizes/categorizes/describes, ordering and quantities). Please make sure families, educators, and community leaders know how important both subjects are to success and that neither subject is left behind – at children’s detriment.

Thank you.