CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eleven West Virginia counties, including Kanawha and Putnam, have told state education officials they plan to revert next school year to the traditional high school math course structure that predated the national Common Core standards.
So far, 26 districts have indicated whether they will return to the previous structure of Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II or continue with the new “integrated” math courses of Math I, II and III, according to data presented Wednesday to the West Virginia Board of Education.
The integrated courses combine algebra, geometry and other math subjects in each course.
The traditional course structure focusing on individual subjects existed before Common Core, a set of math and English/language arts standards that, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, have been adopted by more than 40 states in the hopes of establishing a rigorous set of national teaching requirements.
However, schools will be required to continue teaching to the Common Core standards even if they revert to the old course structure.
“It’s the same set of standards,” said Joey Wiseman, director of secondary learning for the West Virginia Department of Education. “It’s just how they’re grouped.”
The counties reverting to the traditional structure are: Brooke, Calhoun, Greenbrier, Hardy, Harrison, Kanawha, Mason, Morgan, Pendleton, Putnam and Ritchie.
Those staying with the integrated courses are…