US schools take cue from Singapore to raise math scores

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http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130817/BETTERLIFE03/308170047/JCPS-schools-takes-cue-from-Singapore-raise-math-scores

Surrounded by colorful number cards, dozens of elementary teachers from across Louisville are learning a new way of teaching math that focuses on problem-solving and in-depth understanding — rather than rote memorization.

This is because more than a dozen Jefferson County public elementary schools are adopting 'Math in Focus: The Singapore Approach', modeled after a curriculum that has made Singapore a world leader in math education in the hope that it will help their students better understand math.

“Our old math program just wasn’t getting it done,” said Tim Hagan, principal at Hite Elementary School in Middletown, which is adopting Math in Focus. “Our kids weren’t understanding the concepts; we would see fifth-graders using their fingers to add and subtract. And with the new standards, we needed to find a better fit.”