Worker Wellness Blog: Do the Math!
Date Posted: December 16, 2024
Posted In: Discussion, Ideas, Workforce,
by Dr. John Gaal
Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature.
The MO Works Initiative focuses on creating healthy and recovery friendly workplaces; connecting laid-off workers with job-search or upskilling resources for future employment; and collaborating with community partners to offer innovative points of entry to traditional apprenticeship opportunities.
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the decrease in US opioids overdose deaths as well as the twists in recent settlements; to the increase in interests regarding once-banned psychedelics for mental health treatments; to how low birthrates and growing elderly populations are negatively impacting friends and foes of the USA.
This week I would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the importance of MATH scores.
Nearly 20 years ago, I sat down to begin writing my doctoral dissertation…on of all things: MATH. Since the early 2000s I was serving on a number of advisory committees at the local, regional, national, and international levels that focused on improving student outcomes…especially when it came to MATH. So, here we are two decades later still worrying about the future of our nation and our kids.
Some of you may have recently read the two WSJ articles I will be soon citing. A few of you may be saying to yourself: Why is the WSJ—a “conservative business” paper—reporting on issues related to MATH (and kids)? The fact is that MATH is all around us! On one hand, the daily news reports you read or hear often use statistics related to a study to make their point. On the other hand, what just popped up on your cell phone’s feed is based on algorithms…in short, MATH. Unfortunately, due to laws like NCLB (No Child Left Behind), many of the so-called fixes were rushed into the marketplace. Sadly, most of these were based on anecdotal data versus empirical evidence. To this end, in my doctoral research, I felt compelled to set the record straight…for better or worse. The idea of “embedding” MATH credit in other required topics during the school day—and counting this as MATH towards graduation—worked better on paper than in the real world…at least in my pilot study…which was later published in a peer-reviewed journal!
The first article suggests that US student MATH scores dipped.[1] While some of this was related to COVID’s school closures and learning loss, in reality our kids’ math scores (2023) remain above the international average according to TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study).
Why is this important? Because this test has long been viewed as an “economic predictor” of student and country success. Meanwhile, the second article indicates that American adults are falling behind their international competition.[2] The most recent tally of the PISA (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies)—wherein adults in 31 industrialized countries across the globe were tested on numeracy and problem solving skills—noted that the recent US adults “problem solving” scores dropped their ranking to 24 out of 31…below the international average. These authors suggest that the latest scores (2023) may be due to more screen time and less reading. Why is this important? Because employers might have a hard time finding workers with basic critical thinking skills.
My point? As a nation, we need to stop viewing MATH as a four-letter word and begin acknowledging its importance to everyday living. Where can we start?[1] In the home: Take the time to explain to your children how MATH is a tool that can be leveraged to solve small and big problems…whether it’s a cooking recipe or building a deck. [2] In the schools: I, for one, believe it is more important to teach our high-schoolers stats than pre-calc. Why? Not all students will go on to become doctors or engineers…but ALL students will go on to become consumers and workers!
Pease check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/
Sources:
[1] https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/us-student-test-scores-covid-impact-bf3ec65a
[2] https://www.wsj.com/us-news/america-us-math-proficiency-falling-1b5ac73c