— Some Muskogee parents say their kids must struggle to learn math, reading and other subjects this year.

Muskogee Public Schools officials say students can expect even more challenges as MPS and other Oklahoma schools adopt more rigorous Common Core state standards.

“When your child comes home and says school is difficult, he’s not just playing games,” MPS language arts instructional coach Clevetta Haynes-Gray told parents at a public forum Monday night.

The district used the forum to tell parents about the Common Core standards and new math programs being instituted in the district.

Peggy Jones, MPS director of curriculum and instruction, said the Common Core is a new statewide curriculum schools are implementing through the 2014-2015 school year. She said the new curriculum is more rigorous than the current one and stresses increased literacy across all areas. She said social studies standards already have been implemented.

The district also is implementing new math standards this year, Jones said.

Dan Hattaway, MPS math instructional coach, said the new math standards go beyond the “A, B, C answers” on a test. He handed out a sample third-grade test question, featuring a six-square graph depicting a farmer’s field. The problem: A farmer plants three-fourths of a field with soybeans. The student, using a computer, must drag soybean icons to fill three-fourths of the field.

A second part of the question asks the student to type a fraction other than three-fourths — maybe six-eighths or nine-twelfths. The student must then explain why the two fractions are equal.

“There are 28 ways to do this answer,” Hattaway said. “And this is a third-grader doing this.”

He said the new standards encourage students to talk about math.

Jami Divelbiss, who has a first- and a fourth-grader at Sadler Arts Academy, said she’s been struggling to help her fourth-grader with math.

“How do you help them when they are struggling?” she asked.

Hattaway said the new program, called Everyday Math in the elementary levels, has caused a gap in vocabulary, concepts and algorithms classes adopt to the new system. However, he said having 90-minute math sessions each day has helped. MPS also has resources on its website to help explain the new math programs.

Another parent, Elizabeth Jardine, said the online resources helped her when she had to spend two weeks “home-schooling a sick kid.”

Jason Gonzales, whose two children attend Ben Franklin Science Academy, asked how social studies fits into the new curriculum.

Jones said improved literacy is stressed in all subjects, including science and social studies.

Haynes-Gray said more grades will be tested on social studies. Classes are getting more challenging.

“They moved Oklahoma history from fifth grade to third grade,” she said.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at (918) 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.