By Ericka MellonNovember 20, 2014 Updated: November 20, 2014 8:42pm

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In homes across Texas, parents say their children are in tears over math homework.

Some students who used to make A's have seen their grades plummet.

Three months into the academic year, public school classrooms are absorbing the impact of the state's tougher math standards. In many cases, concepts that used to be covered in higher grade levels now must be taught to younger children.

The State Board of Education heard concerns Thursday from parents, teachers and administrators about the new standards, but little immediate relief is expected. The math changes took effect in elementary and middle school this school year; they will roll out in high schools next year.

Many agree the higher expectations are good - some districts report students are rising to the challenge - but the learning curve is steep. And pressure is ramping up as teachers prepare students for the mandatory standardized exams known as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness this spring.

"Children are making comments like, 'I am stupid. I'm not good at school,' " Andrea Gonzales, an elementary school principal in the Wimberley Independent School District, told a State Board committee meeting Thursday in Austin. "It's causing them to vomit and to have stress."

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams has agreed that students will not be held back if they score poorly on the math part of the STAAR this school year, but others are pushing for reduced pressure on teachers and school districts.

The Texas Association of School Administrators wants Williams to remove math performance from school accountability ratings this year.

Annual math tests

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The State Board approved the new math standards in 2012 as part of its regular review of different subject areas but held off on implementation until this school year to allow for the adoption of new textbooks and to give teachers time to prepare. Texas has revised its math standards over the years but the latest changes are the biggest overhaul since they were created in the late 1990s.

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Bonnie Scheidt, a math curriculum specialist for Pearland ISD, offered an example: In the past, sixth-graders were taught to multiply decimals. The skill now is supposed to be learned in fifth grade. She said teachers tried to introduce some concepts earlier last year so students wouldn't start this school year with a large gap in skills.

Making adjustments

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Bridget McKinney, a math specialist from Alief ISD, told the State Board that students who used to make A's are making B's. But she said the higher expectations will help students graduate ready to compete with their peers across the globe.

"It's a multiyear process, but ultimately our kids can do it," said Earl Snyder, another math specialist from Alief. "When I go into our classrooms now, our kids can reason and talk mathematically, and they've never been able to do that before. It's good for kids."

Drew Davis, whose son is a first-grader in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, said he's frustrated for the 6-year-old.

"He's getting word problems that are subtraction problems, and he hasn't been taught subtraction yet," Davis said. "Everybody's so busy pointing the finger at someone else that the kids are just being lost in the shuffle."

Parents tuned in

Cy-Fair ISD, the state's third-largest district, held three meetings in October that drew Davis and hundreds of other parents seeking clarity on the math standards.

Linda Macias, Cy-Fair's associate superintendent of curriculum, said in an interview that she hopes state officials consider relaxing the school accountability requirements for math this year.

"We've had to come in and fill in some of the gaps," she said. "But once we get past this, I believe it will be OK. The whole purpose is to provide a deeper understanding in math."

The State Board's instruction committee agreed Thursday to ask the full board to create a committee of parents and teachers to offer recommendations on the math standards.

Board member Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, a Republican from Dallas, said she knows the board approved the math standards two years ago but she now wishes for a slower rollout.

She also echoed concerns expressed by some parents that the changes overlap with the politically divisive Common Core education standards adopted by most other states.

"There were tears in my eyes listening to this," Miller said after several hours of public testimony. "I don't want to sit here and turn these parents away and say, 'Sorry, we can't do anything.' "

Ericka Mellon

Reporter, Houston Chronicle