Georgia math students stymied by accelerated pace and complex concepts expected in high school
One of the most well-informed group of posters on this blog has been parents and teachers concerned over the state’s new methodology for teaching math. I am eager to hear their comments on the statewide End of Course test results for Math II.
Only 52 percent of the students who took the End of Course Test for Math II in May passed, the state recently reported. Many students in metro Atlanta schools who took the tests squeaked by with barely passing grades, earning modest average scores of C’s and D’s for their districts.
The freshman class, meanwhile, fared somewhat better on the Math I End of Course Test, with 64 percent passing.
The benchmark scores reflect what several educators and parents have been saying all along: The new math curriculum, souped-up to get teens competitive for college, is leaving some students in the dust.
Tamela Cosby, an Atlanta Public Schools high school teacher, said only 20 percent of her ninth- and 10th-graders passed the final. They also struggled with the material in class.
“Since the course is a little difficult for the students, it’s not enough time to teach to mastery,” Cosby said. “They are not really understanding the material. For a lot of them, it’s the reading comprehension. They are not understanding what is being asked of them. It’s not just two plus two, there are word problems. They are not used to thinking in that aspect.”
About 80,000 teens statewide failed final exams in Math I and Math II in May.
Students in Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett schools earned a C-average for their district on the Math II End of Course Test. The lowest marks went to Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton County Schools, sharing a D-average on both Math I and Math II End of Course Tests. Two more affluent districts at opposite ends of the metro area — Forsyth and Fayette — rose to the top of the class, however, with students earning the equivalent of B’s on both Math I and Math II exams.
Kelly Price, a curriculum coordinator in Forsyth, saw her district do well, but she understood the challenges.
“Some students were good at the other way of doing math because all they had to do was memorize and regurgitate,” she said. “They never applied or understood, but they were good at spitting it back out. Now, we are asking them to put the pieces together. That is a whole different level of demonstrating mastery.”
The state Department of Education is optimistic that math scores will improve over time as teens adjust to the accelerated pace and get more familiar with complex concepts in algebra, geometry and statistics, which are being taught to students sooner than ever before. They see the end goal of dramatically improving state SAT scores and churning out classes of grads able to compete globally for jobs and admission to top colleges without remediation as within Georgia’s reach.
“We have to have well-educated students no matter what they are going to do after high school,” said Janet Davis, math program manager for the state DOE. “Our students have to be mathematically able to function in a 21st-century society. They are going to have to be problem solvers in a very different world.”
Beginning with the Class of 2012, every student must pass four years of math to receive a college prep diploma even if he or she plans to attend a technical school or enter the work force after graduation.
Some teens on the path to graduation got off to a shaky start. About 39,400 students failed the Math II End of Course Test, which accounts for 15 percent of their grade. About 40,600 students failed the Math I End of Course Test.
For the failing and near failing, help could soon be on the way. The state may allow some struggling math students to take an emergency break to keep them from veering off course toward a timely graduation.
State math officials have asked the Board of Education to consider a measure at their August meeting that will allow low-performing students headed for Math III — an Algebra II and statistics course – to instead take the slower Math III support class full time to meet their third-year requirement. Support classes for struggling students, taken in concert with math courses, spend more time on explaining complex math lessons. They were designed to help students be more successful at passing math core classes.
“This is a bridge measure we could put in place for the first two graduating classes instead of continuing to push them on into Math III,” Davis explained. “Our goal has always been to make sure that our students are learning the concepts at the most rigorous level possible, but not at the expense of our students.”
If successful at Math III support for the year, students could then take Math III senior year, Davis said.
If the state board approves the option, it could soon be extended to students across metro Atlanta where math final test scores were mediocre.
Despite her best efforts, even Donna Aker, a Gwinnett high school math teacher, said her daughter earned only a D in her Math II course with tutoring at school and at home from Mom. Aker said her own classes of Math I freshmen didn’t fare much better. Only about 60 percent of them passed the Math I course — with D’s, not A’s or B’s, as they tried to recall facts and formulas she says some may not even use after graduation.
“This is a true college-bound curriculum we are teaching — not all children are going to college,” said Aker. “I just don’t think that the one-size-fits-all approach is the way to go.”
It was a different story in Forsyth. Price said she is pleased with her district’s scores, adding that they will curb anxiety parents and students had about the state’s accelerated math program.
Price attributes Forsyth’s success to staff development and teachers sharing information on lessons that unlock the mysteries of math for struggling students. Math support also was used to help slower learners achieve better results.
Why are other students struggling in math? Aker, a 28-year veteran teacher and co-president of the Gwinnett County Association of Educators, says the math is aggressive and fast, which can intimidate slower learners; teachers are still learning the pitfalls of the curriculum, and they have to cover more ground.
Aker also said parents should be pushing their kids to work harder at home and at school.
Weisu Nugent of Atlanta says the new math curriculum will benefit students if they stick with it and study hard. She says her daughter, an 11th-grader at Druid Hills High, is soaring in accelerated math classes.
“If a child doesn’t have the habit of studying, when you reach a certain age, it gets more difficult,” she said. “It is hard for them to start high school math because when they reach high school, a lot of the kids don’t have a solid foundation. You have to practice every day.”
State officials predict that math final exam scores will climb. The new math curriculum was introduced to sixth-graders in 2005. The Class of 2019 will be the first to have had the accelerated math exposure from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
277 comments Add your comment
ASHLEY
July 30th, 2010
10:55 am
8th-Algebra, 9th-Unified Geometry, 10th-Algebra 2&Trigometry. 11th-Advanced Math and Analytical Geometry , since we didn’t offer calculus at my high-school I took it in 12th grade at the university. This all happen in the 70’s so this new math in Georgia isn;t really new just repackaged.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
10:58 am
I also think we have an issue with educational elitist like Kathy Cox. I happen to be very good at math yet had struggles with writing and reading skills via my dyslexia. Like most people we all have stuff we are good at and other stuff we struggle with. This is why a one size fit all system is irrational.
Also I have tremendous respect for people who have skills I do not have. People with dyslexia tend to be good executives according to studies because they learn at an early age to depend and work well with others to survive in school.
The educational elitists tend to look at anyone that is not in their box as less than them and or cannot understand why they do not fit in the box. We need leadership that is focused on working with a students God given skills not rejecting them for fitting into a size fit all box.
EnoughAlready
July 30th, 2010
11:00 am
Is there a requirement that highschool math teachers instruct students to use TI Graphing Calculator for math courses? Is it standard practice to only teach the students to perform math operations using the calculator?
The reason I am asking is because I have encountered a teacher who only instructed students how to perform math (accelerated algebra/geometry) with their TI Graphing Calculator.
And I’ll be honest, it really made me angry.
William Casey
July 30th, 2010
11:04 am
CherokeeMom: as a retired educator, I’m embarassed for my profession. I experienced too many similar stories as yours, especially during my time as an administrator.
I will say this, though. Unless your daughter plans a career in music (which you don’t seem to indicate,) I’d dial that down a bit right now and concentrate on the math whether she likes it or not. Her career goal (extremely subject to change at this point in her life) will require her to attend an institution of higher learning with serious math requirements. If she were my daughter, I’d focus on providing the foundation she will need for the next level. It’s called “focus.” My son was a talented basketball and baseball player. But, he is a much more talented math guy (doing a DOUBLE DEGREE in math and philosophy. Sports had to be dialed down (his decision) for the longer term good.
Finally, although the school behaved badly in your case, it is impossible for any school system to “customize” its programs to meet ALL the specific needs of each and every child. The taxpayers simply wouldn’t stand for the expense it would entail.
AJinCobb
July 30th, 2010
11:08 am
@EnoughAlready, does it make you really angry that you can only contribute to this blog via computer? Shouldn’t we be having this discussion via paper, ink and USPS?
My class-of-2012 student didn’t use a calculator in math class before high school. He learned times tables and mental math in elementary and middle school. I’ve been impressed with how graphing calculators allow much more realistic problems to be tackled in high school math than we were able to do back in the 70s using tables and slide rules.
It reads to me as if many parents are uncomfortable with graphing calculators because they themselves aren’t familiar with this technology, and they revert to an attitude of “if I didn’t use one when I was back in high school in the Good Old Days, then it’s an unnecessary and harmful innovation.” I don’t agree with this attitude.
2010 GA HS Graduate
July 30th, 2010
11:09 am
As someone that went through the old method and tried to tutor those on the new math system, I know it is annoying. We would have kids come in to Mu Alpha Theta (Math honor society) tutoring or ask for tutoring in band and only those taking Calculus BC felt confident enough to even attempt tutoring. When I did this, I found that they had even messed up all of the variables, which made tutoring even harder. I found out that instead of using degrees, they were simply placing it as x. Then, when they used radians, they still called it x. Can we go back to the old symbols we used to differentiate so that those tutoring know what to use? Also, the extra symbols helped me remember what I was looking for. I tried to show how to make charts of known data only to find that these problems did not lend themselves to my logical form of attack. Without logic, we are all lost.
On top of being a tutor, some of my teachers tested out some of the lessons on my class, just to see how we did. We wondered how you could ask some of these questions of freshmen. We understood the material thanks to being in H Analysis, but we knew it was dreaming to think a freshman would know it after one lesson. Same when they tried us on Stat.
And I agree with Cobb Mother all the way up there. If the private schools are still using the old math system, then why should we switch? One of my friends went to a top private school and got an amazing education. It led to a full ride scholarship based on the fact that he was one of the top four students in his class at college. My own public school pushed out 6 National Merit Scholars in 2009 and 4 in 2010, using the old math. Since this is based on PSAT and SAT scores, I doubt the old math was what hurt them. In fact, from what I remember, each said it was the english portions of the test they had trouble in. They had upper 700s in math. Hmm… Guess we will need new english next. As one may be able to tell, english was where I suffered slightly on the SAT, just like my classmates. Anyone wish to tackle another horrendous overhaul of a major subject?
I also think we should look at some of the other outcomes as well. Some of these students are going to move into Calculus and Statistics at the AP level. If there is a dip in those scores, seeing as that is a national test standardized so scores should be consistent from year to year, we know there is a problem with the new math. After all, it is the basics that can lead to large problems in Calculus. I don’t know how many times my teacher reminded us that the calculus was one step and actually quite easy, the rest was basic algebra that we had somehow messed up. We should see how these students fair on the national scale overall. My biggest worry when I saw this new system was trying to figure out who would be funneled into which AP and when. AP Stat sophomore year and Calc BC senior year was nice, and allowed me to enter college with 12 units of math. From what I saw, my friends taking new math would only get one opportunity to take an AP math course, which may also skew the comparisons as more fight to take calculus.
In about a week I will go visit my old math teachers and see what they think about this. After all, they should have had another course of new math freshly started by then, and they are always honest about what they think. They never were able to fully explain the logic behind the switch to us once they showed us the assignments. And yet again, without logic, we are lost.
Maureen Downey
July 30th, 2010
11:18 am
Folks. DOE has responded to the questions from the blog that I sent: (THanks, Matt.)
1. can you check to see if math 3 support will ONLY be offered as a core
class? Several people are wondering if there will be a math 3 support
(elective) for students who want to take math 3 this year.
It will be available for credit and/or elective.
2. Maureen, could you also find out if students choosing to take the math
3 support option will be limited in their post-secondary choices. Will
this affect their chances of going to college?
Students will still have the take the equivalent of Math III to graduate.
However, some colleges may want students to have Math IV and other schools
may not require that. This is really a question that probably has to be
answered by the individual colleges.
3. Can you please get some clarification from the state? I believe the
support class for math 3 was already in the works. My son was sceduled to
participate concurrently with Math 3. Is the state now saying that they
will issue a math credit for the support class, meaning if a student takes
Math 3 and Math 3 support this year, that they would complete the math
requirements for graduation at the end of junior year?
The Math III support class was already in the works. We are just asking
that it be offered for credit now. Technically, this could happen where a
student gets credit for Math III support and Math III, giving the student
four credits, which is the number of math credits needed to graduate.
4.What about schools that startnext week? Cherokee starts on Monday, Cobb
on Thursday? Maureen, when is the board meeting, and isn?t this coming a
bit too late?
If the board approves the Math III support for credit then students
currently scheduled to take the course will get credit for it, regardless
of when the school system begins.
________________________________________
Also, the AJC has posted the EOCT and you can search the database:
http://www.ajc.com/news/2010-end-of-course-580598.html
2010 GA HS Graduate
July 30th, 2010
11:21 am
@ both EnoughAlready and AJinCobb. I see a point in both arguments. We have to learn how to use calculators so we can do some examples real world examples. However, we must also learn to be independent of the calculators to prove we understand the concepts, not just which buttons to push. During my high school career, my math teachers would have no calculator quizzes and calculator tests. The quizzes tested concepts only. The tests had some real world problems and some concepts. The concept problems would have some twist so they couldn’t be done on the calculator (inverse of a 3×3 matrix with an x in the middle must be done by hand, sadly, and that was only freshman year). In Calculus, the original tests were allowed multi-functional calculators, just like the AP exam would allow. Retests, however, were done using only a four function calculator. Again, the numbers were easier as concepts were being tested more than real world applications (after all, you are probably taking the retest because you made mistakes on concepts, not basic math). Therefore, while I agree students should learn to use the calculators on all concepts, we should also learn to do all concepts by hand. Sometimes it is just quicker and easier to do it by hand. Also, it is good preparation, as the AP Calculus exams includes 4 sections, 2 with calculator and 2 without.
Also, there was a teacher at my school who used only the calculator. We once had her take over my class whilst we were preparing for a no calculator quiz. When we asked her for help, she told us to put it in the calculator. When we told her that would not be allowed, she told us to put it in the calculator. We became frustrated and formed a study group at the back of her class, tutoring her own students in the same type of class so that they would know how to do it by hand. Of course, we were the accelerated class and hers was honors, but still! I understand the need for a teacher to teach both methods, and, to be honest, that is what I am used to.
jack daniel, III
July 30th, 2010
11:22 am
Dried Beans – to soak or not to soak, that is the question
jack daniel, III
July 30th, 2010
11:28 am
I have a statistic…not more than five (5) students in 100 will ever use even 10% of this new math malarkey. Follow the money. It’s all about the money. Make sure that the students can count, multiply by heart up to the 12s, and do long division. Percentages could also be useful in their lives. But, this high level, esoteric math which bores the pee-wodden out of the average students should be jettisoned. I agree with Stockbridge on matters like this. Heck, my granddaddy didn’t get past the third grade, and he made some darn good Tennessee Whiskey.
high school teacher
July 30th, 2010
11:34 am
“2) Is this why the highschooler working at the local Kroger’s cannot calculate 75% off on a $3.00 product ? (true story)”
No, kids couldn’t count change or figure discounts even on the old curriculum.
EnoughAlready
July 30th, 2010
11:39 am
AJinCobb
July 30th, 2010
11:08 am
I’m very familiar with graphing calculators and have used them throughout college. However, to instruct students in highschool, to use only calculators in class and on test is just stupid. These kids can’t grow up relying on computers and calculators to do the work for them.
And for your information AJinCOBB – I have a computer science degree. So, there isn’t a piece of technology I am unfamiliar with or do not understand the concept of how to use it.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
11:39 am
high school teacher,
My father is very successful criminal lawyer and is not very good in math. I happen to be good in math and not nery good in writing and I am a businessman. What is your point?
john konop
July 30th, 2010
11:39 am
…very good….
cherokeemom
July 30th, 2010
11:46 am
William Casey: I understand where you are coming from and to be honest, you are right. However, it wasn’t so much that they wanted her to drop orchestra that bothered me so much, it was that they didn’t seem to care that it was a sacrafice and they weren’t willing to work with me on a solution that benefited her the most. They said, well she’s an underachiever, I said, well she thinks she’s stupid. They said, well that’s not our problem…drop orchestra or don’t go to a four year college!
Later, when she knew she was on the brink of failure, she asked her SpecEd teacher for extra work to help her grade. Teacher said, there’s nothing you can do and even if there were, you’re too lazy and won’t do it anyway! She has a Math disability!!! It’s not lazy, it’s I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING!!! Yes, she could of studied harder, yes, we could have had the tutor here more hours a week and yes, maybe she wasn’t applying herself completely but she’s also in a co-taught, SpecEd class with 32 other students!! No one-on-one, no working to help her learn the way HER brain thinks, no working with me to come up with the best way to support her learning. Just co-taught math and math support. That’s all we can do mam’, sorry for your kid! Besides, why worry about it, she’s gonna go to a tech school and be a dental hygenist cause they don’t need to know math!
One size does not fit all. If you have an a to b learner, good for you, I have two that are, but if your kids a right brained kid then there’s no room for you in our Math curriculum!
EnoughAlready
July 30th, 2010
11:47 am
high school teacher
July 30th, 2010
11:34 am
The Kroger example is exactly my point with calculators and computers. These kids can’t perform the basics without a calculator.
And the sad thing is that people like AJinCOBB don’t understand why children need to learn without the help of technology. I’m not advocating that students not use technology or calculators in math, science, etc… However, these students need to learn to perform the concept outside the use of calculators and computers.
Frustrated and Disgusted
July 30th, 2010
11:56 am
I’ve had it!!! Really, I have. I’ve done the best I can supplementing my kids at home and all three continue to do well in math. I know my kids will be fine in the end, but so many kids’ futures have been sacrificed to this half-baked, math souffle. This should be a crime. Bottom line, my vote for the next superintendent of GA schools will be given to the candidate that states emphatically that s/he will kick this crap curriculum to the curb. I also want his assurance that s/he will clean house at the DOE. I’ve spoken to several people at the DOE (including Janet Davis) and I can tell you that I have NO confidence in anything they say or their ability to navigate out of their own driveways with a detailed map.
Additionally, I will be working on the local level to get rid of the nitwits that are elected to our school boards. The students deserve better than what they’re getting. I never was political until 3 years ago. This math curriculum has stirred me up. Parents and teachers need to unite over this and shake-up the “new” status quo.
And before the DOE (and Maureen) states that the abysmal scores are due to the “increased rigor of the new math curriculum”, let me just state from experience that story is pure fantasy. They need to admit this train wreck before more kids’ futures are sacrificed.
William Casey
July 30th, 2010
11:58 am
John Konop: I’m not a math guy (just the opposite… retired history teacher who was decent in math). I don’t think that everyone needs to be “good” in math. However, I’m an old guy who believes that the cluttered, self-centered, disorderly adolescent mind benefits from the precise, structured, sequential nature of math as an academic subject. Everyone doesn’t have to be “good” at sports, but everyone benefits from the healthier bodies that sports promotes.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
12:04 pm
William.
I agree and that is why we need multi-track system. As in sports not all kids can play at the same level or even the same sport. Yet to your point kids should be active but it would be irrational to make them all play et the same level or not play at all. The same is true for education.
Maureen Downey
July 30th, 2010
12:06 pm
@Frustrated, Two questions: Why do you think our math program was one of the few to get an A minus from the Fordham Institute, which has given us poor marks in the past, if it is so bad?
2. Our students were not doing well on national and international comparisons on the old math. Do you think we need to change at all and, if so, to what?
Maureen
William Casey
July 30th, 2010
12:09 pm
CHEROKEE MOM: I indeed feel your pain. One of educators’ worst traits is the tendency to make “snap judgements.” I often did it during my first five years of teaching (I’ll apologize to my Pebblebrook students on Facebook.) Luckily, I think I outgrew it. Alas, I encountered many veteran teachers/administrators who didn’t. My only solution is for you to keep advocating for your child while remembering that there are hundreds of other students in the school who are as unique as your daughter. That was our dilemma as educators. As a parent, I’m only responsible for Beau Casey. As a teacher/coach/administrator, I was responsible for thousands of “Beau Casey’s.)
Lisa B.
July 30th, 2010
12:15 pm
Cherokeemom, what is happening to your daughter is happening to MANY students across Georgia. Students planning to graduate in 2012, after only two years of high school are already behind on their credits because of the additional math classes (i.e., math support, repeated classes, etc.) I fear our statewide graduation rate will plummet in 2012.
My son is in the class of 2012. He’s always been very strong in math, scoring 900 on his 8th grade CRCT. After ending the year in Accelerated Math I with a “C”, we enrolled him in regular Math II for 10th grade. After all, we are planning on HOPE’s help with college. Math II was a disaster. The teacher tried very hard, but was over her head. Many, many of her students failed, including my son, and went to summer school. I though summer school would help shore up my son’s weaknesses, but summer school, too, was a disaster. I don’t know what the school will chose to do with the kids who failed math II again in summer school, but even if my son has to retake the class, I still want him to press on with Math III. At this point, my son who has always loved math, hates it. Fortunately, he still makes very high grades in his other subjects, and his love of science is still intact. We are just going to have to live through the math. I really worry for the kids who are below average in IQ, because I don’t know if some of them can pass these classes, no matther how hard they try.
Lisa B.
July 30th, 2010
12:19 pm
Oops, caught in the filter….
William Casey
July 30th, 2010
12:22 pm
John, I agree with the “one size fits all” failures of our education system. But, try (gently) telling a parent today that their son/daughter is not “college material” (at least not now) when society perceives the “college route” as the ticket to success in life.
I always used this silly example to explain this to my students: What if every single person in America made a perfect score on the S.A.T. and received a Ph. D.? Our education system is a success! SOMEBODY would still have to collect the garbage, market dubious products, stock the shelves of stores, dig ditches, etc. That SOMEBODY would have a Ph. D and all the school glory he or she would ever want. But, adult life wouldn’t change much.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
12:24 pm
Maureen Downey,
YOU SAID:
….@Frustrated, Two questions: Why do you think our math program was one of the few to get an A minus from the Fordham Institute, which has given us poor marks in the past, if it is so bad? …..
THE REAL WORLD:
In all due respect in the business world many ideas that sound great on the chalk board do not work in the real world. That is why any successful business person will tell you it is all about implementation. And it was very obvious that Kathy Cox and the DOE did a terrible job getting feedback on how to implement.
Instead of dealing with the many obvious issues Kathy Cox went forward like a raging bull refusing to deal with constructive feedback on issues.
WHAT KATHY COX AND THE DOE DID NOT DO!
1. When the strategic plan is being formulated, a broad range of company personnel should be included in the process. Key employees from all areas of the business should be included. Not only will this insure that the best employee input is included into the strategic plan, but you will also obtain a higher level of employee buy-in to the resulting plan. The employees who have participated in the development of the plan will have a deep understanding of what the company’s strategic plan is, and why it is important to the success of the company and their career. These employees will then be important supporters of the plan going forward.
2. Communicate the strategic plan to all employees. This communication should vary depending on the personnel that you are dealing with. A summary of the overall strategic vision for the company should be communicated to all employees. This sometimes comes in the form of a mission statement or group of strategic goals. In addition, the application of how the strategic plan applies to the particular group that is being addressed should be discussed in some detail. The specific objectives that have come out of the planning process should be conveyed to the employees, with particular emphasis on the objectives that are most relevant to their work.
3. Challenge various departments to develop their own plans with specific objectives that focus on supporting the overall strategic plan of the company. In this way, employees will develop ownership responsibility for their goals and objectives, as well as that of the whole company.
http://www.kelloggassociates.com/articles_06.php
john konop
July 30th, 2010
12:29 pm
William,
It same issue we I deal with employees. But I do think honesty is the best for all in the long run. Nothing is worse than be forced to compete in a arena that is not your game day after day.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
12:39 pm
sorry,
It is the same issue I deal with employees….
Warrior Woman
July 30th, 2010
12:50 pm
Most math teachers I know don’t think it’s the course content that’s killing EOCT results, but the frenetic jumping around between topics mandated by the curriculum combined with the discovery method of teaching. In other words, there is not enough consistent exposure to a topic to learn it and the teaching methods are absurd.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
12:52 pm
What is the biggest travesty is I had numerous conversations and sent many e-mails to the DOE, Governors office and state school board and nobody could give any straight answers to the issues I brought up. I also know many parents, administrators and teachers brought up the very same issues and once again no answers.
I am still in shock how Katy Cox and the DOE could charge forward like a raging bull knowingly without dealing with the issues brought up by many of us!
Dr NO
July 30th, 2010
12:53 pm
Most GA student, no matter how dismal their numbers, have more math sense than our Muslim President…OFailure.
john konop
July 30th, 2010
1:00 pm
Dr NO,
The comment is uncalled for. This is about education for all kids, not hate spewing political trash.
Lynn
July 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
For all of the comments about graphing calculators….Why do these classes use graphing calculators throughout the course only to tell the class a day or two before the EOCT that only standard calculators are allowed for the EOCT. You have students who may only know how to solve the problems with the graphing calculators suddenly having that taken away.
What is the logic in that?
Also, Maureen, could you please ask the state what the cut scores were for Math I and Math II? That might shed an even more dismal light on these results.
LaLa
July 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
@William Casey… Interesting to think about a U.S. where garbage collectors have Ph.Ds…. But here is the thing – in some industrialized countries, cashiers can wax poetic on art history and street cleaners can hold forth on western philosophy. They like what they do for work, are paid a competitive living wage, but they are also educated and involved citizens due to their education. And, since most industrial innovations come from educated participants in those industries, we increase the possibility for innovating solutions to waste disposal and product inventory by having that garbage collector and that cashier be well educated. Why do you assume that educated people won’t take or don’t have blue collar jobs – some do them for a bit of financial security while they make art or music; some do them just because something about the job – cleaning a city outdoors or interacting with people in a busy environment – is appealing. If education made people dissatisfied with their jobs, then maybe we could find ways to improve the jobs or at least improve the perception of the value of those jobs to society.
Lynn
July 30th, 2010
1:15 pm
@Enough Already….The real problem was when students who used Graphing calculators throughout the course were told a day or two befor the EOCT that only standard calculators could be used on the test. I wonder how much this contributed to the low scores.
Also, Maureen, please ask the state for the cut scores for the Math I and Math II tests. This may reveal even more in about these dismal results.
nutty shell
July 30th, 2010
1:23 pm
good one HS math teacher; lol
it does seem they cant admit the experiment failed
Allyson Conrad
July 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
I DISAGREE COMPLETELY that the problem is the STUDENT’S ABILITIES. The problem is the MATERIAL. It is impossible to understand. It is poorly written, impossible to teach, and does not match in any way what kids in other schools around the country learn, so it does not transfer. Any kid transferring in or out of GA schools is completely messed up by this ridiculous experiment. GO BACK TO ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY, TRIGONOMETRY, CALCULUS, etc. Colleges don’t know how to count this junk, either. GET RID OF IT. I said so the first time my kid came home with this ridiculous math four years ago. The teachers hate it, too. They know, and will tell you “privately”. It is only still here because of politics.
nutty shell
July 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
@Allyson,
correct Mareen 11:18 post states just how lost the DOE is
Students will still have the take the equivalent of Math III to graduate.
However, some colleges may want students to have Math IV and other schools
may not require that. This is really a question that probably has to be
answered by the individual colleges.
The GA DOE doesnt know what will transfer, be accepted, or even know for sure what math required to graduate.
Dunwoody Mom
July 30th, 2010
1:46 pm
Most colleges require 4 units of Math for admission. After the completion of Math III, there are a myriad of Math class opportunities – Calculus, Advanced Trig, AP Stat, AP Calculus
so fulton parent
July 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
@john konop — Students in South Fulton county were able and did follow the same mathematics track of taking Algebra 1 in 7th grade. How do I know? Both of my son’s successfully completed it and took AP level math their junior and senior years in high school
Teacher #3
July 30th, 2010
1:54 pm
@jack daniel,
The content of the “new” math courses aren’t any different from the traditional Algebra I, II, Geometry, Trig, Pre-calculus. However, it may still be true that most people would not use any more than 10% of what they learn in those classes. But, is that the point of education? I imagine we use maybe even less than 10% of what we learn in English Lit, Music, Phys Ed, etc.
@ john konop,
You seemed to like about bragging your son, but students can start taking Accelerated Math 1 in Grade 8, or maybe even Grade 7. If you start Accelerated Math 1 in Grade 8, you will be done with the Math 1,2,3, and 4 by the end of their sophomore year, leaving 2 years for taking AP Calculus and any additional advanced math course – at HS or through a joint enrollment. So, you are creating an issue where there is none.
Dr NO
July 30th, 2010
2:00 pm
My comments were a juxtapose of childrens Math skills vs OLosers Math skills. In this case Im pleased to announce our children are far above the Obama.
Dr NO
July 30th, 2010
2:02 pm
Obamath
Today 1+1=7
Tomorrow 1+1=0
Yesterday 1+1=4
Thats ObaMath.
AJinCobb
July 30th, 2010
2:05 pm
My class-of-2012 kid will be taking AP Calculus B/C in junior year, starting next week. Cobb County Schools have had their gifted math students in an accelerated version of the new curriculum right from the start. It’s been tough for them, being on the leading (or should I say, bleeding) edge of new curriculum implementation, but they have the same opportunity to move into AP classes in junior year as did their predecessors on the previous curriculum.
I think it will be very informative to see how this class handles AP math courses. This is really the first opportunity for comparison of new versus old curriculum results against a uniform external standard.
AJinCobb
July 30th, 2010
2:07 pm
Would it be possible to direct all Dr NO’s posts to the filter? It’s unpleasant to have to read prejudiced political trash while trying to participate in an interesting discussion of the important topic of high school math education.
Dr NO
July 30th, 2010
2:14 pm
I would think you good people would be happy in knowing our children have far outpaced the so-called Math skills of the US Pres.
Ya just cant please some people.
East Cobb Parent
July 30th, 2010
2:24 pm
Maureen your statement regarding the Fordham Review is not accurate. Even the DOE has stopped touting the ranking. I spoke to one of the writers of the review, his response “what GA has in place is not what we reviewed” Give them a call, they will talk to you. They are well aware that GA skewed information to get the result they wanted. Check the score for ability to implement. It’s true that GA has scored poorly for some years, but giving everything a face lift is not going to fix the problems. And no it isn’t just parents whining because the math is now harder. Maureen if you want to be part of the solution then how about bringing back grouping by ability, giving teachers the resources including time, to teach, do some investigative reporting on the waste in the education system, would love for you to start with Cobb County. Stop being a cheerleader for the DOE and show that you care about the kids. Look at the bloggers, most realize this math is doing a disservice even if their own children are doing well. these are parents and teachers not blaming each other but the implementation/curriculum/and lack of choices.
@ William Casey thanks for calling Maureen out on her couple of professor friends that like the new math and approach. Teaching at that level is not the same.
For the record my children did fine with the new math, we pulled them from public because we had to teach them math everyday – they were not learning it in school. We could tell the foundation was not going to be there for higher math.
Dunwoody Mom
July 30th, 2010
2:27 pm
@East Cobb Parent, Maureen’s college professors friends were talking about their own children in public schools – not college level students. Are you going to call me out as well since my husband had the same opinion about the new Math curriculum?
Attentive Parent
July 30th, 2010
2:45 pm
With respect to graphing calculators-part of the focus of math so that it could be more accessible to student populations that had not traditionally performed well in math.
The idea developed that if you made the point of algebra the visual image (the graph) you could provide “democratic access to powerful ideas”. That’s a nice utopian philosophy unless what you change to ends up being not math at all to a meaningful degree”.
Here’s a quote that should help illustrate why the change in emphasis was made”
“if a broader range of real life problem solving situations are emphasized, and if one recognizes a broader range of mathematical knowledge and abilities that contribute to success, the a broader range of students will emerge as capable”.
In other words, traditional math and science created a hierarchy based on interests and aptitudes and that’s not consistent with an equal outcomes philosophy. So we just change the nature of math and science instruction and even the very concepts themselves.
Here’s a quote
Attentive Parent
July 30th, 2010
3:07 pm
Dunwoody Mom-
Your husband and the Ga Tech professors have what is termed “flexible knowledge”. Knowledge is flexible when it can be accessed out of the context in which it is learned and applied in new contexts.
How do you get flexible knowledge? Lots of knowledge, worked examples with a wide spectrum of applications, and lots of practice probably both at GT and before they got there or they might have flunked out.
That’s about as pertinent to how to learn math initially as the fluent reader who has automated sound-letter correspondences deciding phonics are not important to reading because they are now unaware of using them.
The question is can you get to inflexible knowledge of math and science using a discovery, learning tasks approach? Not unless you are a true precocious genius like Richard Feynmann or Einstein.
William Casey is correct. Students and adults vary in their abilities to make the inferences discovery learning requires.
Math and science are areas where knowledge is cumulative. Many of these kids are struggling in Algebra because their elementary schools pushed Investigations or Everyday Math and they never mastered arithmetic or fractions or ratios.
As we push this inquiry model in middle and high school, are we asking students to draw conclusions and make connections when they lack the requisite foundation of facts and skills or they misunderstand key aspects because without lecture and worked examples there was no correcting mechanism.
Attentive Parent
July 30th, 2010
3:13 pm
AJinCobb-
You seem to want to sneer at the posters which is not especially nice or pleasant to read.
In case you have not noticed, although many of the fundamental concepts of traditional high school math are woven into the learning tasks or illustrated with one or 2 examples in a textbook, this new curriculum skips around a great deal.
Math is a sequential subject.
Math 1,2, 3 was not designed sequentially. By the time you get back to related concepts, the earlier knowledge is forgotten.
So then it’s back to modeling functions with that graphing calculator.