Posted on 06/08/2020 1:07:08 PM PDT by karpov
When it comes to math performance, the United States has a pitiful record. Each year, about 1 million students enroll in college algebra and about 50 percent of those students fail to earn a “C” or better.
And according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. considerably underperforms in high school math on an international level. In the OECD’s 2018 Program for International Student Assessment, the United States was outperformed by 36 countries, including China, Russia, Italy, France, Finland, Poland, and Canada.
In North Carolina, 26 percent of UNC system students earned a “D,” “F,” or “W” (a withdrawal) in mathematics and statistics courses between fall 2015 and spring 2018.
But instead of investigating ways to improve math education, North Carolina university leaders have decided to create alternate “pathways” for students who are less math-minded. According to UNC administrators, gateway and entry-level math courses—like college algebra—are “stumbling blocks” for too many students.
To get more students through entry-level math classes, in early 2018, the UNC system established the UNC System Math Pathways Task Force, a system-wide initiative to change general education math requirements to make them more “applicable and equitable.”
But, like so many of the initiatives the academic staff in the system office push forward, the Math Pathways task force’s recommendations are a de facto lowering of standards.
Of course, UNC’s academic staff don’t see the proposed changes as a lowering of standards. They argue that classes like college algebra simply don’t “align” with many students’ career goals. Why, for example, should drama or history students have to grapple with something as “irrelevant” as algebra?
(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...
You realize you are expecting HS teachers to WORK?
If you cannot pass math do not go to college. If you want to earn a degree that will lead to JOB you need a degree is something that is HARD. Liberal arts degrees are for people with big egos and cannot pass math.
The world needs ditch diggers too.
At least basic algebra should be a requirement for a HS degree. If you don’t think you need it, it may cost you. At the store if the same product is offered in multiple quantities at different prices which one is the best deal? You need simple algebra and fractions. Two cars you like? Want to figure total cost of ownership? Purchase price, fuel economy, maintenance, resale... That takes simple algebra. People use math more than they realize or admit. Dumbing down school requirements doesn’t dumb down the real world. It just means your graduates are less prepared. That does make them easier to manipulate and control, so maybe that’s the real game.
I wonder where we'd rank if we used the math scores from only the Americans whose families have been here at least two generations.
college algebra ???
Am I missing something? We started Algebra in the 7th Grade.
Math is taught incorrectly in our schools. Use real-life applications instead of esoteric terms to explain it and for problems...
Didn’t everyone pass everything this semester and advance/graduate?
Math is taught incorrectly in our schools.
Am I missing something? We started Algebra in the 7th Grade.
The algebra we learn through high school is "elementary algebra." It continues; linear, abstract, boolean, etc. Anybody wanting to be an engineer takes linear algebra.
The biggest thing algebra (all math actually!) does is train you to concentrate, become familiar with the idea of abstraction (which are ideas), apply rules to manipulate those abstractions toward a goal & reason logically.
Personally I think its very very important to have this in one’s education background. You don’t have to end up being Gauss, Euler or John Nash. It’s hard to call oneself educated without this. Just like its hard to call oneself educated if not exposed to Shakespeare, Hawthorne or Poe.
It continues; linear, abstract, boolean, etc.
You are still in 9th Grade.
Must be. I didn't really understand 11th grade Algebra II until I took Calculus the following year. Then it made sense.
Algebra courses are taught in an academic style that stress the form and the methodology rather what you are trying to accomplish with it.
The accomplish part (rarely stressed on what it offers the student), it is mainly to simplify so it is easier to understand, communicate, and solve if possible (puzzle solve).
Then you have to answer:
1. Why do I want to understand it?
2. Why do I want to communicate it?
3. Why do I want to solve it that way? (Just give me the values of the variables and I will solve it)
Today’s Students, unless they see the benefit are only going to check the boxes and their heart isn’t going to be in it if it is just a box check.
I really didn’t like math till I had a chance to apply it in real world problems. For Example: Computer Programmers know that understanding algebra can make their programs run faster, etc..
Most of us will never want to be a mathematician, but math is part of everything.
Maybe what we are heading towards is specific math courses based on career goals.
*** But instead of investigating ways to improve math education, North Carolina university leaders have decided to create alternate “pathways” for students who are less math-minded. According to UNC administrators, gateway and entry-level math courses—like college algebra—are “stumbling blocks” for too many students. ***
This is likely how AOC’s major “International Relations & Economics” got created at Boston University. Economics requires a pretty good deal of advanced mathematics and statistical analysis. For those who failed to get a decent preparatory math background in the High School, B-U stripped out most of the math and substituted a political component so that they could teach Marxist theory to the gullible.
I had a couple of Math professors and they would always ask the underperformers if they were planning careers in Hotel/Motel/Restaurant management.
Those were the days when you would get slammed for being stupid by your prof or teacher.
I agree with your first sentence, that math is taught incorrectly. It was taught incorrectly prior to common core. Common core just made it 1000 times worse! Your second sentence I am not sure what you mean by “real-life applications” I remember plenty of “word problems” that were “real life applications” back in the 7th grade. However if you don’t get comfortable with the mechanics of manipulating the equation, etc. applications are irrelevant.
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