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Hundreds of N.J. students who can't do simple math are credited with passing calculus, report says
NJ.com ^ | 9/1/10 | Staff

Posted on 09/01/2010 10:39:44 AM PDT by nmh

Hundreds of N.J. students who can't do simple math were credited with passing calculus, according to a report on APP.com.

According to a Department of Education report, "there were other students, unable ultimately to evidence even simple math skills, who were unimaginably recorded by their schools as succeeding in Algebra II or even Calculus."

A report delivered at today's state Board of Education meeting will recommend four new policies to aid students who weren't proficient enough in reading, writing or math to meet state graduation standards.

(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: arth; dumb; fail; math; nj; schools
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To: EyeGuy

John Thompson is a racist sob with a voice that makes him sound like he’s mentally impaired.


81 posted on 09/01/2010 12:33:45 PM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA

“There was a section for her comments and she let them have it about the idiotic spiral math program they started for kids younger than her during those years.”

Yes. Round and round they go. The frustration mounts and they call this “teaching”.

Parents today, MUST be involved with what their kids are leaning and be INVOLVED with it.


82 posted on 09/01/2010 12:40:05 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Don Corleone

>> In all fairness, one of Princeton’s highest faculty members was poor at basic math. However he was a whiz at the higher levels. His name was Al Einstein I believe.

An impossibility.

Edison claimed proficiency with sufficient understanding of the higher levels. He was also declared an academic failure.

Neither of these cases provide rational justification for the systematic failures in education today.


83 posted on 09/01/2010 12:41:37 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: Article10
I'm sorry to say this but, ahem, many Christians want things for “free”. It doesn't work that way. People need decent salaries in Christian schools too as well as benefits. I can tell you that from direct experience. They'll buy their kids everything under the sun but when it comes to helping to fund the school beyond tuition, they slither away and expect OTHERS to do it.
84 posted on 09/01/2010 12:43:18 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Article10
I'm sorry to say this but, ahem, many Christians want things for “free”. It doesn't work that way. People need decent salaries in Christian schools too as well as benefits. I can tell you that from direct experience. They'll buy their kids everything under the sun but when it comes to helping to fund the school beyond tuition, they slither away and expect OTHERS to do it.
85 posted on 09/01/2010 12:44:34 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Article10
I'm sorry to say this but, ahem, many Christians want things for “free”. It doesn't work that way. People need decent salaries in Christian schools too as well as benefits. I can tell you that from direct experience. They'll buy their kids everything under the sun but when it comes to helping to fund the school beyond tuition, they slither away and expect OTHERS to do it.
86 posted on 09/01/2010 12:44:40 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: DJ MacWoW

That’s why I think an abacus would be a great substitute! It’s a bit lazy, but also encourages being smarter.


87 posted on 09/01/2010 12:50:57 PM PDT by bvw
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To: bvw

With an abacus they can see the calculations and not just wait for technology to tell them.


88 posted on 09/01/2010 12:54:05 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: Julia H.

I agree! And also why I think every locker in a high school — guys locker — should have a melee weapon in it. Let the girls have the handguns and tazers.


89 posted on 09/01/2010 12:55:55 PM PDT by bvw
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To: ronnyquest
Children should not use calculators until they have mastered the basics. Calculators are a crutch. They can do nothing the human brain can't do, given time and expertise. Pencil and paper are the tools they need, and good instruction.

Anyone who has had a young clerk try to count change and figure out a bill when the power goes off knows that the BS of teaching everything on Calculators does NOT teach math but teaches the use of calculators. I had a clerk ask me, just the other day, "how do you old guys do that?" when I told her what the total price would be and what my change would be(the power was down). She had no clue how to do math without a machine to do it for her and she had recently graduated HS.

90 posted on 09/01/2010 12:56:37 PM PDT by calex59
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To: DJ MacWoW

Educators today use the theory of Multiple Intelligences.

The theory’s eight currently accepted intelligences are:
* Spatial
* Linguistic
* Logical-mathematical
* Kinesthetic
* Musical
* Interpersonal
* Intrapersonal
* Naturalist

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences

The way I reckon it an abacus positively exercises five of these eight!

A digital calculator, as used in most math classes today, exercises ZERO of them, and impairs at least one: Intrapersonal.


91 posted on 09/01/2010 1:03:09 PM PDT by bvw
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To: bvw
The way I reckon it an abacus positively exercises five of these eight!

Sounds good to me.

Somewhere between when I went to school and my kids attended, scratch paper and a pencil got lost. My math books were always full calculations. Education has lost it. And I think on purpose. I still believe "The Dumbing Down of America" was/is real.

92 posted on 09/01/2010 1:08:11 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If Bam is the answer, the question was stupid.)
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To: nmh

Ding! We have a winner! My wife interviewed at a local Christian Academy several years ago and the salary was crazy low, bordering an insult.

We recently changed churches over a similar issue. The issue is/was so many of the members thought nothing of going on welfare to get divorces, especially one’s with Massachusetts adresses and others would just quit work because they “didn’t like” the boss or some other lame excuse, then go sign the kids up for NH state benefits and get an un-employment check to boot!!! Way to many on the dole, yet homeschooling was look at as a “sin” and not to be trusted..... whoohoooooo! glad to not be there and we are fortunate to have found a decent church while we wait for the NZ imigration paper work to be processed so we don’t have to be here when the wheels finally come off.


93 posted on 09/01/2010 1:15:29 PM PDT by Article10 (Roger That)
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To: wyowolf

My daughter took calc in college and the college policy was NO CALCULATORS at all.

So, she brought her slide rule and asked if she could use that.

After the stunned silence that anyone knew how to use it in the first place, mush less had one, they said sure. The rules didn’t say anything about slide rules.

It helped her get through the basic multiplication part easier.

Just as an aside, she can do plenty complicated math in her head. I adamantly refused to allow them calculators in homeschool until they reached about second year algebra and could prove to me that they could multiply in their heads. Then is was just a matter of convenience, to speed things up.


94 posted on 09/01/2010 1:20:33 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Julia H.

Please don’t think I was kidding too much with my answer in that one. In modern context, sure I was kidding. But, actually, if the schooling really worked the kids would be trustworthy and behaved responsibly enough for that.

I still remember the morning I wore my Hopalong Cassidy toy pistols and holsters to Kindergarten. The Principal stopped me in the hall and taught me how to reverse the holsters for a cross draw that allowed one to get a shot roughly on target quicker.

Tools are all good. It’s humans, and ONLY humans, who are both bad and good.


95 posted on 09/01/2010 1:34:29 PM PDT by bvw
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To: bvw

>>I still remember the morning I wore my Hopalong Cassidy toy pistols and holsters to Kindergarten. The Principal stopped me in the hall and taught me how to reverse the holsters for a cross draw that allowed one to get a shot roughly on target quicker.<<

Great story!


96 posted on 09/01/2010 4:03:10 PM PDT by B4Ranch (America was founded by MARKSMEN, not Marxists.)
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To: Article10

It’s sahmeful.

BTW what made you pick out NZ?

We are thinking about things too ... .

Maybe it’s better to reply via FR e-mail.


97 posted on 09/01/2010 4:56:49 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Rummyfan

LOL!

Do you realize that years ago what they do in HIGH SCHOOL TODAY used to be done in Junior High without calculators. All of the subjects were more difficult and now the federal guidelines that you MUST abide by to get the Raise to the Top $$$$ are even LOWER STANDARDS! It’s crazy.


98 posted on 09/01/2010 4:59:01 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: nina0113
I saw my old slide rule in my parents' basement a few years ago

In elementary school I was accused of cheating for using my slide rule to VERIFY my longhand division results! Didn't matter that I had it all down on paper before I pulled out the slipstick.

99 posted on 09/01/2010 8:39:40 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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