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On the NY State Regents exam for Algebra, you only need to get half of the multiple-choice question right to pass, and not even bother with the 9 open-ended questions. This is make up for the fact that they asked some of the stupidest questions, and when you least expect it, ask several questions requiring depth of knowledge in minor Algebra topics that are usually glossed over because there’s over 100+ topics that need to be taught. That’s the curriculum for you: mile-wide, inches-deep.

I remember feeling exactly the same way when I took my regents in high school.

Some of the topics I wouldn't mind so much if they did something with them. For instance, box-and-whisker plots, which I probably learned about for the first time when I had to teach them, are meaningless to 8th and 9th graders. At the very least, make TWO of them, so you can compare data and come up with some kind of conclusion about the data based on the graphs. Otherwise, save the graphs for a course that uses them.

Actually, the same goes for most of the statistics that they have me teach. Nothing is done with it, and the material doesn't lend itself to understand the other 90% of the course. And you can't find a decent resource on statistics for high school students, because real statistics is not only a COLLEGE-level course, but you need a couple of semesters of Calculus before you can take it!