posted
Let me preface this by saying that I have not yet read through OSC's thread about education, or the response thread that goes along with it. I plan to sit down and do that tonight when I have more time.
Right now, I am sitting at school, 2 hours after the bell, having just finished up giving extra help for tomorrow's math and algebra midterms.
I wanted to present a situation at my school for consideration - if nothing else, just so I can vent it somewhere. Here goes:
[vent]
I teach in a middle school with "looping" - meaning we get a group of about 100 students as 6th graders, then stay with them through 8th grade. I love the concept, and I have seen so many success stories simply because of the communal nature of our House.
Of concern, though, is the logic (or lack thereof) of our mathematics system.
In sixth grade, all students are in the same math class - Math 6. They are taught the same material, and teachers differentiate instruction for slower and faster learners. It is a challenge to motivate the learners of varying types - from verbal to spatial to interpersonal and everything in betwee - and have each improve upon their prior ability, but we have strategies to do so that we employ to decent effect.
Yet, we are given no curriculum. Just a book, and the previous year's 6th grade midterm and final (if that). It's totally flying blind, especially for new teachers who don't have the previous "loop"'s experience and lesson plans.
At the end of sixth grade, teachers can recommend their best performing math students to take an Algebra Readiness Assessment. If they score at least a 90% or higher on this assessment, they will be placed in Algebra in 7th grade. If they do not, they will continue on to Math 7.
In seventh grade, all students, with the exception of those 8-10 who moved on to Algebra, take the same math class - Math 7. Again, instruction is differentiated, with no tracking by ability level.
Also, no curriculum in seventh grade - other than the state's Core Curriculum Content Standards, of course. These, though, are guidelines for a school's curriculum development, rather than any sort of pacing guide or scope and sequence.
At the end of seventh grade, all students take the Algebra Readiness Assessment, and based on that - and their Final Exam score, and Final Grade - they are placed into Algebra I High Honors or Math 8. Those students who passed Algebra in 7th grade move on to Geometry.
Here's where it gets sticky.
This year, 26 of my students are taking Algebra, and 8 are in Geometry. Because placement is based on scores and academic performance, and because we have an achievement gap in our district (as most everyone does), these classes are pretty white-washed - and we are in the midst of a civil liberties due process not-quite-lawsuit because of this. (even though we bend over backwards to place minority students in Algebra, but I digress).
Great attention is paid to Algebra. We have a rock-solid curriculum and pacing guide, we have a standard district midterm and final, and we have plenty of workshops to discuss the course. So much attention is paid to Algebra that Math 8 is an afterthought - having no curriculum, just like Math 6 and 7, and having the lower performing students.
Parents rant and rave about Algebra placement, grades, student potential, etc, etc... yet, when all is said and done, none of it matters at all int he final analysis.
You see, if the students don't get A's across the board in Algebra - and I am not making this up at all (I wish I was) - they have to take Algebra *again* in the 9th grade. They need A's in class, on the midterm, and on the final - as well as 90% or better on the standardized tests in 7th and 8th grade - to move on to Algebra II in the 9th grade.
Which is ridiculous.
I was told that of my 26 students, they expected 3 to move on to Algebra II (only offered at a High Honors level for 9th graders). 23 would retake the course - after all the stress, drama, and tension caused over the 8th grade year, they would be back in Algebra I HH in 9th grade, in the same room with the students coming from Math 8.
The system is totally fubar.
They obviously don't care about Math 8, since there is no curriculum, and none of the district higher-ups talk about the course at meetings or workshops. They also don't care so much about the fate of the Algebra students in the high school, since 90% of them are retaking the course.
Now, those remaining 23 students would do very well in an Algebra II Honors course, just not in High Honors. However, the district will not offer that course to freshmen. (only offering it in the Junior year - which causes hangups with Chemistry, which requires an understanding of Alg II)
So, because of the scheduling issues, 23 of my students (and more from each of the other houses) will be forced to languish in a Do Over year of Algebra, and be forced to double up on math in order to take Chemistry before their Junior year.
Oh, and for some further background, neither the High School Math Dept Chair or the District Math/Science Supervisor are certified to teach mathematics - but they are definitely certified to administrate, because they took postgraduate courses.
[/vent]
Sigh.
You may now returned to your regularly scheduled hatrack.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
How would you do it differently if you were God of the school and could do pretty much anything you wanted?
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
I'd point it out to some of the better-organized parents and let them start a grass-roots movement.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I was a class behind all my friends in high school science because my eighth-grade science teacher didn't recommend me. She didn't recommend me (even though I did great on all the tests) because I often forgot to do the weekly "science current events" assignment (which involved cutting and pasting science-related articles from the newspaper, then doing NOTHING ELSE WITH THEM), and because I insisted to her that the dark side of the moon DID in fact get light on it, which is why it's such an entertaining misnomer.
That's it. I ignored a useless assignment, and argued with her once (and was RIGHT). So I got recommended for Honors Physical Science instead of Biology. Which basically meant I was in a room full of rich, dumb kids who hated me (ie, Honors = Rich, and Physical Science rather than Biology = Not Actually Any Good At Science).
But in that track, I did eventually make friends with some kids who were a year younger than me, and I liked them, so that was cool. But still. I wish there had been some kind of standardized way for me to "prove" that I could handle the more advanced science class, even though my teacher didn't like me.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
I moved between seventh and eigth grade, and so took pre-algebra twice. Honors everything else, but apparently girls aren't good at math, so I took the same stupid class twice. Once you're on that track, it plows on through high school. I didn't take calculus until college. I'm still slightly annoyed.
Posts: 1163 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
Disturbing. It appears that students in math are a secondary concern. It also appears that much time is being wasted repeating material.
Posts: 440 | Registered: Oct 2001
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You're certainly not alone. My 8th grade science teacher didn't recommend anyone for Bio because she said that there were no advantages whatsoever to skipping Sci 9, only drawbacks in Chemistry and Physics, so I listened and didn't press the matter. (You can override any teacher recommendations with a parent signature.) Thus I'm a year behind where I think I should be in science, because of a teacher who had no idea what goes on in high school. While I'm still bitter about it, the point of skipping Sci 9 is supposed to be allowing scientifically advanced students to take both AP Physics and AP Bio, and I have to say that I have no interest whatsoever in bio. Of course, that could have allowed to me take a course I'm actually interested in. Part of what bugs me the most is that my 8th grade teacher said quite emphatically that we would need all of the Sci 9 stuff in later science classes when they end up reteaching pretty much the whole course in bio, chemisty, AND physics to help the kids who skipped it. IMO if they chose to skip a class because they're just so darn smart, they should have to deal with any concepts they opted out of, instead of boring me with three years of repeated lessons.
posted
Well, the word "tracking" is anathema in my district. None of these are "tracks" in the sense that if a student wants to override a recommendation (or have their parent do it), they can go into a higher class without the prerequisites.
These students often fail or drop back, but there's nothing preventing them from trying.
However, one of the major problems is that there is no middle of the road class option. There *should* be an Honors Algebra II offered, and I have mentioned the situation (in as politic terms as I could manage) to one of my more vocal parents, who has informed me that she's writing a letter and talking to other parents.
A lot of the problem is the high school dropping the ball - but the middle school system needs work, too.
A *great* idea (that, incidentally, would never fly in my district because of the "tracking" aspect to it) is to have a two year middle school algebra option.
At the end of 6th grade, students who score 90% or better on the readiness assessment would go into a one year algebra in seventh grade, and a one year geometry in 8th grade. Students who score between 75-90% on the assessment would go into a two-year algebra that moves at half the speed, but with more in depth coverage.
That way, all the algebra could be covered (and more) and still have time to work on standardized test techniques, etc.
So, 6th grade, everyone together. 7th grade, have one year algebra, two year algebra part one, and Math 7 8th grade, have one year geometry, two year algebra part two, and Pre-Algebra
This has been proposed several years now, and been shot down because it is tracking (and that's a big no-no). Forget the fact that it would teach the students material at a pace more suited to their needs, and would eliminate the need to repeat algebra.
But, if I were God of the school district, I'd fire everyone but the secretaries and custodial staff at central office and replace them with competent people who are student advocates that aren't afraid to stand up to bossy parents.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Okay, I can top that one. I was the first kid my school system ever skipped a grade. Because they wanted to experiment with socialization techniques, I was bussed after lunch from my third grade classroom to seventh grade for advanced math, english, and science.
The next year, since they felt that this perhaps risked too much de-socialization (mainly due to the fact that I was a lot smaller), they had me go to fourth grade before lunch, then bus after lunch to -- get this -- sixth grade math, english, and science. Despite straight "A" grades in seventh grade math, english, and science.
The year after that, having noted that I seemed bored and not adequately challenged, they skipped fifth grade altogether and put me in seventh grade full time -- with, again, seventh grade math, english, and science. With the same teachers. In the same rooms. Using the same books. The classes I had aced two years previously.
So, the year after that, my mom said "screw this" and enrolled me in a private high school for the year, where I again got straight "As."
Sadly, when I returned to the public school system my sophomore year, I found out that because I'd skipped 8th grade altogether, I could not get onto the "advanced math" track and would now be stuck taking the "regular" progression, which would culminate in Pre-Cal my senior year. No matter what. (Not, mind you, that I minded much. I had never had much love for math, and preferred the biological and chemical sciences to physics anyway -- even though I took physics, just to make sure.)
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Not trying to compete, but thought I'd share:
How many times have I taken college-level Calculus? 3 times.
Once in high school, which didn't count for college credit. Oh well, it's good practice...
The first time in college, it turned out the course didn't transfer outside of my degree/the campus. So, I took the other calculus course, verifying that it did, indeed, transfer if necessary. (I considered it important, because I plan on furthering my education, and I don't want to take the course later on, when I've probably forgotten all things calculus.)
The high school course was by far the best taught and the most difficult, though my second calculus teacher did a fine job. I'm not very good at math, but taking the course 3 times didn't kill me.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I gave the midterm today, having only received it yesterday around the end of the school day. Unfortunately, between after school help and tutoring outside of school, I didn't get a chance to examine it with a magnifying glass before this morning.
All I can say is "wow".
Both exams were atrocious.
The 8th grade exam was riddled with errors. Another teacher (our subject matter leader) had quickly gone through the evening before and typed up a "Corrections Sheet" to hand out along with the exam, putting a bandaid on what was tantamount to a chest wound.
This, of course, confused the students even more, forcing them to refer back and forth between test and correction sheet... but the sheet did not even address half of the problems.
There were typos that changed the meanings of questions, missing words and numbers, multiple choice questions that had no correct answers provided, and sloppily-hand-drawn diagrams for geometry questions. It was pathetic.
The Algebra midterm, the class the school is maniacally stressed about, was little better. Three of twenty-five multiple choice questions had no correct answer provided, and a problem was dupliated word for word in the open ended section. There were not as many typos and extraneous words/values, and the Corrections Sheet had only a single side (though it did not even catch all of the errors).
I'm not sure what bothers me more - the fact that our Math/Science supervisor (who was a social studies teacher before taking this position) made up this terrible test, or that our building math subject matter leader made a corrections sheet that missed several glaring problems.
This is just ridiculous.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I appreciate all that you (and other dedicated wonderful teachers like you) do. Especially Math teachers. I had a horrible Trig teacher, and it put me off Math for a long time. Then I had a terrific Statistics teacher (and I'm not only sayin' that 'cuz he was cute ) and I want to take more Math! Yay!
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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(ie, Honors = Rich, and Physical Science rather than Biology = Not Actually Any Good At Science).![[Wink]](wink.gif)
) and I want to take more Math! Yay!
