Why wouldn't Gregoire sign the bill into law? This will get more D votes...or R votes.

As if a high school diploma was not worthless enough

All they did was remove some confusing language about having to retake the test even if it wasn't required for graduation.

The WASL is a gigantic clusterfark anyway. Good riddance.

Behold, the dumbing down of America, courtesy the Muppets.

Passing the math WASL is not a graduation requirement. But students who fail the test are required to take two additional math credits and retake the test annually - even if they don't pass.

Wouldn't that make passing it... a requirement?

Does not matter. Most state colleges have their own math requirements for degree graduation.

Everyone takes calculus in Nevada, whether you're engineering, economics, elementary education or sociology.

Valarius: Does not matter. Most state colleges have their own math requirements for degree graduation.

Everyone takes calculus in Nevada, whether you're engineering, economics, elementary education or sociology.

That's why I'm glad I live where I do. Never even got close to Calculus and have no intention of taking it... ever.

Yay for no math!

Antidamascus: Passing the math WASL is not a graduation requirement. But students who fail the test are required to take two additional math credits and retake the test annually - even if they don't pass.

Wouldn't that make passing it... a requirement?

Well, if it's anything like PA when I was in high school, you can just fail and still graduate. So the process is: fail, forced to take other classes and re-take test, fail again, graduate. Or, not be an idiot.

SHOW ME THOSE MATH SKILLS!

Math is all about knowing what buttons to push.

This should have been done years ago. A decrease in Mathematics' standards and introducing Psychology and Sociology as three year courses. Sure to steer the plugs back to the outlets and use our naughty bits the way God intended us to. Maybe it's not too late to stop the rusty chain that is tomorrow's generation from fixing itself after all. Work on the people skills before we practice finding the probability of grabbing a black ball gag in the variety gag bag that is society.

I was told there would be math.

Sure...there is no dumbing down of America going on. None at all.

As the parent of a child in a Seattle public school, I'm all for flushing the WASL as soon as possible.

/facepalm gif here

Burn98: SHOW ME THOSE MATH SKILLS!

Math is all about knowing what buttons to push.

If you learn it the way Americans learn memorize it.

Call bullshiat all day long, but math, is in fact, a creative process, more akin to art than anything else. Calculators were created so less time would be wasted on the mindless calculations bit.

I direct you to Lockhart's Lament^ WARNING It's a 25 page PDF, but worth the read.

Oh, I forgot the statistics exception.

That crap is memorized no matter where in the world you learn it.

I can see fixing the math requirements, or changing them. But eliminating them?

The article suggests that some of the re-testing and additional class requirements were confusing and passing was not required to graduate. So is it the retest and additional class requirements that were eliminated? Or can you now graduate with less math knowledge?

Obviously I find the article confusing. And I pride myself on my reading comprehension skills.

As near as I can figure it goes like this.

If you fail the math test you are required to re-take, but not pass, the test to graduate. Many students did not understand the re-take requirement. So they didn't. So they won't graduate.

So the legislature removed the requirement to re-test. Passing was never a requirement. (Why require a test you never have to pass?)

Does that sound right to everyone?

IronTony: Burn98: SHOW ME THOSE MATH SKILLS!

Math is all about knowing what buttons to push.

If you learn it the way Americans learn memorize it.

Call bullshiat all day long, but math, is in fact, a creative process, more akin to art than anything else. Calculators were created so less time would be wasted on the mindless calculations bit.

I direct you to Lockhart's Lament^ WARNING It's a 25 page PDF, but worth the read.

I like this method for math:

Singapore Math (pops)

IronTony: Call bullshiat all day long, but math, is in fact, a creative process, more akin to art than anything else. Calculators were created so less time would be wasted on the mindless calculations bit.

I agree. I think of calculators like I think of nail guns. Why hammer all day long? you can do more faster with a nail gun.

But calculators can also be used as a substitute for understanding what the underlying operations do. you can not be creative with math when you do not understand the building blocks.

I have see students get answers that can not possibly be right. But the student insists they are right, because that is what the calculator says and answer is.

Burn98: I have see students get answers. . .

I have bee students get answers. . . no wait
I have cee students get answers. . . no wait
I have seen students get answers. . . got it!

I think a big part of the problem is that math is presented as inherently stressful and unpleasant rather than the brain orgasm us math nerds know it is. Present math as a satisfying process that challenges and nurtures the brain.

Not to mention it explains everything in the universe.

Yes, but where do they stand in creationism, I'd like to know.

I guess math skills are subprime.

/I get no respect.

Ok, I retract my criticism of the old man saying that everyone is being dumbed down. Feeling happy about accomplishing nothing is better than failing at trying to accomplish something. Counter-intuitive must have been left out of the test. Do they really think they are doing anyone any favors?

jcooli09: Yes, but where do they stand in creationism, I'd like to know.

Well, we do have the Discovery Institute here.

brainiac-dumdum: jcooli09: Yes, but where do they stand in creationism, I'd like to know.

Well, we do have the Discovery Institute here.

I can relate, I live near the Creation Museum.

brainiac-dumdum

The Singapore Method might bring you better results on standardized tests, but reading that article tells me it still has you memorizing problem solving methods, just more of them. Compare it to a state's standardized writing test where they teach the kids "This is the five paragraph essay. Here is where you introduce your ideas, here you expand on them, etc." Teaching them a similarly formulaic four paragraph format is just putting a new coat of paint on a jalopy.

Burn98

I agree entirely, but one who understands what they're doing can use a calculator properly and get the right answer, it's intended to be a time saving device, but sadly it can out-think most of my classmates in calculus.

/Was bullies a lot in elementary school
//Those kids ask me for help now.

Antidamascus: Valarius: Does not matter. Most state colleges have their own math requirements for degree graduation.

Everyone takes calculus in Nevada, whether you're engineering, economics, elementary education or sociology.

That's why I'm glad I live where I do. Never even got close to Calculus and have no intention of taking it... ever.

Yay for no math!

"Pay close attention when you decide to take your last math course. If you listen very hard, you will hear the sound of doors closing in your future."

IronTony: brainiac-dumdum

The Singapore Method might bring you better results on standardized tests, but reading that article tells me it still has you memorizing problem solving methods, just more of them. Compare it to a state's standardized writing test where they teach the kids "This is the five paragraph essay. Here is where you introduce your ideas, here you expand on them, etc." Teaching them a similarly formulaic four paragraph format is just putting a new coat of paint on a jalopy.

It's good for learning the basics and building a solid foundation to build on, which is of the utmost importance when learning math. Once the fundamentals are there, a more creative approach can be taken. In my math student opinion.

BMulligan: As the parent of a child in a Seattle public school, I'm all for flushing the WASL as soon as possible.


Once the B-Rock takes care of No Child Left Behind, the WASL and most of the other state tests like it will be trashed. I give it 2 years max.

idiocracy?

brainiac-dumdum: I like this method for math:

Singapore Math (pops)

Apparently, the Seattle Public Schools will be going to a hybrid curriculum that will incorporate elements of Singapore Math with elements of some less traditional method (the name of which escapes me at the moment). Many of the parents at my kid's school are up in arms about it, because they got together and paid for the Saxon curriculum (which is so damned traditional that it makes some medieval curricula look touchy-feely) and they don't want to give it up.

No Child Left Behind was mostly a very nice chunk of pork for whoever got to write, print, and distribute tests in each state, and it seems like only hair brained morons got the contracts to write the tests.

If they REALLY wanted some kind of standard for passing high school (Besides, ya know, passing classes) the SAT math has enough tiny tricks in it to verify that you know what you're doing, and not just praying to the calculator gods.

You have no clue how many kids think x^2 = 4 has only one solution.

/What? Multiple Solutions? Impossible!

All I know is that I was a lot smarter before I learned algebra:

x=y
x²=xy
x²-y²=xy-y²
(x+y)(x-y)=y(x-y)
x+y=y
y+y=y
2y=y
2=1

BMulligan: brainiac-dumdum: I like this method for math:

Singapore Math (pops)

Apparently, the Seattle Public Schools will be going to a hybrid curriculum that will incorporate elements of Singapore Math with elements of some less traditional method (the name of which escapes me at the moment). Many of the parents at my kid's school are up in arms about it, because they got together and paid for the Saxon curriculum (which is so damned traditional that it makes some medieval curricula look touchy-feely) and they don't want to give it up.

Yes, that's how I became aware of it. My son goes to Bailey Gatzert in the ID and they gave us info.

As an instructional designer for a liberal arts college, I spend much of my time figuring out ways to teach elementary English and math skills to freshman college students. Many of these students are functionally illiterate.

Before I moved into administration, I taught business math at a vocational college. I spent the first week of class teaching whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Seriously - some of my students did not know how to add a column of numbers. And all of them had either a high school diploma or a GED.

This is depressing.

I had a lot of trouble with math. A LOT, so much that I didn't graduate from college because of a math class.

Math should not be shoved under the rug. It should be amongst the most important things in education.

whidbey: A LOT, so much that I didn't graduate from college because of a math class.

Er...I should say it took forever to graduate because of that requirement...

/like anyone's reading this...

whidbey: I had a lot of trouble with math. A LOT, so much that I didn't graduate from college because of a math class.

I didn't graduate from high school because of a PE class so I'm getting a kick out of your reply.

whidbey: whidbey: A LOT, so much that I didn't graduate from college because of a math class.

Er...I should say it took forever to graduate because of that requirement...

/like anyone's reading this...

I read that. But I won't tell anyone.

BMulligan: some less traditional method

Heh there's a few of those around, some of which are so bad it defies belief that anyone would use them.

Did chairman obama graduate from there?

His math does not add up. But then again he did ruin the USA economy in less than 2 months.

who the frack voted for this guy? Nobody near me will own up......

troll: Nobody near me will own up......

Just stop it. Do you like being such a pathetic asshole?

Inquiring minds want to know.

winterwhile: But then again he did ruin the USA economy in less than 2 months.

Yeah because what happened in the previous few years had no effect on that at all. How's about a nice tall refreshing glass of STFU?

winterwhile: Did chairman obama graduate from there?

His math does not add up. But then again he did ruin the USA economy in less than 2 months.

who the frack voted for this guy? Nobody near me will own up......

Ahhh, there's the politics tab we know and loathe!

Goodfella: BMulligan: As the parent of a child in a Seattle public school, I'm all for flushing the WASL as soon as possible.


Once the B-Rock takes care of No Child Left Behind, the WASL and most of the other state tests like it will be trashed. I give it 2 years max.

B-Rock? Oh, you mean PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA??

Moron.

Seriously, NCLB is not a bad idea, but in the end, there's two big facts about it:

1) It wasn't funded by a Republican Congress

2) It was a give a way to test developers like Bush's family was in to.

Lacking NCLB will not lower education standards, it just frees states to set their own agendas. I personally prefer strong federal standards, but without the money to make it happen, it's not worth it.

winterwhile:

His math does not add up. But then again he did ruin the USA economy in less than 2 months.


0/10
Weak, bro. Not even Little League class.

I passed all four WASLs before it was cool. (By which I mean, the year before it meant you didn't graduate.)

winterwhile: Did chairman obama graduate from there?

His math does not add up. But then again he did ruin the USA economy in less than 2 months.

who the frack voted for this guy? Nobody near me will own up......

says the man who posted this earlier today:

winterwhile Quote 2009-03-20 05:04:53 PM
To bad, Bush has a higher IQ than Chairman Obama, so he does not qualify.

By the way, Has Chairman Obama's poles come up? Passed Bushes yet? Or are they still falling?

Quoted from the wikipedia page on Singapore Math Method:
"Frequent use of word problems, and the strategies towards solving them, rather than repetitive drilling. The assumption is that the drilling is being done elsewhere."

Because lord knows you never need math in the real world...just ask stockbrokers, CEO's of major corporations, and accountants. Math schmath.