Since modern math instruction consists of showing students how to operate a calculator, this really isn't a mystery.

So when will Christie and his big dumb failure Schundler be arrested for attempting to defraud the government?

This sounds like me and my friends in college, when we were still engineering majors, trying to settle a check after dinner. We pretty much forgot how to do math without letters in it.

WideStance: I'm sorry, I don't buy the fact that they can pass Calculus and not do simpler math.

Upon review of the article, there is indeed bullshiat afoot.

UNLIKELY TAG EXPLODES


I also firmly believe that not every person can grasp Calculus when they're in high school. Parents are often to blame here, they think their snowflakes can do anything (and a lot of times, the kids aren't dumb, they just can't grasp high math at a young age) so they pressure the teacher, and the kid still gets a good grade and goes to college underprepared.

That said, most high school graduates are even dumber than they used to be ten years ago. There's hope though, some are even smarter than the smartest of ten years ago.

I was in high school from '93-'97. My freshman year Algebra class was unleveled, meaning that those of us who could understand the material after simple instruction had to wait on those who needed a week to figure out 5x + 10 = 200, what does X equal.

Test scores in that class counted for a whopping 20% of the grade, the same amount that having a neat notebook did. Homework counted as 40% of the grade, meaning that if you could do all your homework and have your notebook organized in the way the teacher wanted it, you had a D to start with.

Needless to say, I'm not suprised by anything in TFA.

Shenanigans in New Jersey?

THE HELL YOU SAY!

# Require remedial services beginning in 9th grade for students not proficient in the 8th grade test. Currently, remedial classes are mandated starting in the junior year.

No. Fail them and make them retake the year. Refuse to issue driver licenses or occupational/business licenses to anyone not proficient in 8th grade math, for God's sake. Require parents of failing kids to come in before/after work WITH THEIR KIDS for math tutoring.

# Establish district-level portfolios for each student to record all information about that student, including results of diagnostic tests administered at the beginning of the school year.

Absolutely. And begin moving those at the very bottom off into vocational programs. This "everyone can go to college" crap is not only incorrect, it's incredibly wasteful of time and energy, and it ends up increasing human misery rather than decreasing it.

# Allow local districts to choose intervention programs, off of a list provided by the state.

No. Allow local districts to hold students back without ANY fear of litigation or negative consequences from the state.

# Continue reviewing whether to provide high school diplomas to students in the United States for less than three years who haven't mastered English but appear to be making rapid progress.

No. Nothing else. Just no. Here and want a diploma? Learn the language.

Oh, and also do the following:

Bring back public recognition of superior student performance. Too many schools have gotten rid of the dean's/principal's list because of the widdle snowflakes feelings that are hurt when they don't make it. Screw that. Provide privileges to all students who EXCEL at grade level or higher math (and science, and...hell, everything). Make the rewards not just long-term (scholarships, etc.), but short-term as well (parties, on-campus parking, tickets to concerts/games/etc). Base it on tests that are graded equally and fairly across all students.

Scale back privileges based on sub-par performance. If you can't pass your math/science/english/reading classes, you don't get electives, and can't play sports or participate in any other school programs. Stay on grade level, and you get the good stuff.

As noted above, absolutely zero driving privileges or work permits for students who are under 18 unless they are on grade level. If you're failing to meet minimal standards, you don't need to be working or driving around -- you need to be studying.

Allow students to drop out at 16 (but, of course, not drive or work until 18 -- laziness should hurt). MAKE students drop out who consistently present a threat to other students, or who are disruptive to the learning process. Provide a public-funded vocational track to any student who wishes to learn a trade AFTER they have demonstrated 8th grade ability in the basics.

Test and track. There is absolutely no reason that the top quintile of students needs to be taught at the speed of the middle or lower quintiles. As long as there is the ability for students to mobilize across the levels, teaching students in ability-level tracks allows teachers to maximize student learning without losing the slowest or boring the brightest. Again, maximizing effort and minimizing misery.

Teachers should be evaluated based on the difference between the student's skills on day 1 of class and on day 180. If your class of kids makes progress (regardless of where they started) then you're doing the job. NO progress, no job. Seriously.

Make student misbehavior painful to both child and parent. Have the kid and parent assigned to trash duty on the campus as punishment. Make it sometime really inconvenient for the parent, so that they "encourage" their child to make appropriate choices of behavior. If a child engages in seriously problematic behavior during school, require the parent to pick the child up within one hour or face a $1 per minute daycare fee. Suspensions? No in-school-suspension at all. You're either at school learning or out of school doing community service. With your parent.

Go Fast Turn Left: I was in high school from '93-'97. My freshman year Algebra class was unleveled, meaning that those of us who could understand the material after simple instruction had to wait on those who needed a week to figure out 5x + 10 = 200, what does X equal.

Test scores in that class counted for a whopping 20% of the grade, the same amount that having a neat notebook did. Homework counted as 40% of the grade, meaning that if you could do all your homework and have your notebook organized in the way the teacher wanted it, you had a D to start with.

Probably varies from school to school but I was in high school around that time (graduated in 98) and tests were basically everything. Mrs. Yancovich (no relation to Weird Al, who I believe does not use the h) that I know of), I hated you at the time but you did teach me math. If you're still alive that is... and reading Fark. neither are too likely.

WideStance: I'm sorry, I don't buy the fact that they can pass Calculus and not do simpler math.

Swear to God, when I was at PC, the Calc 2 "professor" I had freshman year actually turned to us at one point while working on a problem on the board and told us she couldn't remember basic math sometimes.

The girl in front of me almost broke her neck trying to check with me to make sure she heard right.

WideStance: Go Fast Turn Left:

Test scores- 20%
Notebook - 20% >
Homework - 40% > adds up to 60% for the D
----------------
80% total


(I'm guessing you just omitted something like quizzes, your point is still valid but I got confused, and in a thread about math I had to add shiat up.)

Yeah, there was quizzes and stuff that made up the rest...point is that there were people getting Bs that didn't know crap about Algebra. It was pathetic.

dahmers love zombie: # Require remedial services beginning in 9th grade for students not proficient in the 8th grade test. Currently, remedial classes are mandated starting in the junior year.

No. Fail them and make them retake the year. Refuse to issue driver licenses or occupational/business licenses to anyone not proficient in 8th grade math, for God's sake. Require parents of failing kids to come in before/after work WITH THEIR KIDS for math tutoring.

# Establish district-level portfolios for each student to record all information about that student, including results of diagnostic tests administered at the beginning of the school year.

Absolutely. And begin moving those at the very bottom off into vocational programs. This "everyone can go to college" crap is not only incorrect, it's incredibly wasteful of time and energy, and it ends up increasing human misery rather than decreasing it.

# Allow local districts to choose intervention programs, off of a list provided by the state.

No. Allow local districts to hold students back without ANY fear of litigation or negative consequences from the state.

# Continue reviewing whether to provide high school diplomas to students in the United States for less than three years who haven't mastered English but appear to be making rapid progress.

No. Nothing else. Just no. Here and want a diploma? Learn the language.

Oh, and also do the following:

Bring back public recognition of superior student performance. Too many schools have gotten rid of the dean's/principal's list because of the widdle snowflakes feelings that are hurt when they don't make it. Screw that. Provide privileges to all students who EXCEL at grade level or higher math (and science, and...hell, everything). Make the rewards not just long-term (scholarships, etc.), but short-term as well (parties, on-campus parking, tickets to concerts/games/etc). Base it on tests that are graded equally and fairly across all students.

Scale back privileges based on sub-par performance. If you can't pass your math/science/english/reading classes, you don't get electives, and can't play sports or participate in any other school programs. Stay on grade level, and you get the good stuff.

As noted above, absolutely zero driving privileges or work permits for students who are under 18 unless they are on grade level. If you're failing to meet minimal standards, you don't need to be working or driving around -- you need to be studying.

Allow students to drop out at 16 (but, of course, not drive or work until 18 -- laziness should hurt). MAKE students drop out who consistently present a threat to other students, or who are disruptive to the learning process. Provide a public-funded vocational track to any student who wishes to learn a trade AFTER they have demonstrated 8th grade ability in the basics.

Test and track. There is absolutely no reason that the top quintile of students needs to be taught at the speed of the middle or lower quintiles. As long as there is the ability for students to mobilize across the levels, teaching students in ability-level tracks allows teachers to maximize student learning without losing the slowest or boring the brightest. Again, maximizing effort and minimizing misery.

Teachers should be evaluated based on the difference between the student's skills on day 1 of class and on day 180. If your class of kids makes progress (regardless of where they started) then you're doing the job. NO progress, no job. Seriously.

Make student misbehavior painful to both child and parent. Have the kid and parent assigned to trash duty on the campus as punishment. Make it sometime really inconvenient for the parent, so that they "encourage" their child to make appropriate choices of behavior. If a child engages in seriously problematic behavior during school, require the parent to pick the child up within one hour or face a $1 per minute daycare fee. Suspensions? No in-school-suspension at all. You're either at school learning or out of school doing community service. With your parent.


I like the cut of your jib. Sir.
Taunt, tight and trimmed.

s1ugg0: erupt2001: New Jersey is also filled with ginzos and scumbags.

Hey jerk, some of us are Irish too.

I was gonna say: 'some of us are scumbags too!!'

I just assume a spherical chicken and I'm good to go...

I have a Math minor and went into a math-heavy Master's program.. and really cannot do any basic math whatsoever. The complex stuff just overwrites the simple stuff in my Adderall-ridden brain.

munchkinette: This sounds like me and my friends in college, when we were still engineering majors, trying to settle a check after dinner. We pretty much forgot how to do math without letters in it.

So yeah, basically this.