Last week we met with math teachers in grades 6-12 to continue planning for the changes in graduation requirements related to mathematics. Teachers have been given primary responsibility for identifying the sequence, placement, materials, and accountability measures that will best position our young people for success with the new state standards. The Teaching and Learning Department and principals are supporting this work.
The WASL is being replaced by end of course assessments in algebra and geometry and one more math credit for a total of three will be required for graduation. Those in positions of authority have decided that ALL students must at least go through geometry. The question that I keep asking is what math ALL students will need to ensure that they have options in post high school learning and work. Is geometry the point at which that happens? When math teachers are asked that question the response of most is that students should take math every year in high school. What about those that don’t teach math, how much math should ALL students take in their four high school years? What are the most important math classes for students to consider after success in geometry?
1 comment:
O.K., I'll bite. I'm going to interpret your question as, "What topics in math ought students to have mastered beyond what they would have taken in Algebra 1 and Geometry," rather than, "What math class titles should students have on their transcripts to keep all doors open."
I graduated from college with a bachelors of science with a major in environmental science and a minor in economics and only rarely used math content that was beyond what I learned by the time I completed geometry. I love learning, including learning math. For me, I wouldn't go back and change a thing (in terms of the advanced math classes I took). But I don't believe that all students must take four years of math to learn the content that they are likely to use. I think a lot of students would be in good shape if they could take a post-geometry class that focused on application of algebra and geometry concepts and which taught them the basics of statistics.
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