Math education: What’s the problem?

Photo: Meris Stansbury

Meris Stansbury, Online Editor writes,  "In today’s news, a new report from the American Enterprise Institute suggests that not all students should be pushed to take algebra in the eighth grade. Also, ACT show modest progress in the number of students who appear ready for college-level work in math and science; and a new national poll reveals that Americans have conflicting viewpoints in their preferences for investing in schools, such as paying for the education of the children of illegal immigrants."

 

Solving America's mathematics education problem

 

A new report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) tackles the U.S. algebra and mathematics dilemma and is the latest to suggest that not all students should be pushed to take algebra in the eighth grade.

“Solving America’s mathematics education problem,” by Duke professor Jacob L. Vigdor, examines cultural shifts that have resulted in new waves of interest in students’ mathematics performance.

Despite a renewed focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills, high school students continue to perform poorly on math tests. That trend continues into college, where many new college students enroll in remedial math courses. The report notes that “the proportion of new college graduates who majored in math-intensive subjects has declined by nearly half over the past 60 years.”

The U.S. is in danger of slowed or lost progress if these trends continue, the report warns.

Photo: eSchool News 

Moving students through algebra and other higher-level math courses can hurt their knowledge and performance if they enter the classes too soon. For example, in North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, students who took algebra earlier than their peers scored 13 percentile points lower on a standardized test than students who took algebra on a regular schedule.

Some districts have tried to close the math achievement gap by excluding more challenging math topics. But this “dumbing down” hurts students who might want to pursue math majors in college and math-related careers, because they leave high school without skills that other students–their competition in college and the workforce–possess. Over the past 30 years, average SAT math scores have increased 20 points, but there has been a 25 percent drop in the number of college students majoring in math-centered subjects, according to recent research noted in the report.

The report contains a handful of solutions that might help struggling students better understand algebra and abstract math concepts, give advanced students a chance to develop even stronger math skills, and retain the nation’s competitive edge:

Foreign students receive more than half of all doctorate degrees in science and engineering, and two-thirds of those in engineering alone, but many leave the country after they receive their degrees, limiting their potential to contribute to the U.S. economy. But new immigration policy focusing on skills over family reunification criteria could change that pattern.

Reforming current math curriculum may help, too. The Singapore math model, in which a limited number of topics are covered in a more in-depth way, but this raises questions about U.S. teacher preparedness and the U.S. school structure.

Tailoring math instruction to a student’s needs, and sorting students by groups according to those needs, may improve math instruction and performance.

Read more... 

Source: eSchool News