Lawsuit over not allowing algebra in middle school

[ygolo]

Math Wars return to S.F. school district amid lawsuit and new Stanford study on algebra

A group of San Francisco parents has sued the city’s public school district, demanding...

www.sfchronicle.com

For background:

San Francisco Insisted on Algebra in 9th Grade. Did It Improve Equity?

The policy change improved access to some courses. But racial inequities at the most advanced levels of math remain largely unchanged.

www.edweek.org

SFUSD Leaders Work With Researchers to Examine Math Programming | SFUSD

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) leaders are using new research findings, including research by Stanford University Graduate School of Education, to help understand the impact of the 2014 Math Course Sequence Policy.

www.sfusd.edu

I have mixed feelings about this. I was myself "tracked" (and heavily) in middle school (I was taking classes at an adjacent high school). Part of my early success in college had a direct-line from that. My parents would not have been able to afford private school.

But I do acknowledge that a lot of this advantage accumulates exponentially over time. In fact, I would say parents actually count on this phenomenon. I was even thinking of giving my children similar advantages if possible.

I think it would be ideal if those who were falling behind were given a way to catch up, rather than disallowing others moving ahead.

Having taught a bit in university, I feel like calculus at university is a much harsher and steeper situation to deal with than algebra in middle school.

First, the middle school and high school teachers tend to be much better teachers than university professors (though professors may be better able to relate calculus to higher math, physics or engineering). Second, the class sizes in university are ridiculous compared to even the worst class sizes in primary and secondary education. Third, first year university is when most students have had to deal with time alone for the first time--and all the challenges that can entail. Finally, many university STEM curricula have "weeder" classes that can heap a lot of work (intentionally) to do almost nothing other than test a student's resolve. Dealing with the craps-shoot of Calculus (and often Chemistry which is even worse in terms of class size and randomness in grading) in the first year can be too much for a lot of people.

The more that students can avoid the overwhelm of first year university (or community college) the better.

Of course, whether or not university is the right path for everyone needs to be examined. It's gotten ridiculously expensive. If you want a career in something that doesn't need a degree, it's hard to justify(and it's hard to justify almost anything other than CS from a financially perspective with today's costs). Even doctors and nurses have to struggle for a while to pay off their debts if they make it all the way through. I worked to pay off a lot of my bachelors, and almost all of my masters while I was going so as to not have much debt. However, it is unclear how much this would be possible for a lot of people these days.

 

[Coriolis]

Students should be given the opportunity to realize as much of their full potential as they can. This is not the same as pushing them too fast, whether to satisfy the vicarious ambitions of parents or game the college application process. It is challenging students to keep them engaged, and to give them the best "return" on the time and effort they invest in their coursework. Anything less cheats them and is little more than busywork. Yes, lightening the load in the first year of college has some merit, though that is a secondary benefit.

I have always found it shortsighted and hypocritical that school systems are quite willing to hold students back if they have not learned what they should in a given grade, but are very resistant to letting kids get "ahead", even if just in one or two subjects where they show clear ability to engage with and benefit from the material.

 

[SearchingforPeace]

Our large public school allows for kids in middle school to go as far as they can in math and other subjects, letting them earn high school credit in middle school, and take algebra I and geometry in middle school. My youngest son is a high school freshman and in algebra 2 now.

I was first allowed to take algebra in high school. We only got alegbra 2 in 11th grade. In order to offer us AP Calculus, we skipped pre-calc/trig.

I didn't think it held me back any by doing this. Understanding brain development, I do wonder if early push to higher math really helps. Are we just burdening kids unnecessarily? Will they really benefit from earlier instruction? Who knows? I know I was bored by high school math until Calculus, and likely could have done well doing Alegbra earlier.

 

[ceecee]

Students should be given the opportunity to realize as much of their full potential as they can. This is not the same as pushing them too fast, whether to satisfy the vicarious ambitions of parents or game the college application process. It is challenging students to keep them engaged, and to give them the best "return" on the time and effort they invest in their coursework. Anything less cheats them and is little more than busywork. Yes, lightening the load in the first year of college has some merit, though that is a secondary benefit.

I have always found it shortsighted and hypocritical that school systems are quite willing to hold students back if they have not learned what they should in a given grade, but are very resistant to letting kids get "ahead", even if just in one or two subjects where they show clear ability to engage with and benefit from the material.

This was the thought when our son was in middle school - he certainly could have handled the challenge but there really were no options at the time. Ultimately he took AP classes and all the math possible in HS, he's graduating this month with a BS in material engineering in 3 years from U-Michigan. I think it should be available but a lot of parents are vicious with their children - whether it's sports or academics, so it makes me pause somewhat.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

This thread title makes me think of this:

I otherwise refuse to watch this show because it stars this horrible woman who murdered Macaulay Culkin with bees; I believe she makes an appearance in the video if you really want to know what a MURDERER looks like.

 

[Kephalos]

I am not sure. I think it's obvious that kids with different educational needs and with different abilities should receive different treatment: but I also find the emphasis on "meritocracy" flawed. That bias towards helping "the best" does have its rationale, but it leads to focusing more resources on students who probably can learn on their own instead of those who would probably need more resources to be taught. I do think an approach like that would be fairer and much more just.

 

[ceecee]

This thread title makes me think of this:

I otherwise refuse to watch this show because it stars this horrible woman who murdered Macaulay Culkin with bees; I believe she makes an appearance in the video if you really want to know what a MURDERER looks like.

Why this immediately made me think of this, I don't know. Well it's probably the chyron about math...

Most Americans say 'Arabic numerals' should not be taught in school

Seventy-two per cent of Republicans oppose Western world's standard numeric system, according to research designed to 'tease out prejudice among those who didn't understand the question'

www.independent.co.uk

Seriously, the stupidest country.

 

[Coriolis]

I am not sure. I think it's obvious that kids with different educational needs and with different abilities should receive different treatment: but I also find the emphasis on "meritocracy" flawed. That bias towards helping "the best" does have its rationale, but it leads to focusing more resources on students who probably can learn on their own instead of those who would probably need more resources to be taught. I do think an approach like that would be fairer and much more just.

For those best students to learn on their own, the adults need to get out of the way and stop setting up artificial hurdles and impediments. Make the materials available, give some broad guidance and evaluations, and turn them loose. Then they could focus their time and energy on the students who, as you suggest, really need the personal attention. I know I am not the only student in my school who would have thrived in such an environment, and learned a good bit more than our school establishment permitted.

 

[Pionart]

5 + [box] = 8

What does [box] equal?

Bam, algebra. We had those problems in second grade.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Why this immediately made me think of this, I don't know. Well it's probably the chyron about math...

Most Americans say 'Arabic numerals' should not be taught in school

Seventy-two per cent of Republicans oppose Western world's standard numeric system, according to research designed to 'tease out prejudice among those who didn't understand the question'

www.independent.co.uk

Seriously, the stupidest country.

It's sad but it doesn't surprise me. I do admit I laughed at this one:

Civic Science's research is reminiscent of a 2015 survey that found 30 per cent of Republicans supported bombing "Agrabah", the fictional city where Disney's Aladdin is set.

 

[Maou]

People be should be given equal opportunity, but at the same time. If a student isn't able to present the most basic academic feat... They are probably suffering from some mixed upbringing and or problematic parenthood.