Re: Prolems in Mathematics Education

Tim Norfolk wrote (in part):

1. A significant number of freshmen come to us with high GPA's,
including in mathematics courses, and claim to have taken a
calculus course in high school, yet place into our Intermediate
Algebra (basically an Algebra I course), on several measures,
including ACT, SAT, COMPASS test, and our old department
placement test.

I only have a moment now, but I thought I'd mention that many
of the issues you brought up were discussed at the recent MAA
Mathfest conference (Aug. 2-5, San Jose), in the panel session
titled "Calculus in High School: What is Happening? What Do
We Need to Know?". David Bressoud and Dan Teague were the
session leaders, so they might be interested in your
observations, or put you in touch with those who are.

By the way, my experience (rather extensive and diverse)
has been that Intermediate Algebra corresponds to a high
school Algebra II class, not a high school Algebra I class.
Nonetheless, that's still a level below the level below the
class they supposedly took, which is not a good sign if
they got even a low passing grade in that class. Also, at
least one person in the audience of the calculus session
I mentioned told of pretty much the same thing you said above,
namely that students with high school calculus credit were
placing into his university's Intermediate Algebra class
(i.e. not Calculus I, not even college-algebra/precalculus,
but way back to Intermediate Algebra).

Dave L. Renfro

.

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