Forum Home | Log in | Signup | My Page | Rules | FAQ | Boards | Members | Search
« 6TH POPE Home | Email msg. | Reply to msg. | Post new | Board info. Previous | Home | Next

Re: Kansas Eyes Ending Required College Algebra — Too Many Students Can't Pass It 

By: Zimbler0 in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (2)
Sat, 17 Dec 22 9:52 PM | 27 view(s)
Boardmark this board | 6th Edition Pope Board 		Msg. 38397 of 60008
(This msg. is a reply to 38373 by Decomposed)
Jump:
Jump to board:
Jump to msg. #

Want my opinion?

High school Algebra should be a requirement for graduating from high school.

Graduating from high school should be a requirement for entering college.

College Algebra should be more difficult than high school. But not so difficult that a high school graduate can't handle it.

A college degree should confer some assurance that the one who 'earned' it has mastered such basic skills as Algebra and the ability to read and write above high school level. Plus the subject matter of their major.

Anything less says "Why bother with college at all?"

Zim.




Avatar

Mad Poet Strikes Again.

» You can also:
- - - - -
The above is a reply to the following message:
Kansas Eyes Ending Required College Algebra — Too Many Students Can't Pass It
By: Decomposed in 6TH POPE
Sat, 17 Dec 22 9:56 AM 		Msg. 38373 of 60008

Math? Who needs it???

The justification being used is that "most jobs don't require it." Is that, then, to be the standard by which mandatory classes are to be selected? STUDY.COM has THIS to say about courses required for all students... the so-called "General Ed." As you read it, ask yourself which ones meet the standard of being needed for "most jobs."


General Education Course Topics
Generally, students must complete a certain number of credit hours in each of these topics to meet general education requirements:

Arts & Humanities
Classes that satisfy an arts and/or humanities requirement could include music, visual arts, theatre, or dance. Study.com offers college-level courses to augment your studying in these subjects:

Intro to Music
Art of the Western World
Introduction to Philosophy

English Language and Literature
The majority of higher education institutions require an English course to ensure that students are receiving an educational foundation that teaches them to write, appreciate world literature, and analyze written words to form educated opinions. Study.com delivers engaging courses covering some of the most common college English topics:

English Literature
College Composition
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature

Foreign Language
Proficiency in a foreign language can help students gain awareness of various global cultures and expand their worldview in addition to learning new linguistic skills. At many colleges, students can choose from a range of languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese. Get a head start on your language training with this online language course from Study.com:

Beginning Spanish

History
History courses provide students with an opportunity to connect cultures from across the globe, and students can find a broad range of history classes that work within the scope of general education requirements. To get an idea of what's available at the college level, check out one of these online history courses:

Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East through 1648
Western Civilization II: 1648 to Today
United States History

Mathematics and Science
While most colleges and universities offer math and science majors to keep up with the demand for technologically advanced workers to fill positions in the STEM fields - science, technology, engineering, and math - even students pursuing majors outside of STEM fields should possess basic math and science knowledge. Study.com can help students improve their math and science skills with these diverse course offerings:

College Algebra
Principles of Statistics
Business Math
Introduction to Biology
General Chemistry
Earth Science

Social Sciences
The ability to interact with others in society and develop meaningful relationships are two of the main ideas taught in the social sciences field. At Study.com, students can find courses that can enhance their understanding of the social sciences:

Introduction to Sociology
Public Speaking
Introduction to World Religions

When I was in school, Algebra was a requirement to graduate high school. I guess today's colleges... or, at least, today's Kansas colleges... don't have such lofty expectations.

The whole point of General Ed classes is to ensure that college graduates are well rounded, that they possess a degree of general knowledge. It's obvious that math matters. It's among the more useful job skills and it instills logical thinking prowess. Algebra has always been the minimum standard for competency. The minimum.

What I see here is a massive failure of the Kansas Board of Regents to ensure graduates of the six universities it governs have minimal competence in an important field.

December 16, 2022

Kansas Eyes Ending Required College Algebra — Too Many Students Can't Pass It

by Alex Parker
RedState.com


Did you take college algebra? A new generation of baccalaureate-bearing Kansans may soon overwhelmingly answer with “No.” There’s a substantial chance the state will 86 its algebra requirement.

Few graduates end up employing high-level algebra in their chosen career fields; but that’s not necessarily why it might get subtracted.

As noted by NPR in Kansas City, there’s a much more primary problem:


About one in three Kansas students fails college algebra the first time around.

According to KCUR, the exasperating subject eliminates would-be alumni:

Some take it several times before they pass. Others get so frustrated that they drop out altogether. And that cuts into university graduation rates.

And what do you do if people can’t pass a well-established subject? Instead of failing students, you give the subject an “F.”

Additionally, Kansas Board of Regents Vice President of Academic Affairs Daniel Archer says, “Algebra, schmalgebra”:


“We’re sending the majority of students down the college algebra road, which is really not necessary. It’s not practical. It’s not really needed. And it’s not relevant for their fields.”

NPR claims ubiquitous college algebra is only intended to prepare students for college calculus, which most majors don’t require. And a cutting-edge educational revolution ousts what isn’t essential:

The approach, known as Math Pathways, does away with the assumption that all students need college algebra. Instead, it incorporates alternative requirements such as statistics and quantitative reasoning.

If you stop forcing people to figure out algebra, more attendees will one day wear tassels:

Georgia State University adopted the approach along with other changes and it has boosted its graduation rate by five percentage points over the past seven years.

Could such consideration be a monetary move? After all, college costs beaucoup bucks; and dropouts don’t drop their money on classes.

To hear Daniel tell it, it’s an issue of applicability:


“You’re trying to base [course requirements] on the skills that are needed in that…professional career. If you’re going to major in political science, you’d be far better suited to take a stats class.”

The state is extensively examining Math Pathways:


Over the next several months, the Kansas Board of Regents plans to put together an advisory group to explore Math Pathways. It’ll look at data from other university systems and get feedback from Kansas colleges about whether, and how quickly, the state might implement new requirements.

It seems to me talk of only teaching what’s critical for careers works against the educational apparatus — there are very few American occupations that non-college graduates couldn’t learn via on-the-job training. If universities were to solely require courses without which employees couldn’t reasonably enter most entry-level positions, they’d end up necessitating nothing.

Either way, in an evolved America, success isn’t what’s gained through enduring incredible difficulty. Increasingly, we’re starting at the finish line and then determining which obstacles must be removed for everyone to easily arrive there.

As explained by Daniel, there are “roadblocks” — reasons why students aren’t graduating. One of those reasons: classes…


“It’s incumbent on us to be aware of all the roadblocks that are out there for students…reasons why they’re leaving, reasons why they’re not graduating. So I would urge us all to…find ways to find the bandwidth to keep this moving along.”

That is likely what secondary education will do. Plus, there are more pressing problems — why worry about solving for “x” or “y” when we’ve got to ensure students are incorporating neopronouns such as “zie“?

University Directs Students to 'Practice With Pronouns,' and It Highlights Our Stunning Sophistication
https://t.co/bIdCM8qSgG

— RedState (@RedState) May 6, 2022

http://redstate.com/alexparker/2022/12/16/kansas-eyes-ending-required-college-algebra-too-many-students-cant-pass-it-n674822

« 6TH POPE Home | Email msg. | Reply to msg. | Post new | Board info. Previous | Home | Next