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Revisiting the Legacy of San Francisco’s Detracking Experiment

ED Surge

In 2014, the district pushed algebra to ninth grade from eighth grade, in an attempt to eliminate the tracking, or grouping, of students into lower and upper math paths. The district hoped that scrapping honors math classes and eighth grade algebra courses would reduce disparities in math learning in the district.

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Can Colleges Do More to Help Students Succeed?

ED Surge

These students were in early middle school or ninth grade when the pandemic started, and had to take classes like pre-algebra online. Pre-algebra classes are key for students to build their foundational math skills, Venit says, and also will indicate if a student may need extra support.

educators

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Making Math Class Relevant to Real Life

ED Surge

While most everyone agrees that students need to take math through Algebra I, or an equivalent, how far a student has to go to earn a diploma differs by state. Currently, they cover about 650 career options for students to explore and for teachers to use in algebra and geometry, according to a spreadsheet sent to EdSurge.

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Students Are Unmotivated to Learn. Would Consulting Them For Curriculum Help?

ED Surge

These days, that includes a complete AP Statistics curriculum and five units for Algebra I. Even in calculus or algebra some units of the standard curriculum can have more relevant context incorporated, Young-Saver argues. The nonprofit he created, Skew the Script, develops curriculum directed by student interests.

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Readers Respond: Does Fixing the Leaky STEM Pipeline Require Calculus To Adapt?

ED Surge

A number of instructors say it’s partly reconsidering how calculus, a crucial step toward STEM careers and often a “weed out” course in higher ed, is taught. Noticing this, EdSurge traveled to Harvard this summer to observe one attempt at a more subtle revolution, meant to bring calculus instruction into the 21st century.

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Talented Students Are Kept From Early Algebra. Should States Force Schools to Enroll Them?

ED Surge

Julie Lynem’s son had taken algebra in eighth grade, but hadn’t comprehended some of the core concepts. That left the family to decide whether to make him repeat the class in ninth grade — and potentially disadvantage him by preventing him from taking calculus later in high school — or to have him push through.

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The Role of Mathematics in Education

Ask a Tech Teacher

The Role of Mathematics in Education: What Professions You Can Get in the Future Have you ever found yourself pondering the real-world applications of those algebraic formulas or geometric theorems you spent hours trying to decipher in school? But how does this abstract discipline translate into tangible career paths?