State Board of Education wrestles with math requirements By Kate Alexander American-Statesman Staff That’s the question the State Board of Education will grapple with over the next few days as its members debate the new looser high school graduation requirements approved by the Legislature last spring. In House Bill 5, lawmakers set out to give high school students, particularly those not headed to college, more flexibility to choose a course of study. They replaced the prescriptive 4x4 graduation plan — four years each of math, science, English and social studies — with several new specialized pathways to graduation called endorsements. It was left up to the State Board of Education to decide which courses make up each of the endorsements. About 90 speakers have signed up to testify on Wednesday before the board members take preliminary votes on Thursday and Friday. The final vote is scheduled for January. The biggest issue before the board members will be whether to include advanced algebra in each of the endorsements. Algebra 2 is seen by many as a critical course that determines whether a student will graduate ready for college or a job after high school. University of Texas physics professor Michael Marder said earning a credential is essential to professional advancement and Algebra 2 is needed to get that credential at a community college or four-year institution. “I see many jobs that do not require Algebra 2. I think it’s harder to make the case that there are many careers (that do not require it) because for me career means the possibility of advancing and moving up potentially to management or supervisory positions,” Marder said. Others argue that piling on more requirements will not ensure that students are understanding the math concepts they need to succeed. University of Louisville education professor Jim Stone said national high school math scores have remained flat even as the number of math credits needed to graduate have doubled. And only 13 percent of students who completed Algebra 2 scored college-ready on the ACT, which suggests the students need to get a deeper understanding of the concepts taught in middle school math, algebra and geometry, Stone said. House Public Education Committee Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, encouraged the board members not to require Algebra 2 in all the endorsements. “I do believe the clear intent of HB 5 was to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to public education in Texas … If the Legislature wanted to prescribe Algebra II for all endorsements, then I would have included that in the legislation,” Aycock wrote in a letter to Board Chairwoman Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands. Instead, the Legislature left the decision up to the local school districts and they have the authority to decide whether to require Algebra 2. A coalition of civil rights groups and business leaders, however, maintain that minority and low-income students will suffer if school districts can direct them away from a rigorous high school course load. “Algebra 2 is critical to ensure that opportunities are not limited and the doors remain open for our students after high school,” said Celina Moreno, a lawyer with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The course is a requirement for students to qualify for automatic college admission under the state’s Top 10 provisions. And the Algebra 2 concepts are tested on the standardized tests required for college, Moreno said. For more information, please visit: statesman/news/news/state-board-of-education-wrestles-with-algebra-2-r/nbyqM/
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 12:08:04 +0000
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