Tuesday, September 11, 2007
7 x 13= 28 (and Other Mathematics My Students Would Have Understood)
The results of last year's No Child Left Behind tests were released last week. 324 members of Underwood's current senior class took exams in mathematics, reading, and writing, though only the first two are considered for NCLB standing. Because of the amount of money and prestige associated with good test scores thanks to President Bush, the administration has steadily placing greater emphasis on testing during the past few years. Surprisingly, it seems that their efforts last year yielded positive results!
Of the 324 students who took the mathematics exam,
14 scored advanced (4.3%) +2.8% over 2006
33 scored proficient (10.2%) +2.3% over 2006
64 scored basic (19.8%) +6.1% over 2006
213 scored below basic (65.7%) -11.2% from 2006
On the reading exam, the numbers are not quite as clearcut:
Again, 324 students completed the exam.
6 scored advanced (1.9%) -1.1% from 2006
68 scored proficient (21%) +8.5% over 2006
73 scored basic (22.5%) -2.7% from 2006
177 scored below basic (54.6%) -4.7% from 2006
And for writing, where only 314 students took the exam:
1 student scored advanced (0.3%) -2.7% from 2006
230 students scored proficient (73.2%) +9.4% over 2006
75 students scored basic (23.9%) +6.3% over 2006
8 students scored below basic (2.5%) -0.5% from 2006
The writing scores are quite impressive, with nearly 3/4 of the Underwood student body scoring advanced or proficient. But as I mentioned before, writing is not considered by the state or federal government when judging a school's NCLB status. This explains why Underwood is now under what is called "Corrective Action II", a category which sounds like the sequel to a prison exploitation movie that's just waiting to be made. The full explanation is far less exciting. Basically, if Underwood's students fail to reach testing benchmarks this year, the school will undergo a full management overhaul. This could mean anything from conversion to a charter school to full-scale privatization or, in the most extreme cases, closing the school down entirely. In any case, the pressure is on the administration to reach the student body and improve test scores or risk losing their jobs entirely.
It seemed to me as I was reading over the NCLB FAQ on the state education website that Ms. Oldman (Underwood's principal) and the rest of her staff could use some help reaching out to the student body. If only someone could provide some insight into where the students are currently so that teachers could tailor their test preparation efforts accordingly. Shortly after mulling over this issue, I had one of those striking moments of serendipity that each of us encounters every so often...in this case, while I was perusing a few of my favorite blogs.
First, I found this glimpse into the mathematical mindset of the average freshman at Underwood, courtesy of Eric at Secondhand Thoughts:
Some may claim that Abbott and Costello have absolutely no relevance to the modern classroom, but I am not exaggerating at all. My math teacher girlfriend told me stories that were equally absurd, and things get even more complicated when algebra is involved.
One possible solution to the deficiency illustrated above would be exercises designed to encourage logical thinking. Ideally, they should also captivate students' interests by appealing to their hobbies. Imagine my luck to discover the following useful diagrams mere minutes after viewing the previous skit. (I should note that the following diagrams have been rating PG-13 due to adult language.)
The Wu Tang: More Than Just Financial Services
This procedure was later adapted by one D. Hack in a 2000 work.
And finally, straight outta Compton...with a Venn Diagram!
A well-deserved tip of the hat to Chris Sims of The Invincible Super-Blog for compiling these masterworks of hip-hop related mathematics. I can only hope they serve as an inspiration for other struggling math teachers. And that maybe, just maybe, with tools like these, Underwood can avoid getting bulldozed by the federal government because test scores won't improve.
The results of last year's No Child Left Behind tests were released last week. 324 members of Underwood's current senior class took exams in mathematics, reading, and writing, though only the first two are considered for NCLB standing. Because of the amount of money and prestige associated with good test scores thanks to President Bush, the administration has steadily placing greater emphasis on testing during the past few years. Surprisingly, it seems that their efforts last year yielded positive results!
Of the 324 students who took the mathematics exam,
14 scored advanced (4.3%) +2.8% over 2006
33 scored proficient (10.2%) +2.3% over 2006
64 scored basic (19.8%) +6.1% over 2006
213 scored below basic (65.7%) -11.2% from 2006
On the reading exam, the numbers are not quite as clearcut:
Again, 324 students completed the exam.
6 scored advanced (1.9%) -1.1% from 2006
68 scored proficient (21%) +8.5% over 2006
73 scored basic (22.5%) -2.7% from 2006
177 scored below basic (54.6%) -4.7% from 2006
And for writing, where only 314 students took the exam:
1 student scored advanced (0.3%) -2.7% from 2006
230 students scored proficient (73.2%) +9.4% over 2006
75 students scored basic (23.9%) +6.3% over 2006
8 students scored below basic (2.5%) -0.5% from 2006
The writing scores are quite impressive, with nearly 3/4 of the Underwood student body scoring advanced or proficient. But as I mentioned before, writing is not considered by the state or federal government when judging a school's NCLB status. This explains why Underwood is now under what is called "Corrective Action II", a category which sounds like the sequel to a prison exploitation movie that's just waiting to be made. The full explanation is far less exciting. Basically, if Underwood's students fail to reach testing benchmarks this year, the school will undergo a full management overhaul. This could mean anything from conversion to a charter school to full-scale privatization or, in the most extreme cases, closing the school down entirely. In any case, the pressure is on the administration to reach the student body and improve test scores or risk losing their jobs entirely.
It seemed to me as I was reading over the NCLB FAQ on the state education website that Ms. Oldman (Underwood's principal) and the rest of her staff could use some help reaching out to the student body. If only someone could provide some insight into where the students are currently so that teachers could tailor their test preparation efforts accordingly. Shortly after mulling over this issue, I had one of those striking moments of serendipity that each of us encounters every so often...in this case, while I was perusing a few of my favorite blogs.
First, I found this glimpse into the mathematical mindset of the average freshman at Underwood, courtesy of Eric at Secondhand Thoughts:
Some may claim that Abbott and Costello have absolutely no relevance to the modern classroom, but I am not exaggerating at all. My math teacher girlfriend told me stories that were equally absurd, and things get even more complicated when algebra is involved.
One possible solution to the deficiency illustrated above would be exercises designed to encourage logical thinking. Ideally, they should also captivate students' interests by appealing to their hobbies. Imagine my luck to discover the following useful diagrams mere minutes after viewing the previous skit. (I should note that the following diagrams have been rating PG-13 due to adult language.)
The Wu Tang: More Than Just Financial Services
This procedure was later adapted by one D. Hack in a 2000 work.
And finally, straight outta Compton...with a Venn Diagram!
A well-deserved tip of the hat to Chris Sims of The Invincible Super-Blog for compiling these masterworks of hip-hop related mathematics. I can only hope they serve as an inspiration for other struggling math teachers. And that maybe, just maybe, with tools like these, Underwood can avoid getting bulldozed by the federal government because test scores won't improve.
Comments:
Looking to invite you to the other blog... leave a comment on my blog with an e-mail address to which you'll respond, as I've already sent invites to two addresses I have for you.
To clarify, I'll moderate your comment and delete it instead of publishing for the world your e-mail address.
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