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Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

latimes.com

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Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#321

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

actionfromafar wrote: post #300
SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just don't see how it's possible to construct a classroom environment that can simultaneously serve an 8th grader who's ready to start learning algebra and an 8th grader with dyscalculia who struggles with basic arithmetic. (I'd be sympathetic to "let's try our best", except that people often propose to try our best by declaring that first kid isn't actually ready.)

But maybe they don't need to attend completely different schools, either.

I agree, but I don't think that's what's being proposed. Many special ed programs today work on that principle: try to mainstream everyone in the classes they can be, run separate classes for the cases where that won't work, and everyone kinda understands that the participants in special ed aren't expected to be as successful in their educational pursuits.

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#322

Post by doubled112 »

toast0 wrote: post #239
doubled112 wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My kids are in grade 3 and 6 and nobody ever taught them to type. They just handed them a Chromebook and assumed they know what they're doing. It is a skill, but everybody seems to think it will just happen on its own.

The problem is everyone knows you learn to type when you get on IRC, but you can't put elementary school kids on IRC.

Why not? I was in elementary school on IRC. ASL ;-) ?

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#323

Post by sonofhans »

koolba wrote: post #122
kleiba2 wrote: post #28

I used to teach high school math. There was a big push for doing everything digitally. And admittedly, for some topics the use of technology in the classroom or at home can really be a benefit, for instance visualizations or interactive exercises. But having a digital device in class was the number one cause of distraction every time. For a lot of things, good old blackboards are just fine as are pen + paper exercise…

They got rid of paper because teachers are lazy and do not want to spend time grading things by hand. I’ve spoken to the head of curriculum at a school asking why when given the choice of paper or digital format of a math exam, they picked the digital. I specifically mentioned it’d be inferior as students would not be able to draw atop geometry problems or cross out numbers when simplifying expressions. The response…

> teachers are lazy

Teachers don’t make those decisions, school boards do. School boards are elected or appointed political entities.

Teachers are humans just like you, and like or dislike work for the same reasons you do, including your unoriginal display of classic American anti-intellectualism.

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#324

Post by kleiba2 »

make3 wrote: post #163
kleiba2 wrote: post #28

I used to teach high school math. There was a big push for doing everything digitally. And admittedly, for some topics the use of technology in the classroom or at home can really be a benefit, for instance visualizations or interactive exercises. But having a digital device in class was the number one cause of distraction every time. For a lot of things, good old blackboards are just fine as are pen + paper exercise…

blackboards in uni where you can't do anything but just rewrite everything the prof is writing is a nightmarish waste of time, especially for anyone with any kind of attention difficulties please remove the devices from the students but provide slides

Uni and high-school are not the same.

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#325

Post by 1970-01-01 »

john_strinlai wrote: post #296
1970-01-01 wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HS and undergrad students have overlapping math levels: Algebra, Pre-calc, and Calc.

we're talking about this claim you made: "You cannot reject more than one or two students in a year" which you appear to be basing on a high school article your ai supplied you, which is irrelevant to how many students a post-secondary institution can fail per semester. overlapping math levels is unrelated.

Do you disagree with this?

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-c...

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#326

Post by thewebguyd »

scarmig wrote: post #312
59percentmore wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Schools do not exist to fix every social problem By law, they monopolize up to half of a child's waking life for more than half of the year. This time commitment requires that parents put at least one meal, a substantial portion of the child's physical development, and almost all of their intellectual development (and, by extension, a substantial portion of their behavioral development) in the hands of the school. I…

That's one philosophy, sure. My philosophy is that schools that graduate students who are illiterate and innumerate have failed, no matter what rhetoric they put out about equity and social problems. (There are limited situations where it does make sense, logistically, for schools to provision social services. E.g. meals for students who don't have access to steady food sources. But those are relatively uncontroversi…

> schools that graduate students who are illiterate and innumerate have failed

I don't disagree.

But at the same time, it's also important to ask: was that child offered to learn and apply themselves in the same, stable environment as a child from a more wealthy upbringing? If the answer is no, that child was done a disservice. If the answer is yes, and they still fail, obviously don't graduate them...

The goal shouldn't ever be "Just pass everyone" it should be making sure that every child has the same opportunity and circumstances to succeed.

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#328

Post by Novosell »

pelagicAustral wrote: post #279
amluto wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s also fraught because schools will spend increasingly large fractions of the time preparing kids for tests instead of teaching them anything.

Wasn't this the plot of the Wire season 3 or something?

It is one part of the plot that focuses on inner city schooling in season 4 :)

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#329

Post by adrr »

Catloafdev wrote: post #219
hedora wrote: post #53

This doesn't surprise me at all. From what I can tell, California's education system has moved from "equality" (which I would define as providing similar opportunities to all the kids) to focusing on "equity" (which I think they define as dictating the same outcome for all kids). To get an idea of how off the rails this has gotten, go read up on their statements trying to justify banning high school calculus. They ex…

This is absurdly problematic. Your solution is basically handicapping the schools with kids that perform worse and then potentially closing them? That doesn't solve the problem, this is just pro-Charter School propaganda that ignores the real-world effects of these positions. You've identified a real issue with the 'equality' vs 'equity' concept, that doesn't lead to 'Close public schools and switch everything to Cha…

Everyone blames the school. Its the mentality of parents and kids at the schools. Kids go to charter school. 90% of the kids in my 10 years class meet or exceed grade level on the state test. She is surrounded by kids who push her up and parents that push their kids. Teachers care because the parents and kids care. My wife had half hour call last night with my daughters special project teacher because they want showcase the kids work and have the kids give speeches on it.

You don't get that dedication unless you're at private school. It democratizes private education for the masses. Also have lots of volunteer teachers and student teachers from local universities so the ratio is 1 instructor to 10 students. Special project teacher is a volunteer who is earning her masters at Harvard.

Re: Citing 'severe' math deficits, UC faculty demand a return to SAT tests for STEM

#330

Post by jerlam »

hedora wrote: post #161
confidantlake wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most important factor isn't the schools, it is the kids themselves.

California used to have the best schools in the country, and roughly a third of our urban population is Silicon Valley. It's home to the largest economy in the US by a large margin, and is one of the richest states. Yet, somehow, for math: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=... the only states/territories doing worse at math are DC, Puerto Rico, New Mexico, and Alabama. I'm not sure what Alab…

California had below average (for US states) school funding per student until recently: https://edsource.org/2026/california-education-funding-rise/...

At times, it was ranked second-worst.

I would argue that with California's high cost of living, "average" funding in California is still low relatively speaking.

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