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2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

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Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#4

Post by hga »

Without reading the fine article except for searching for "calculus", I'll note that I've confirmed an accusation at the other end: the Common Core does not even reach precalculus by the end of high school.

No student in a school solely based on it will be taking AP Calculus, let alone be able to attend MIT or Caltech (the former requires you to be ready to learn the calculus, the latter demands you've already learned single variable calculus). Students interested in STEM majors, or anything needing serious math, will join the current legions who didn't learn (enough) math in high school taking remedial classes and be that much behind in graduating.

Perhaps America has too many people in STEM careers; absent supplementation by school districts that e.g. already teach AP Calculus and don't want to stop, this will help fix that....

(Well, outside of the states rejecting it; it was implemented in my home state of Missouri without the input of the legislature, and they're about to zap it, joining another state who's name I forget.)

Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#5

Post by icolor »

hga wrote: post #4

Without reading the fine article except for searching for "calculus", I'll note that I've confirmed an accusation at the other end: the Common Core does not even reach precalculus by the end of high school. No student in a school solely based on it will be taking AP Calculus, let alone be able to attend MIT or Caltech (the former requires you to be ready to learn the calculus, the latter demands you've already learne…

Article only mentions that learning to teach the common core addition/division/multiplication/subtraction is as difficult as 'learning' calculus.

I'm sure that the current common core level for math ends around Trigonometry.

Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#6

Post by bovermyer »

I'd never heard of this before, but looking up some of the controversy, I found this article:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/07/abou...

It actually makes some sense. I'm still skeptical, but it's sounding like it's just a significant departure from the rote memorization methods I grew up with.

Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#7

Post by kasey_junk »

hga wrote: post #4

Without reading the fine article except for searching for "calculus", I'll note that I've confirmed an accusation at the other end: the Common Core does not even reach precalculus by the end of high school. No student in a school solely based on it will be taking AP Calculus, let alone be able to attend MIT or Caltech (the former requires you to be ready to learn the calculus, the latter demands you've already learne…

AP Calculus has never been a standard part of the requirements for a high school diploma in any state in the union. Common Core did not change that. In fact Common Core has added to the requirements in math as it brought many states upwards to Trigonometry as a requirement.

Remember, this curriculum is not for Advanced Placement, it's for common placement. No school is prevented from offering AP courses and they have quite a few incentives to do so.

Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#8

Post by sitkack »

Calculus can be taught to anyone independent of age. It is not a unit of difficulty.

I think people are railing at teaching math to children because they themselves suck at math. Your inability to grasp subject matter is not proof that something is wrong or too hard.

http://commonsensequantum.blogspot.com/2010/11/geometric-rep...

Re: 2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math

#9

Post by tptacek »

hga wrote: post #4

Without reading the fine article except for searching for "calculus", I'll note that I've confirmed an accusation at the other end: the Common Core does not even reach precalculus by the end of high school. No student in a school solely based on it will be taking AP Calculus, let alone be able to attend MIT or Caltech (the former requires you to be ready to learn the calculus, the latter demands you've already learne…

The idea that Common Core prevents students from taking calculus is disputed:

http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2014/04/a_sorry_at...

Further, a citation to Caltech's admission policy would be handy; I found sources directly disputing your claim (also in the context of Common Core), citing Caltech Math1a to rebut it.

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