21 May 2013

How do we learn to fly?

A new study released by NCEE (National Center on Education and the Economy) finds that much of the math needed for college success is actually middle school math. In fact, the study reports there is "strong evidence" that understanding and mastery of middle school mathematics are essential not only for college success but also for career success, suggesting that mathematics instruction at the K-12 level must be realigned to students actual needs with a focus on mathematical modeling, statistics, probability, data analysis, and applied geometry in order to serve students better than the commonplace cursory treatment of these concepts while rushing to algebra at the middle school level.

What does this mean for community colleges, especially given that a large percentage of students have had the opportunity to follow only one pathway prior to coming to college? Is Statway or a similar pathway to college level statistics a reasonable alternative to the traditional algebra sequence?

The study reports similar, yet not parallel, findings for English, suggesting that high school students do not read or write at a level required for success in college. It also suggests that, with the exception of English composition courses, first-year community college courses do not require rigorous reading or writing of  their students. It claims, "Our community college students clearly need better instruction in constructing arguments and in laying out their thinking logically and persuasively." The report concludes that expectations at both the high school and college level are too low.

In closing, the report suggests "the nation may have to learn to walk before it runs, which means that it is important, first, to enable our high school students to meet the current very low standards before we ratchet those standards up."

Given the context of nationwide redesign of developmental education coupled with performance-based funding models and 40-40-20 goals at the state level, the question remains: How do we collectively learn to walk or run when the expectations, specifically in developmental education, require that we fly?


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