2 ms·

I didn't take calculus until college either and I entered college 5-6 years ago. So, the educational standards seem pretty consistent to 30 years ago. I wasn't

I didn't take calculus until college either and I entered college 5-6 years ago. So, the educational standards seem pretty consistent to 30 years ago. I wasn't in any way effected and graduated with a C.S. in Engineering Degree from UIUC. I also would have had a degree in mathematics, had a dual C.S. and Mathematics degree been allowed. So I would sweat over it. That being said, I would never dream of sending my kid to public school regardless. Speaking of splitting kids up, I was placed into the "trouble" kids group (probably due to dyslexia or apathy) until I was eventually identified as "gifted" 6-7 years later[1]... I seriously think I have a slight bit of PTSD dealing with the screaming in a classroom all those years. Mixing students is probably a hell of a lot worse than not. Then again S.F. is all about being "equal" to the point of insanity. [1] http://austingwalters.com/please-excuse-my-grammar/ http://austingwalters.com/please-excuse-my-grammar/

dpark 10y ago
I took a year of calculus in high school and took 3 semesters of calculus later in college. The first semester of college calculus covered all of the high school material and then some, and I don't think my year of high school calculus really mattered. On the subject of mixing, I think mixing students is probably better overall. The "trouble" group is the result of splitting them out. You don't end up with a whole room of problematic kids and a couple of misidentified gifted kids when they are mixed. The only way it makes sense to split out the problematic kids is if they get a lower student:teacher ratio. They need more attention.
- bluejekyll 10y ago
  > I took a year of calculus in high school and took 3 semesters of calculus later in college. Probably not AP, so the college wouldn't accept it, right? That's the rub, really. Though to be honest my HS calculus was more like an intro with College being much more complex.
  - dpark 10y ago
    Yeah, my high school didn't offer AP calc. They did offer a few AP classes like English, which I took but never transferred anyway.
- theorique 10y ago
  The "trouble" group is the result of splitting them out. You don't end up with a whole room of problematic kids and a couple of misidentified gifted kids when they are mixed. It depends on the specific kind of "trouble". If you have students who don't get the material, and need extra assistance, that's one thing. At least they don't "disrupt the learning environment" (as they say the edu-speak that teachers and administrators use). On the other hand, if they are bored, really don't want to be there, blurt out things at random, make animal sounds to amuse themselves, etc., this affects other students and the whole mood of the classroom. (To say nothing of threats, hostile behavior, actual violence, etc.) Such students need to be physically removed in order to enable the others to learn undisrupted.
  - dpark 10y ago
    Sure. There are legitimate reasons to remove students. What's not really legitimate is pulling out all the high performers and leaving the average and below-average students stuck with those legitimate problem students. It's more fair that the kid who excels in English gets put in the same class as the kid who struggles than it is that the kid who struggles with English gets put into the same class with the kid who makes animal noises randomly.

dpark 10y ago

I took a year of calculus in high school and took 3 semesters of calculus later in college. The first semester of college calculus covered all of the high school material and then some, and I don't think my year of high school calculus really mattered. On the subject of mixing, I think mixing students is probably better overall. The "trouble" group is the result of splitting them out. You don't end up with a whole room of problematic kids and a couple of misidentified gifted kids when they are mixed. The only way it makes sense to split out the problematic kids is if they get a lower student:teacher ratio. They need more attention.

bluejekyll 10y ago
> I took a year of calculus in high school and took 3 semesters of calculus later in college. Probably not AP, so the college wouldn't accept it, right? That's the rub, really. Though to be honest my HS calculus was more like an intro with College being much more complex.
- dpark 10y ago
  Yeah, my high school didn't offer AP calc. They did offer a few AP classes like English, which I took but never transferred anyway.
theorique 10y ago
The "trouble" group is the result of splitting them out. You don't end up with a whole room of problematic kids and a couple of misidentified gifted kids when they are mixed. It depends on the specific kind of "trouble". If you have students who don't get the material, and need extra assistance, that's one thing. At least they don't "disrupt the learning environment" (as they say the edu-speak that teachers and administrators use). On the other hand, if they are bored, really don't want to be there, blurt out things at random, make animal sounds to amuse themselves, etc., this affects other students and the whole mood of the classroom. (To say nothing of threats, hostile behavior, actual violence, etc.) Such students need to be physically removed in order to enable the others to learn undisrupted.
- dpark 10y ago
  Sure. There are legitimate reasons to remove students. What's not really legitimate is pulling out all the high performers and leaving the average and below-average students stuck with those legitimate problem students. It's more fair that the kid who excels in English gets put in the same class as the kid who struggles than it is that the kid who struggles with English gets put into the same class with the kid who makes animal noises randomly.