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Current undergrad taking math courses at one of the colleges mentioned. I would say that what you suggested is definitely part of the problem. The other part is

by cynest 15y ago

Current undergrad taking math courses at one of the colleges mentioned. I would say that what you suggested is definitely part of the problem. The other part is that even the good* programs in high school are very different in structure from university math courses. There are very few study skills developed because most of the focus is on remembering the testing algorithm and does not necessarily include the rigor required to fully understand mathematics. *good in this context means AP level. This is not because AP is the correct measurement, it is because AP and the like is the measurement used to judge high schools

jtbigwoo 15y ago
In high school, the track I was on ended with high school seniors taking calculus at the local engineering college. No AP classes were offered where I lived, but I'm convinced that one college level class did more for me than a half-dozen AP classes would have. Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work.
- March_Hare 15y ago
  > Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work. I believe high school students who take college courses can be a great asset for their high school for this very reason. As a junior in high school I took college algebra at a community college in the evenings. As a result of the conversations with my math teacher, she made many changes to the subjects she covered in her pre-calc and algebra 2 classes.
- cynest 15y ago
  > Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work. I think the intended preparation is actually really important. With AP the flow is Learn ch2 algorithm > learn ch3 algorithm>...> do well on test > not have to take calc in college. If you actually prepare a course for rigorous understanding, I suspect you might end up sacrificing your AP score somewhat for much greater gains later on. However, the system only cares about that short term result.

by cynest 15y ago

jtbigwoo 15y ago

In high school, the track I was on ended with high school seniors taking calculus at the local engineering college. No AP classes were offered where I lived, but I'm convinced that one college level class did more for me than a half-dozen AP classes would have. Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work.

March_Hare 15y ago
> Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work. I believe high school students who take college courses can be a great asset for their high school for this very reason. As a junior in high school I took college algebra at a community college in the evenings. As a result of the conversations with my math teacher, she made many changes to the subjects she covered in her pre-calc and algebra 2 classes.
cynest 15y ago
> Especially because it forced my high-school math teacher to think more about preparing students for college-level work. I think the intended preparation is actually really important. With AP the flow is Learn ch2 algorithm > learn ch3 algorithm>...> do well on test > not have to take calc in college. If you actually prepare a course for rigorous understanding, I suspect you might end up sacrificing your AP score somewhat for much greater gains later on. However, the system only cares about that short term result.