Note from former NY State Ed Math Guy on Math A
Comments from an “old” SED Associate. (found on the NYState Math Teachers’ Listserve)
Since retirement, I have been reading this list serve with much interest. If you will bear with one of the “old guys,” I have just a few things I would like to say.
Prior to the Regents Action Plan and the Standards movement, the SED had a written philosophy that the regents exams were for the average and above average student. Hence, we had both local and regents level courses, exams, and, diplomas.
With the introduction of the first MST standards and all the interations since,that philosophy has changed. All students must take what is still called (unfortunately in my opinion) the Regents exam. In my opinion, “exit exam from high school” would be a better name. From this point on I shall just call it the exam. Since the exam is now for all students, there is no way it could be of the same high rigor and content of the previous Regents.
I do believe, however, that for the total student population it has raised the level of learning. The former “non regents” student is getting a better math education than in the “old” days. Unfortunately, if we use the new exam as the bar, we will not be providing our average and better than average kids with the mathematics education they deserve. We must all provide the best math educaiton that we can for all of our students.
Our bigger challenge is to educate new teachers, administrators, parents, students, and the communities at large that the new exam and its scoring method is a minimum for graduation and does not reflect what we need to do for all of our students. I know this is a big challenge, but we must succeed or we will fail our students.
I don’t think that there will be much of a change with the new Integrated Algebra exam. All students have to take this to get a diploma.
Although I’ve not been at SED for over 12 years now, I do know what it’s like in the schools as I continue to work with many schools in NYS as a mathmatics consultant. I appreciate the hard work that I see from so many dedicated teachers. I also see many students doing all they can to perform at the highest level. Let us stand together and set our own high standard. Then and only then will we be happy with our profession.
If you read this whole piece, thanks for letting me babble. Hope to see many of you at the AMTNYS meeting in the fall.
Ben Lindeman, Retired Associate
Bureau of Mathematics Education
New York State Education Department
Past President, AMTNYS
JD2718 
The math A regents has lowered the level of math education. Even the old RCTs required a higher level of knowledge. Kids are passing through math A with no concept of how to factor or even solve an equation. Because the classes are so mixed with different levels, the bright kids are not being taught any real math
With credit recovery programs and such, the math regents is setting the standard, no matter what anyone says.
I think he agrees with most, though not all, of that. I think he nails the use of the regents as an exit exam (the RCT was so-designed, Math A and Integrated Algebra are not)
That is not the feeling I got when I read his post.
What is the point of trying to teach higher level math to kids who cannot add or do simple arithmetic. I watch kids go through the motions with no understanding. It is so sad.
I fixed the font to make it more readable.
You disagree with him about the RCT vs Math A for the weakest kids. I fall somewhere in between.
We both agree with him that A and B have been disasters for average and strong kids.
And he makes the (valuable) point that these were never designed as exit exams, but that’s what they are being used for.
J
I retired from public schools 3 years ago. I presently teach at a christrian school. In my opinion, keep either the Math A or intergrated algebra exam for all genertal students and bring back ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY, and INTERMEDIATE/TRIGONOMETRY back for more advanced(serious – hard working) students. AND grade the exams where grades below 65 are FAILERS. Stop “toying” around with education. This method will satisfy the philosophy: Don’t leave anyone behind. No false hopes. This will enable guidance counselors(parents, etc.) to determine who might qualify for a math and/science education. You know! Calculus-Physics etc.
It is a fact that if the passing score required 65% of raw score points to pass, then very few students would graduate.
My concern is that the Chancellor seems very satisfied with illusionary increases in passing rates. No one is pressuring schools to increase their number of Math B courses. I doubt that will change with Geometry and Trig. Most schools simply begin giving electives of some sort to meet the credit requirements in math. Many of these elecitves are regurgitations of previously taught material.
Parents, Principals, and the DOE, simply smile and say, “Graduation rates are up!” The follow-up satatement, “We are lagging behind every industrial nation!” is never uttered.
If you teach at a christian school, do they teach you to remember you blew off 3 children who have hd to fight and scratch their entire lives, physically, emotionally and fiancially while you started another life? Is it in you to forgive as we have of you or do you just live on and eventually die with the rot of sin on your sould with no mention of your mistake to those you so wronged. Come clean for real and stop pretending you’re christian.
Word has it, they have tried to give you the chance and you cut them out of your life.
Sad death you will have when the gates are closed. Quite fooling yourself like most christians do. Be a real one and do the right thing no matter if it puts you on the cross or not. Accept the cross, die and rise again as a real man.