Submit posts for next Carnival of Math
Carnival of Mathematics 68 was up at Plus Magazine early this month. And next Friday, #69 will be published, right here, at jd2718.
Posts can deal with any level of math, related topics, history, teaching, puzzles.
You may submit
- by using the Carnival Tool (easy, convenient)
- or by e-mailing me directly at [this blog name] at [gmail] dot [com].
Please get your stuff in by Wednesday night (or very early Thursday AM), September 1 or 2.
— — — — —
Two weeks later I will be hosting Math Teachers at Play. It’s just that kind of month.
How many NYC kids take ACTs?
1500 just a few years ago, 5000 last year. And what follow-up questions should we have?
At Gotham Schools, they had none. I have previously complained about the bias embedded in their reporting. But this was just lousy journalism. (I explain more in the third comment some of which is copied below the fold) Read more…
Back from an extended break
Really, that should say, “Back from summer vacation.”
I went away. A few times. I was at the AFT Convention in Seattle as a PSC delegate, then visited Vancouver (first time in those two cities), then went white water rafting and camping for a week in Utah (it was too hard for me, and while I survived, I did not feel very successful), and then just now returned from two weeks volunteering with the merged AFT/NEA local in the central area of San Antonio, Texas. In due time I will share some stories.
Regents keep most exams for 2010-11
Back in March I reported that the Regents were costing their tests, to see what savings they could get by eliminating some of them. The next week I clarified that they were not actually proposing to eliminate all the exams. And now they have announced a few cuts – a bit more than I expected, but not by much. The one’s that might hurt the most schools/teachers/students are the Component Retests (can help a kid graduate) and the Foreign Language Regents (what if you’ve just finished the 2nd year of a sequence that no longer leads to an exam, an exam that is required for the Advanced Regents diploma?)
The Regents made the following changes:
- Scoring materials – all will be downloaded – the State won’t print them up and send them out anymore
- Component retests – in Algebra and English – eliminated
- Social Studies Exams – Grades 5 and 8 – eliminated
- Foreign Language – 8th grade proficiency exams – eliminated
- Foreign Language Regents – Spanish, French, Italian – kept
- Foreign Language Regents – all others – eliminated
- Chemistry Regents – August administration – eliminated
- Algebra II/Trig – August administration – eliminated
The State Education Department request for additional funding from the Legislature and executive has been partially approved. This will allow for the following:
- Administration of January 2011 Regents Exams
- Translations of exams into Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish
- Administration of the June 2011 Foreign Language Regents Exam in Italian
Please keep in mind that this applies only to the 2011 administration of Regents Exams. Unless alternative funding sources can be identified in the very near future, the Regents may have to further reduce the NYS assessment program in the fall 2010.
The deficit-reduction actions taken by the Regents in June 2010 will be continued. This includes:
- Discontinuation of paper-based scoring materials for Regents Exams. All materials will be on-line for downloading and printing by districts.
- Elimination of Component Retesting for Math and ELA
- Elimination of the Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Exams
- Elimination of the Grade 8 Second Language Proficiency Exams
- Elimination of the August administration of Algebra 2/Trigonometry and Chemistry Regents Exams
- Elimination of Foreign Language Regents Exams except for Spanish, French, and Italian.
You may access the SED memo online (PDF).
Passing Integrated Algebra apparently does not mean much
Dan Koretz (Harvard) and Jennifer Jennings (NYU) (f/k/a Eduwonkette) looked a little at kids who take New York State exams. Turns out, the exams don’t predict much, or at least don’t predict what some people thought they did.
Math A (now Integrated Algebra) are the graduation requirement in mathematics. And many kids passing the exam had to take remedial math when they got to college. Something’s not right.
Is the cut score too low? That’s the conclusion that’s being drawn across the media and the commentators.
“The bar was set too low,” Deputy Education Commissioner John King said at a Board of Regents meeting. “But we are changing that now,” he pledged.
He is wrong. The bar wasn’t set too low. The tests stink.
Almost all the kids (over 90%) who squeak by with a 65, 66, 67, 68, or 69 take remedial math in college. I guess that’s not a big surprise (though it’s really not right)
Over two thirds of the kids who score in the 70s take remedial math in college. Does that suggest that the passing score should be higher? Keep reading.
Just 10% of those taking the exam score above 80. So 80 is some sort of gold standard? Or maybe that’s where the passing score should be set. No and no. One quarter of those students take remedial math in college.
The NY State Math Regents measure the ability of a student to take and pass the NY State Math Regents. The exam is aligned with overly-broad standards. The exam is poorly written. The exam is poorly designed. It tests vocabulary skills and guessing skills. It tests test-taking skills.
The NY State Integrated Algebra regents exam does not measure knowledge or skill in algebra, or in any area of mathematics for that matter. It cannot be fixed. A student’s score on this exam will never correlate strongly to SAT scores or college placement.
It is time to admit that the New York State Education Department is no longer good enough to create mathematics exams.
“I hate fractions”
… “They probably hate you, too. The question is, which one of you will be master.”
Do you recognize the badly paraphrased literary reference?
(inspired by this interesting post about teacher training, with interesting comments)
Stop Resegregation in Wake County
I can’t go to the march, but I can spread the word. So can you.
North Carolina NAACP calls march, July 20, (tomorrow, Tuesday) against the resegregation of schools in Wake County, North Carolina.
(And before anyone in the north starts shaking a patronizing head over conditions in the south, let me point out that segregation remains an undefeated challenge in much of the rest of the country. We have work to do.)
AFT Convention in Seattle – Day 4
Day 4 of the Convention was the shortest. The morning session started a little after 9:30, and wrapped up near 1, and that was it.
Credentials were updated (I think?) and election results announced. The Progressive Caucus swept. The opposition from Detroit got about 5%. Barbara Bowen (PSC) was the leading vote getter, followed by Karen Lewis (CTU Local 1), well ahead of the rest.
International relations was first group of resolutions on the agenda. And Afghanistan was prioritized #1 out of the committee. The NYSUT resolution had been recommended, and all the debate was about two amendments.
The first amendment said that this is, for the United States, a war of choice, not a war of defense. The second amendment removed from the resolved section language that muddied when we wanted the war to end, and further removed a full resolved advising the armed forces on how to conduct the war on terror. Three PSC leaders spoke powerfully for the amendments. Leo Casey moved to a mike in front of a mike with a UFT delegate. He defended the weaker version of the resolution, and the next speaker dutifully ended debate. Even the weakened resolution was an anti-war resolution, of a sort. We’ll have to strengthen it in two years.
The second resolution was on Iran. A delegate from New Jersey who had spoken on this resolution in committee again spoke to it, offering an amendment that would seek a peaceful approach to Iran. A UFT delegate answered that this was not a foreign policy resolution, but a trade union resolution. And then Casey came close to making a case for war against Iran. There was more than a little irony here, as a delegate had just reminded those who remained assembled that the AFT had taken such pro-war resolutions before invasions in the past, but alas, few were interested and few remembered.
And then business went quickly. A delegate scolded Weingarten for mocking those who walked out the day before on Gates. Weingarten defended herself – partly blaming the delegates themselves, partly saying she didn’t mean to sound sarcastic. “You can’t take New York out of the girl” she said. Funny. I thought she was from Rockland.
Higher Ed, Public Services, Health Care – all got flown through with little debate. And then the rest got referred to committee.
The convention got an intro to the next convention (Detroit 2012), and a round of Solidarity Forever with George Altomare, and it was over.
Notably, Race to the Top never came up.
(I meant to blog each day, but got overwhelmed with work. I was here as a PSC delegate, and they kept us quite busy. I’ll be catching up over the next few days)
AFT Convention in Seattle Day 1
“Our vision is that every neighborhood school should be an excellent school that all families know they can count on, every year, for all of their children.”
and that was too much. Neighborhood schools? When her legacy in the Bronx was to destroy neighborhood schools? When “school choice” guarantees that struggling schools are shut instead of improved. When kids routinely travel past several closer schools on their way to theirs. When Weingarten sat on the board of New Visions, and helped fragment our high schools? When “zones” were abolished for Bronx high schools?
My negative feelings would have been plain to anyone looking at my face (though they may not have known if they were of annoyance, boredom, anger, or impatience.) But who is going to look at my face at the American Federation of Teachers convention? Apparently a few thousand delegates, as I was flashed rolling my eyes on the jumbotron…
No confidence in Race to the Top! That’s what the NEA came up with. I heard nothing along those lines today.
(it’s late. I’ll add a part 2 about the rest of Day 1 in the morning.)
AFT Convention in Seattle Day 0
I’m at the AFT Convention in Seattle. So far? A bag, a nametag, a free t-shirt.
I’ve seen a dozen people I’ve met before – half from “Back to School” (the AFT summer organizing events I’ve worked at the last two years in New Orleans and East Texas), plus other familiar faces.
A woman from Downstate Medical Center thought I looked like a movie or tv star, but her friend thought I looked like a colleague of theirs in Basic Science. Do I look better than usual? or smarter than usual? Either way, I’m ahead of the game.
I have a new delegate orientation in a few minutes.
And I’ll be back here, blogging at least once a day until it’s over.
Staphon David
Last week a former student, graduate of 2008, died. It was an accident. It made me sad. And I thought about the other time I heard about a student’s death.
My first term teaching was miserable. I was at Columbus, 4 of 5 of my classes were difficult freshmen, and the 5th was repeaters. I was lousy, couldn’t manage the class, etc, etc. The second term was worse. I was up to 5 freshman classes, and my control was not, as far as I could tell, even a drop better. The school, the programmer, they did a perfect job of matching weak kids with a weak teacher. In 9 out of 10 cases the teacher would have left before the kids dropped out. This was the tenth case.
I swore I would remember how miserable that first year was, so I could help people get through it easier. But now, 13 years later, it’s kind of blurry. When I walk in a room, I can imagine it going out of control, but it doesn’t happen. I imagine kids sneaking in and out the back door, but the actual events are far away.
But I remember a few key scenes. And I remember lots of the kids. Staphon was in my middle of the day class in, I want to say 437 or 439. I think the next teacher used to scold me for leaving the room such a mess. I sort of understood, but there was nothing I could do; at that point I was fortunate the papers were being dropped on the floor and not thrown at me. I remember Luis from that class. And Nick who played football and who I had again as a senior. And Cleveland whose education had been interrupted in his home country (or never started?) Anthony, always hyper. And Elionor, I think, who sat near the back and helped me immensely by being my doorkeeper. Lorraine transferred into this class. And Yanay who did TKD. And 26 more.
Staphon passed. That was good. Weak kids + lousy new teacher 
Staphon’s family created some sort of scholarship in his honor, and Columbus has been giving it out every year. I wonder what will happen when Bloomberg and his chancellor succeed in destroying Columbus? Will Staphon be forgotten? (not by me)
Last week a former student died. An accident. She was just 20. I knew her all 4 years at my small school. I think she may have been in one of my electives senior year. But I am pretty certain that she was a service aide for me, once a week, as a senior. I remember her voice. How sweet she could be. And also her flashes (occasional) of temper. And who her friends were. And how she looked. And I knew a little about her first year, far away at college, and that she was back in New York this year. I can actually only recall one conversation, after she graduated, as she prepared to go west and we said goodbye.
She was my student more recently than Staphon. So the memory is fresher. She was in a small school. He was in a large school. But the intimacy of a small school does not matter here. I am saddened, twice. I try to remember. I wonder who else remembers, or will remember. I am worried about his scholarship. And for her, I hope we plant something special.
Carnival of Mathematics #67 posted at Travels in a Mathematical World
Carnival of Mathematics #67 @ Travels in a Mathematical World
There is a phenomenon I have observed: a carnival draws from the same circle or group of interlocking circles, and while the content is new each time, the faces are not. And I have observed this, sometimes to a greater extent, sometimes to a lesser, with the Carnival of Mathematics.
I like the regulars. Don’t get me wrong. But it was exciting this time to go to a brand new host, Travels in a Mathematical World, and find a brand new line-up.
Peter Rowlett, the blog’s owner, is an administrator and tech promoter/coordinator at a university at northern England. And he likes (and blogs about) math. A little esoteric. Interesting tidbits. I recognize and appreciate the generalness and the lack of hard focus. It’s fun.
And his carnival reflects that he is from far, and travels (ha ha) in a different circle. This is not the same carnival as all the others. (Plus, it has a snappy news theme). There’s a variety to look at, from blogs you’ve never heard of. It’s big. It’s exciting. Go. Look.
I know what that blotchy stuff is
Long Wednesday walk took me through Fort Tryon Park.
Thursday morning, in shorts, mild itch, I’m scratching both calves. I look. Not an insect bite. Blotchy orange-pink rash.
I know what poison ivy the plant looks like. I avoid it. Apparently quite successfully.
I know what poison ivy the rash looks like. I’ve seen it on other people. But never on me.
The itch is still there, barely. The (fading) blotches start at the top of my (calf-high) sock, on both legs. How’d it get up under my jeans? But I remember taking a quick off-trail short cut, and no, I did not look for PI.
I think the amazing thing is, yes I am allergic, and yes, I’d managed to carefully avoid contact over the course of 40 or so years…
By the way, here’s my previous unfortunate botanical run-in… (not Poison Ivy, she’s just here to add color)
Summer sneaks in
This was a rough year for teachers in New York City. But not so bad for jd2718. My school is in good shape, my administration works with us, not against. We don’t have much craziness. And we have no scheduled excessing.
But there is still a ton of work in this Department of Education, and each year there is more and more. Even semi-sheltered, we feel the rising load, the compliance, the unfair grading, etc.
And we do some extras in my school. Things that are worthwhile. Especially through the Spring. And I am still programming (one last year). And there is the weight of that. And something sad diverted me.
And so while Monday was our last day — and while teacher-bloggers woke up Tuesday and shared the feelings of freedom — for me, summer just slowly snuck in.
What is the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act?
There is a proposal in Albany, under current consideration, that would change how public higher education, SUNY and CUNY, functions in New York State. This proposal by Governor Paterson, S.6607–A or A. 9707–A is some sort of extension or outgrowth or cooptation of a Buffalo plan UB2020.
The act’s main effect would be to give college presidents greater funding autonomy in two areas – private partnerships and tuition. It is not clear that there would be any college democratic control… faculty senate or student voice.
- The private partnership provisions replace public funding with private, decrease oversight, and incrementally inch away from a system of public education.
- The tuition provisions would allow each campus, SUNY and CUNY, to set their own tuitions, up to two and a half times higher. It even allows different tuitions for different majors.
Not a surprise that many college presidents are supporting it, and the faculty unions and student associations are opposing it. It is a surprise that given its potentially dramatic impact, it has received little press.
Below the jump: Professional Staff Congress President Barabara Bowen’s letter to members explaining the Act, urging members to advocate against it, and advising them how. Read more…
Last day, at last!
It may have felt like it would never arrive. But it is here.
New York City teachers (and paras, secretaries, counselors, and others), we are here.
We got cheated into an extra sweltering late June day. Friday should have been it, but they brought us right to the bitter end. But, getting here, it’s sweet.
Hand out those report cards. Say those goodbyes.
And go. Go have a drink. Or sit in the park, in the shade. Go on vacation. Or go get errands done. Go work, if that’s what you choose to do (although I don’t get why you would make that choice).
But go! Go do what you choose. Because your time, finally, belongs to you.
Index to recent Regents Posts
JFK Case Study: What happens to NYC Dept of Education investigations?
Lynne Winderbaum was
JFK High School UFT Chapter Leader 1994 – 2003,
Bronx High School District Representative 2003 – 2009,
and has served on the UFT Executive Board since 2006.
She taught at JFK from 1989 until her retirement in 2009.
Finally!
It is not surprising that it took the comptroller of the State of New York to finally do a legitimate audit and issue findings that show that Anthony Rotunno was primarily responsible for the misappropriation of $90,000 from the general fund treasury of Kennedy High School. (see article in today’s New York Daily News)
There have been at least four major investigations into allegations involving Mr. Rotunno since 2004 by the Department of Education’s investigatory arms, the Office of Special Investigations, the Special Commissioner of Investigations, and the Auditor General. Each time, the investigators returned with a finding of no guilt.
I do not know what it took to get the state comptroller’s office to finally step in, but it can reasonably be said that if the Department of Education’s investigators had conducted fair investigations, this principal’s wrongdoing could have been revealed years ago.
2003: Misappropriation of funds
In 2003, Chapter Leader Maria Colon alleged that Mr. Rotunno had stolen $70,000 from the school’s GO store. The allegation charged that receipts from the store were not deposited directly into the school treasury as the Chancellor’s Regulations require, but that the cash was sent to the principal’s office first where money was siphoned off.
The investigation found no guilt, but in order to rid himself of Ms. Colon, Rotunno dismantled the entire bilingual program so that she could be put in excess as a senior teacher. Then Ms. Colon was subsequently sent to the infamous rubber room for two years by Rotunno on bogus charges for which she would eventually be totally exonerated.
2004: Regents tampering
In 2004 there was an investigation into rampant test score changes on the English Regents.
As District Representative of the UFT, I sat with Special Representative Thomas Tallarini through five hours of interviews with English teachers. They all painstakingly described the process of grading the exams and all was in accordance with the state regulations.
However the papers of twenty students who had received the highest failing score had been converted to the lowest passing score when Assistant Principal Rashid Davis removed the graded exams and crossed out the scores in black, changing the grades on as many as three of the four essays, revising them upward, and initialing the change.
Investigators Barnes and Robert Smalls have never officially closed this investigation after six years, but a preliminary finding they issued said that Davis had the right to do this.
2005: Transcript tampering
In 2005 students who failed summer school classes made the unpleasant trip to their guidance counselors to register to repeat the classes they had failed. They were then sent to the program office to have the classes entered on their programs.
Suspicions were aroused when several of these students returned to their guidance counselors with the happy news that they now had not only passed these classes, but had actually graduated!! The assistant principal of programming who had authorized the changes was Rashid Davis.
The allegations of transcript tampering were reported to the Special Commissioner of Investigations of the Departament of Education by two counselors. They kicked it down to OSI and again investigators Barnes and Smalls were sent to Kennedy.
When Barnes and Smalls were assigned to this case, I asked then president of the UFT, Randi Weingarten, to intervene. She wrote a letter to the Department of Education demanding a fair and thorough investigation. Paul Egan and Rodney Grubiak sat in on the hearings for the UFT and saw guidance counselors produce clear evidence of transcript altering.
But the case is still not closed and no findings of wrongdoing were issued.
In order for Rotunno to rid himself of the two senior counselors who initially reported the tampering, he excessed four guidance counselors essentially removing them from the school to the regional office where they sat in a room doing nothing.
One of the counselors was a related service counselor who had a caseload of 135 special education students who were left unserved in her absence. Rotunno told the district that another related service provider had taken over her caseload. I spoke to that teacher personally and he responded, “No. I have my own caseload of 110.”
Two of the students were hospitalized for threatening suicide in the absence of their counselor. Mr. Rotunno remained on the job. Mr. Davis became a principal.
2008: APO guilty of $145K in illegal overtime
In 2008 the assistant principal of organization, Scott Arbuse, was found guilty of accepting $145,000 of overtime pay illegally from the Department of Education in his former job at Lehman High School.
Rotunno taught for many years at Lehman and they both coached the Lehman football team. Rotunno brought him to Kennedy. Arbuse was not removed and continues to work at the school.
Common theme: NYC DoE investigations find nothing!
All of these investigations were conducted by the New York City Department of Education.
Newspaper articles appearing in the New York press have repeatedly done the investigative work that the OSI and SCI should have done and printed more unbiased articles regarding these incidents. The OSI and the SCI have investigated many allegations of wrongdoing rarely finding misconduct on the part of principals, ignoring the testimony and evidence to let them get away with wrongdoing.
I have sat in on many of these interviews to protect the rights of the union witnesses. Their evidence and testimony carried little weight when there is a predisposition to find no guilt. The damage to the careers of these teachers and counselors, as well as to the school and its students is tragic and patently unfair.
No wonder teachers are afraid to report the wrongdoing they see. They know it will have little chance of a fair investigation and they know their careers and reputations will be jeopardized.
Another way
At long last, the state comptroller steps in and justice is done.
Perhaps we should just start turning over our allegations to the state.
Lynne Winderbaum
June, 2010
“Do Not Apply” principal investigated for sexual harassment
Richard Bost, found to have sexually harassed an employee last year, is being investigated for similar charges again. Today’s Daily News reports that the Office of Equal Opportunity is involved.
When Bost was previously found to have sexually harassed an employee, a school secretary, according to the Daily News, she ended up at a different school. Bost was removed by his supervisor, but Joel Klein overruled her and returned Bost to the school.
Someone should ask Klein, or his boss, Michael Bloomberg, why a man who was found to have sexually harassed a woman under his supervision was returned to a work environment with young women under his supervision.
Bost is principal at Fordham Leadership Academy for Business and Technology, one of the first schools added to the “Do Not Apply” list. Until last year’s hiring freeze, new teachers had choices of where to apply. And this was not a good choice. (since the freeze I have not been updating the list, but should start again next year).
Algebra 2 Trig Conversion – 46 passes, 65 mastery
The chart is out before 7:30.
Passing is 46. Mastery (85) is 65.
Notes:
71 converts to 90. And then the next 17 points raise the score only 10.
Most notably, 85, 86, and 87 all earn the student 99.
From 46 (65) to 65 (85), one raw point adds exactly one scaled point. (except that 68 gets skipped). It’s nice to have a linear part of the scale.
Algebra 2 / Trigonometry Conversion Chart
[UPDATE – The Conversion Chart arrived before 7:30. 46 passes. 65 mastery]
This is the first time the exam was given, so instead of setting up a key, the State’s contractor collected all the answer sheets, weighed the scores, and had a committee recommend what the passing score will be, and what the Mastery (85) score will be. Recall, there are 88 points on the test. Once those were set up, a cubic function was fit to the data points, and a conversion chart was created.
(Here’s a longer, more complete version)
The conversion chart will be released later this morning. It will be on this page.
(I’ll update this post when the actual chart becomes available) Done!
Challenge/Contest
In the meantime, how close can you come, guessing what the passing and mastery scores will be?
This year for Algebra: 30; 68; 87
for Geometry: 41; 71; 86
for Math B: 46; 70; 88
for Living Environment: 41; 66; 85
for Chemistry: 50; 75; 85
for Physics: 47; 69; 85
Here’s a discussion on the New York State Math Teachers (AMTNYS) listserve. And a continuation.
I’ll kick things off. Passing 49. Mastery 71. Out of 88.
Put your guesses in the comments.
June 2010 Algebra 2 / Trigonometry Regents – Parts 3 and 4
36. The members of a men’s club have a choice of wearing black or red vests to their club meetings. A study done over a period of many years determined that the percentage of black vests worn is 60%. If there are 10 men at a club meeting on a given night, what is the probability, to the nearest thousandth, that at least 8 of the vests worn will be black?
37. Find all values of θ in the interval 0º ≤ θ ≤ 360º that satisfy the equation sin2θ = sinθ.
38. The letters of any word can be rearranged. Carol believes that the number of different 9-letter rearrangements of the word “TENNESSEE” is greater than the number of different 7-letter rearrangements of the word “VERMONT.” Is she correct? Justify your answer.
- (The three questions above are Part 3. They are worth 4 points each.)
- ( The question below is part 4. It is worth 6 points)
39. In a triangle, two sides that measure 6 cm and 10 cm form an angle that measures 80º. Find, to the nearest degree, the measure of the smallest angle in the triangle.
June 2010 Integrated Algebra 2 Trigonometry Part 2
28. Use the discriminant to determine all values of k that would result in the equation 
29. The scores of one class on the Unit 2 mathematics test are shown in the table below.
| Test Score | Frequency |
| 96 | 1 |
| 92 | 2 |
| 84 | 5 |
| 80 | 3 |
| 76 | 6 |
| 72 | 3 |
| 68 | 2 |
Find the population standard deviation of these scores, to the nearest tenth.
30. Find the sum and product of the roots of the equation
31. The graph of the equation 
32 Express 
33. On the unit circle shown in the diagram below, sketch an angle, in standard position, whose degree measure is 240 and find the exact value of sin 240°.
34. Two sides of a parallelogram are 24 feet and 30 feet. The measure of the angle between these sides is 57°. Find the area of the parallelogram, to the nearest square foot.
35. Express in simplest form:
Worst math regents questions of June 2010
Math B, 23:
Solve for x:
Why equals 27? Because they were hoping to trick kids. Wow, clever adults.
Do you agree? Disagree? Have other nominees?
Integrated Algebra, 30:
The value, y, of a $15,000 investment over x years is represented by the equation 
First off, quite wordy. Second, neither profit nor interest are ever defined (except as equivalent to each other). Leading to third, this was a trap question. In my school, it had by far the lowest correct response of any multiple choice. And these are kids who read fairly well.
Algebra II/Trig, 29
The scores of one class on the Unit 2 mathematics test are shown in the table below. (There follows a frequency table, 7 lines, 22, tests). Find the population standard deviation of these scores to the nearest tenth.
This is a 2-point free-response question. Kids use a calculator. They write down the right answer. 2 points. They write down the wrong answer. 0 points. They write down the right answer, but with an extra decimal place. 1 point. They write down something close to the right answer. Um, er, maybe they used sample standard deviation? 1 point. Or missed entering one number in the calc? We can’t tell, 0 points. Or double entered one number? We can’t tell, 0 points. What in the world is being tested here?
Integrated Geometry, 6
A right circular cylinder has an altitude of 11 feet and a radius of 5 feet. What is the lateral area in square feet of the cylinder to the nearest tenth? (1) 172.7 (2) 172.8 (3) 345.4 (4) 345.6
This question is designed to punish, for 2 credits, a student who multiplies 2 digit numbers with pencil and paper. The correct answer is (4). It requires three decimal places of π. They know that a kid who is not using the calculator will use two decimal places.
Back in the day, they told us that calculators can help a kid calculate. They told us the calculator can deal with tedious or repetitive work, and allow the kid to concentrate on mathematical ideas. I don’t know that I bought that 100%. But I understood. But requiring use of the π key is something else. It says the kid may not calculate without the calculator. The kid does not have permission to multiply. They have crossed a line. I hope everyone notices.
4 new articles on Teach for America / (no more TfA here, please)
New article by Barbara Miner on TFA.
Looking Past the Spin: Teach for America
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
And from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice:
Teach For America: A False Promise
June 9, 2010
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
Here’s a new book:
Learning on Other People’s Kids
Becoming a Teach For America Teacher
Barbara Torre Veltri, Ed. D, Northern Arizona University
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
Professor Su Jin Jez, of Sacramento State’s Public Policy and Administration Graduate Program, has coauthored an education policy brief titled, “Teach For America: A Review of the Evidence.”, but I can only see this review (the brief seems to be locked from outsiders)
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
And my thoughts?
They leave. Usually in two years. By design.
In neighborhoods where schools are one of the few stable institutions, they destabilize them.
They collaborate poorly.
Most carry sharp anti-union animus.
The make our faculties whiter. Younger. Richer.
They keep jobs from those who would stay and work to improve a school.
They almost guarantee that a brand new teacher will be in the classroom two years down the road.
– – — — —– ——– ————- ——– —– — — – –
There is a cost to a school – regularly replacing teachers.
There is a social cost to a school and a community – lack of stability.
There is a cost to the system – we actually pay TfA to supply these temps – and we pay more than for a regularly certified teacher.
Part of what we pay TfA goes for anti-union propaganda. Some may go for pro-test-prep propaganda.
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Were there a teacher shortage, perhaps the case could be made… but probably not.
But we have no teacher shortage here in NY. We have a retention problem. And TfA is part of that problem.
TfAs leave their schools. I read a few days ago about another one. But it’s not some scattered anecdotes – 2 years and out is the norm.
Even the TfAs who (oh, the horror) keep teaching? They rarely stay at one school. Three I know personally, still teaching, something amazing like eight years. And one has been stable (only two schools). But the other two? 5 schools and 4 schools.
Last year was the Freeze. Few TfA got in. this year the Freeze continues. So again, few should get in.
But there is no need for TfA. Not in NYC. They should not be hired here. Even after the Freeze lifts.
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(TfA teachers, once they are in, are teachers like anyone else. They need to be nurtured and protected, same as we would for any new teacher. Hmm. Same as we should for any new teacher.)
(This post is not about NYC Teaching Fellows. Not the same beast.)
JD2718 