In it a mathematics professor questions the assumption that after algebra and geometry students should take calculus. He specifically questions high school course sequences where calculus is presented as the final course in the sequence and all college-bound students are encouraged to take it. Instead he thinks we should strive to have all students complete a comprehensive statistics course before graduating high school.

I think he’s on to something. Statistics is more broadly applicable than calculus. In college, majors that require calculus (hard sciences, math, engineering, econ) also require a course in statistics. But majors that require statistics (psychology, sociology, education, nursing, etc) don’t usually require calculus. Outside of college statistics are everywhere from presidential approval ratings, to commercials, to standardized test scores.

In addition, I feel statistics is a lot more approachable in calculus. By high school most students have heard poll numbers on the news, they’ve talked about averages in reference to their grades, and have likely gambled a bit with friends. Teenagers are interested in concepts of popularity, ranking and differences between groups. All of these real life experiences can be related to stats and used to make the course both practical and fun. I wonder how many more students would do 3 or 4 years of high school math if it wasn’t all about “getting ready for calculus” and instead was learning about gambling, polling, and other things that were applicable to day to day life as an adult.

Fortunately in our case, there was no single test to worry about. A second source of stress can come from worrying about how a placement decision will affect the child’s distant future. For a middle-schooler, college and life after college is a long way off. This actually makes the decision easier, as the only criteria is: What is in best interest of the child now? Where can the child have the right balance of challenge and success? That still might not be easy to figure out, but it is a whole lot easier than worrying about whether your daughter won’t be CEO someday because she didn’t take honor’s algebra in middle school.

Math Honors: Coping With Unexpected Stress

So how did our daughter’s case work out? Well, she initially wanted one direction. Her parents and teacher after talking with each other, thought a different course was best. And at least for a while longer, it is clear who has final say. If you have had to face a placement decision, how did your family handle it?

The Effects of Mandating Algebra in School Math Programs:

In 1997 the Chicago school district was one of the first to require that 9th graders take algebra to help ensure that its high school graduates would be ready for college. And many districts have followed—Minnesota and California even requiring it in 8th grade, assuming the California policy is implemented. However, researchers found rising failure rates, and the algebra mandate “did not seem to lead to any significant test-score gains for students in math or in sizeable increases in the percentages of students who went on to take higher-level math courses later on in high school.” (You can read the Edweek article I’m quoting here.)

But isn’t it obvious that if algebra is the needed foundation for their future, kids need the right early foundation to be successful in algebra? All of which reinforces my belief in the importance of what we’re doing at DreamBox: helping more kids develop conceptual understanding and fluency with basics—like number sense and computation—and giving them engaging ways to develop problem solving skills. We’re helping kids to be confident and well prepared for success with algebra.

Everybody has a different take on what makes a good job. And we should be thankful for that. Down towards the bottom of the list are jobs society depends on such as firefighter, nurse, and child care worker. So the listing isn’t about importance or value, but rather more narrowly focused on pay, stress, and working conditions.

Math Education: A Pathway with Limitless Choices For a Child

That said, given the wide range of doors opened by a studying math, science, and engineering, you would think more parents would encourage their children to consider these areas. Not so, according to a second article publishing the results of a poll by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society for Quality.

A few highlights: 97% of parents “said they believe that knowledge of math and science will help their children have a successful career.” Yet, “only 20% of parents have encouraged/will encourage their child/children to consider an engineering career.” OK, so maybe it slipped parents’ minds to make the recommendation.

But the really disappointing results for me were: “More girls say their parents are likely to encourage them to become an actress (21%) than an engineer (10%).”And, “31% of boys vs. 10% of girls say their parents have encouraged them to think about an engineering career.”
So, with all due apologies to Willie Nelson:

Parents, don’t you let babies grow up to be actresses.

Let them be doctors, mathematicians, engineers, and such.

My son struggled mightily to memorize the basic single digit addition facts and later the multiplication table. And yet, now as a 10th grader he has no problem with Algebra II. I still am not sure he ever really memorized the multiplication table, but instead it seems he quickly recalculates each time. When he was younger, I wish I would have had more faith that there were many, many different paths to success, and that he would find his.

Identifying a Child’s Path to Math Success

One of the things that attracted me to DreamBox and got me involved, was DreamBox’s core belief in the idea that every child is different, and every child will find a different path to success.For more on this, look at Why is DreamBox better? Also, in the FAQ there are a couple useful questions and answers about what to do when your child hits a speed bump with DreamBox.  See: Should I help my child with a problem?

And apples and oranges? I wish I could give credit to where I read this, but it is an image that has stuck with me since before I became a parent: Being a parent is like being a gardener. You are given a seed and not told what type of seed it is – maybe it is an apple seed, maybe an orange seed, maybe something else. You have no control over what it is. Your only job is to make sure it grows up healthy, happy, and strong.

Math Olympiad has programs for elementary school, grades 4-6, and middle school, grades 6-8. Last year 150,000 students and 5,000 teams participated. Check with your school, it may already have a program going. If not, consider starting one. And if you have a late elementary or middle school child who needs more challenge, consider buying one of their books filled with great past contest problems.

For more information on Math Olympiad or to order any of their books, check out their site.

And for a truly international math experience, check out World Math Day on March 4th!